Franz Lohner
Who is Franz Lohner? Nobody seems entirely sure. Certainly he’s not the bluff innkeeper-in-exile he holds himself to be. After all, wasn’t he the brains behind the defence of Ubersreik? And it seems very much as if he’s positioning himself to oppose the latest round of devilry to assail the Reikland.
Such is Lohner’s reputation that most of his acquaintances, from the wealthiest of merchants to the lowliest of beggars, go to great effort to remain in his good graces. Everyone has a theory as to why the innkeeper is so well-connected, ranging from the sublime (he’s actually the legendary blackmailer Rudolph Gestromm, living out his retirement) to the ridiculous (he’s the displaced Graf von Jungfreud, meddling from the sidelines following his removal from power). It’s all conjecture, stuff that Lohner laughs off if ever it’s repeated in earshot, and many suspect he deliberately feeds the most outlandish stories.
Whatever the truth of his origins, it’s evident that Lohner sits at the heart of a formidable spy network – one which rivals that of the Emperor himself. It’s therefore just as well that Lohner has only the Empire’s best interests at heart. Or appears to…
