maybe for MP they meet in an inn or bar or just in the street? And then you band togeather, with a few scripting changes from single to multiple?
And for SP. You talked about the Noble Houses? What about having you choose what guild you want to join? Warrior's ( new HQ here), quests vrs monsters outside town/sewers. Thief's, steal this or that. Assassins, kill this person or that. Etc. You can try to get a Noble House person to give you a patreonage?
For meeting up, I like the idea of maybe the two players ( single player really) maybe going to an old library and being taught secrets of their crafts by a learned mage, and one day they bump into each other? Somebody forgot something at the library or need's help learning a difficult skill for one of their guild quests?
For the female rulers clan, maybe you can find them a bit more willing to help out more? Maybe they have the old castle, set up in a wilderness, where you need to go to read the books in their library, but it has either A) fallen to monsters, or B) the new leader of the clan is iron fisted and has many gaurds? DeathKnights, humans, imps, etc.
I think one has to be a female and one needs to be a male, so you can have a better plot with akin to Romeo and Juliet, like you said.
ANd if the player would like to, maybe they can make a female warrior who nobody takes seriously, but fights with honour, unlike the other soldiers at her guild who are corrupted by a secret agent of the enemy?
And the Verdistis male assassin, etc, er, more ideas on him later...
