House Adarbrent

House Adarbrent

"The greatest treasures remain hidden."

Personages

Patriarch: Arit Adarbrent Consort: None Heir: Naiya Adarbrent (younger sister) Membership (Nobles): 7 Predominant Faith: Valkur

Faction Details

Common Descriptors: Curious, courageous, wanderlust Primary Classes: Ranger, fighter, rogue Alignments: LG, NG, CG

Faction Ranks

• Favored: Rank 1. You are a favored member of the House. If you are a scion of the House, you have pleased the patriarch sufficiently to gain his notice. If you are an agent or retainer of the House, your efforts to aid the House have gone well-noted. • Lynchpin: Rank 2. You are given a position of some responsibility in the House's operations. If you are a scion of the House, the patriarch considers you one of the favored scions of the House, and consults with you on matters of House importance. If you are an agent or retainer, your contributions and skills in service of the House have won you a position of no small regard and respect in the patriarch's eyes - although that may earn you the jealousy of his blood kin who are less favored than you. • Matriarch/Patriarch: Rank 3. You are the acknowledged and legal head of the household.

Interests

Trade & Interests: Shipping, cartography, exploration Holdings: Waterdeep

History

Ethnicity: Chondathan Founded: 1317 DR

One of the youngest of Waterdeep's noble Houses, House Adarbrent was once a marvel - in a port city full of merchants, the Adarbrent merchant fleet was second to none, and third only to the Watermen and Guard for sheer size. The Adarbrents were explorers, first and foremost, and theirs was not just wanderlust. Exploration burned in Adarbrent veins, and they turned those fires into profit as well, offering not just mercantile shipping services but also having a hand in cartography and exploration (both a'sea and on land). The first Lord Adarbrent transformed the Adarbrent Shipping Company into House Adarbrent within a single generation, a feat almost unheard of.

The tragedies of the late 1300s and early 1400s devastated the family's fortunes, however, starting with the Deepwater War. The oceanic invasion destroyed a great many Adarbrent fleets, and then the strange circumstances in Maztica ravaged the coffers even more. Entire branches of the family disappeared during these events, as many went down with ships or vanished with the New World, never to be heard from again.

History

• 1311 DR: Adarbrent Shipping Company comes to Waterdeep from Cormyr, when Royus is but 3 years of age.
• 1314 DR: In a joint expedition with House Zulpair, the Adarbrent Shipping Company discovers an island with an abandoned dwarven mine. The dwarves were slaughtered by monsters, but after a harrowing time securing the site, the Adarbrents and Zulpairs recovered an incredible wealth of rubies. On the return voyage, the Zulpair ships attempted to seize the Adarbrent gemstones and sink their ships, but the Adarbrents escaped and quickly returned to sanctuary in Waterdeep.
• 1315 DR: After an extensive investigation, House Zulpair is fined and the captain of its island expedition imprisoned for their attempted piracy of the Adarbrent ships. Jarlinn Adarbrent begs the Lords' Court to defer both punishments, insisting that the attacks by monsters and privation from lack of food and sleep had made everyone on edge. After some deliberation, the Lords agreed, and House Zulpair was cleared of punishment but not charges. The Adarbrent name is at the forefront of all of society's topic of talk for the next several years.
• 1317 DR: The Adarbrents are ennobled as a full Waterdhavian House.
• 1352 DR: A terrible storm does terrible damage to one of the Adarbrent fleets, killing Yhaeren, his wife Vondel, and Missyndra's husband Aykeros.
• 1365 DR: House Adarbrent, along with a number of other Waterdhavian interests, journey to Maztica, but are turned away from New Amn by the Lord-Governor. The Waterdhavians depart and establish a colony, New Waterdeep.
• 1369 DR: The family's fleets suffer incredible losses during the Deepwater War. The House was forced to borrow heavily from Fayd yn Sarsor al-Nisr, the father-in-law of an Adarbrent daughter (Syllia). Through this toe-hold, the cabal known as the Rundeen began to infiltrate and take over House Adarbrent, giving them a hold in Waterdeep. Only Syllia's membership in the Harpers prevented this, though it ruined her family.
• 1385 DR: The Spellplague ravaged Waterdeep, and the Adarbrents were badly affected by it.
• 1427 DR: Jyladis Adarbrent sells her house's villa, title, and three leaky ships to an enterprising Luskan seacaptain named Marivindis Suld, who establishes House Suld. Jyladis takes her two children away from Waterdeep.
• 1489 DR: The Heralds track down the descendants of Harpers Syllia Adarbrent and Farid al-Nisr in Calimshan, and offers them the title of House Adarbrent, so long as they take up its operations and name. A third son, Arit, accepts, and comes to Waterdeep, though he maintains contacts with his Calishite family (the al Nisr family) and its business contacts.
• 1492 DR: A relatively poor family of sailors arrive from Baldur's Gate and head immediately to the Adarbrent household. They introduce themselves as the descendants of Jyladis, now using the last name "Arbren." After the Heralds confirm their lineage, and Arit welcomes them into the household as a cadet branch.
• 1493: Lord Dorgar Adarbrent dies, naming Arit his heir on his deathbed.

Members of the Family

Main Branch

• Arit Adarbrent:Patriarch (Rank 3) • 32 years. Though when most folk hear that the patriarch of the Adarbrent shipping empire is a young man with no consort, they assume that is because he is "playing the field," as they say. In truth, though, Arit is a deeply focused and no-nonsense businessman whose hard work had rejuvenated Adarbrent fortunes significantly. Though many of marriageable age would like nothing better than to lure Arit out of the Adarbrent villa for a night on the town, he simply doesn't have the time.

Naiya Adarbrent Patriarch's sister and Heir (Rank 2) • 28 years The only other of Syllia's descendants to accept the Reinvestment, Naiya is a Calishite beauty, and is quite at home in Waterdeep's society. Unlike her brother, she has plenty of time for society and parties, though only a fool assumes she is capricious because of it. She is just as business-minded as her brother, save that her office is the noble salon, and her business partners are just as often bed partners. Some of Waterdeep's noble set are convinced that she is shopping around for Arit's future wife as part of her busy social life.

The "Arbren" Cadet Branch

• Thunissa Adarbrent:Patriarch's cousin (Rank 2) • 28 years. Oldest surviving descendant of Jyladis, Thunissa grew up around the sea. She'd always heard the Waterdhavian name "Adarbrent" as part of their family history, but it was always spoken in the past tense. So when a minstrel began spreading the word of Waterdeep's Reinvestment, she saw an opportunity. Fortunately, it paid off, and she and Arit get along famously. Thunissa knows how to deal with sailors and sea captains, even better than Arit does, and the two make a fearsome team.
• Herwald Adarbrent: Thunissa's Consort and Fleet Master (Rank 2) • 35 years. Thunissa's husband brought his ship, The Hellhammer, to Waterdeep on a gamble. His debts were catching up to him, but his brilliant wife's gamble paid off, and now he finds himself the Fleet Master of the steadily growing Adarbrent Fleet. In truth, though, some have noted that Herwald is something of a small-minded man, and gets a jealous gleam in his eyes when he sees how well Thunissa and Arit get along.
• Erergin Adarbrent: Thunissa's Firstborn Son (Rank 0) • 9 years Little Erergin is the only child in the Adarbrent villa, and everyone dotes on him. He frequently wishes he had other children to play with, occasionally watching the children play in the street outside from his high perch in the Wave-Widow's Tower.

Harthone Adarbrent Thunissa's Brother (Rank 2) • 23 years The red-headed young man who is the darling of Waterdeep's social set, Harthone seems intent on sleeping his way through the available beds of every noble house in the city, man and woman alike. Though Arit finds him wildly frustrating thanks to his inability to shoulder any kind of responsibility, Naiya has assured her brother that she can mold the young rake into a worthwhile addition to House Adarbrent.

The Old Adarbrents

• Dorgar Adarbrent: Patriarch's cousin (Rank 1) • 92 years. "The Angry Lord" they used to call him, from the days when he was the only remaining Adarbrent in Waterdeep. In his youth he fell in love with a young noble girl. They were arranged to be married but she died of the fever when both she and Dorgar remained in Waterdeep to aid others during a plague, and he never really recovered from the grief. Fury at the desecration of his lady-love's grave drove him to the use of necromantic artifacts, though his own magical skill is limited at best. Today, he is an old man, much aged, who spends most of his time in comfortable chairs in the Adarbrent House, dreaming of ancient days.

Previous Generations

• 1354 DR

Holdings

• Resources Limit: If necessary, House Adarbrent could probably generate about 20,000 gp in liquid coin and valuables within a month, or about 8,000 gp within a tenday.

House Estate

South Copper Street, North Ward, Waterdeep
House Adarbrent's estate is the southernmost noble estate in Waterdeep, right at the very edge of the North Ward - a testament to the relative youth of the Adarbrent ennoblement. Though its time as the playground of "House Suld" have left it in some need of upkeep, the Adarbrents are dedicated to the task.

• Rubycliff House: This three-story study in opulence was the first purchase the Adarbrents made, even before they were ennobled (but definitely as they had already begun trying to become so). Rubycliff's first floor is made up of primarily public rooms, with a small garden-facing suite for elderly House members for whom stairs are too difficult. The floor above has the various apartments and private living spaces of both branches of the Adarbrent family, and the top floor is a series of lord-and-lady suites, nursery, and the like for the direct use of the Lord of the House's immediate family.
• The Second House: Named so for its purchase right after the Adarbrent ennoblement, the three-story Second House was originally used as living quarters. Today is houses a handful of offices, primarily those of the Lord and the Fleet Master of the House, with a very public street-access facade. The ground floor houses the Lord's office and public meeting and waiting space for visitors, as well as the great Chart Room of House Adarbrent, and each floor above that is divided into two suites of offices for the Fleet Masters, from the days when the House had four such positions. For now, the top floor and the second office across from Herwald's stay closed up.
• Wavewidow's Tower: A tall four-story tower constructed by Royus' mother when his father passed away, the Wavewidow's Tower sits in the middle of the fine Adarbrent gardens, surrounded by trees. Its ground floor is the family chapel to Valkur, with ample space for worship and small apartments for visiting priests who might call on the Adarbrents seeking shelter. Above that are two rooms of "mourning apartments" - suites of rooms that Adarbrent nobles traditionally retreat from the world into at the deaths of their spouses. Finally, the last floor stands quite tall by itself and is entirely glassed in, providing an excellent view of the surrounding city. It is just tall enough and angled just right to be able to see half of the harbor, and the spyglasses there can be used to get a closer look at ships coming into port.
• Highsails House: Though entirely closed up as unnecessary for the moment, the four floors of the Highsails House provided living spaces for those Adarbrent nobles who do not dwell in the Rubycliff House proper. It has a single galleries great hall centrally located on the first floor, flanked by small apartment suites that are traditionally given over to newly-weds in the family. The upper floors are all divided into living spaces that were once clearly noble in appointment if not necessarily size. As it stands now, Highsails House is the only portion of the Adarbrent villa that has not yet been repaired and restored from its time under House Sund, and is unlikely to be, given the family has no current need to do so. Thunissa has suggested upgrading and renting it out, however, which Arit is considering.

Retainers

The Adarbrent villa maintains a small household of servants (kitchen staff and housekeepers, mainly), all overseen by a major domo. They also have a tutor and tender, Vael Areenil, for Harthone.

The Adarbrent Fleets

House Adarbrent once maintained four distinct fleets, each headed up by its own Fleet Master. Now, however, there is only the single Adarbrent Fleet:

• The Adarbrent Fleet: Herwald Adarbrent, Fleet Master. With Herwald's new ship, the Goldensail, as its flagship, this collection of mercantile ships are half heavy, multi-masted ships, and have coastal sloops meant for fast transport. Though he may be occasionally surly and hard to work with, Herwald has proven himself a capable captain and admiral, choosing good captains and keeping order within his ranks.

Known Faction Perks

Scions and agents of House Adarbrent in good standing might receive the following benefits:

• Living Quarters: Renown 1+. Those in good standing with the House are given quarters within the House's Waterdhavian villa appropriate to their role in the House.
• Living Expenses/Salaries: Renown 1+. Those in good standing with the House also receive a stipend of 1gp plus 5sp per day per point of Rank. This is not actual cash, but simply familial credit towards payment of Lifestyle costs. This stacks with the same kind of familial credit received from the Waterdhavian Noble Background (see Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide).
• Oft at Sea: Renown 2+. An Adarbrent of this renown has been at sea often enough to learn to make themselves useful while there, gaining a free Navigator's Tools or Vehicle (Sailing Ship) Tool Proficiency.
• Business Opportunities: Renown 3+. Lynchpins to House Adarbrent's operations receive access to a variety of business opportunities within the House's money-making endeavors. This is handled as "Running a Business" in downtime months. This does not incur a business expense, but if too many of the character rolls results that end in a loss of money, he can and will find his Rank in the House reduced.
• Heir or Consort (Title): Renown 3+. The holder of one of the legal titles Heir of House and Consort of House, as recorded with the city of Waterdeep, is entitled to an additional 2gp per day in familial credit, per the "Living Expenses/Salaries" entry above. The heir is also accorded certain privileges within the legal system of Waterdeep, including the ability to speak on behalf of his House in some legal proceedings and the like.
• Ship's Captain (Title): Renown 4+. Those with the inclination toward doing so may be made the captain of one of the Adarbrent ships, as a test for future possible leadership within the House. They become the master of one of the Adarbrent ships, with a full ship and crew ready and able to do their bidding - though they are not free to do as they like, for the captains answer to the House's Fleet Masters.
• An Available Ship: Renown 5+. Those in very good standing with the House can call upon the services of one of the House's ships. Ideally, a tenday is required before doing so, to make sure the ship isn't needed for any House business, but a ship can be called upon in emergency purposes within a number of hours equal to (11 - your Rank), though this does negatively impact the House's finances.
• Fleet Master (Title): Renown 7+. There are four who hold this title in House Adarbrent, one for each of the Adarbrent fleets.
• Wealth of the House: Renown 10. The patriarch of the House is in total control of the House's finances and various holdings, established by the laws of Waterdeep.