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The Vladaams are one of the ten major noble houses of Ptolus. For all of their nefarious affairs, both they and large slabs of their businesses are well-known in the city. Therefore, if the PCs looking for information about the Vladaams, there’s a lot that they can find.

CANVASSING

You can use the tables below to seed general topics of conversation, interrogations, or any other social interaction the PCs might have, but they’re primarily designed for PCs who canvass the city for information. By default, a Charisma (Investigation) check will determine the number of facts they gain, which are divided into three categories — common, uncommon, and rare.

In addition to specific pieces of information, any successful Charisma (Investigation) check will acquire the basic information list below.

You’ll want to decide how often checks can be made. In my campaign, I allowed one check per day. You might want to spread things out a bit, depending on the pace of play in your game. Rulings in Practice: Gathering Information has more practical advice on canvassing and other forms of intel acquisition.

CHARISMA (INVESTGATION)

BASIC INFORMATION

COMMON INFORMATION

1. Prince Iristul Vladaam is not currently in Ptolus.
2. There are four members of the Vladaam family in Ptolus: Aliaster, Gattara, Godfred, Navanna.
3. Aliaster Vladaam, the eldest brother, is a potent arcanist. He withdrew from most public circles of sorceries many years ago, however, but is well-known to continue his researches in private.
4. Gattara, the eldest sibling, recently abandoned her study of arcane studies.
5. Godfred, the younger brother, is a lumbering oaf who enjoys violence.
6. Navanna, the younger sister, is the de facto leader of the family in Ptolus. She mostly keeps out of the public eye.
7. Vladaam is one of the smaller houses, claiming a total deot of 636 citizens. (However, it’s suspected that their actual total may be higher due to shadow members of the deot who participate in criminal activities.)
8. They own an alchemical lab, operating as the Red Company of Alchemists, on Guilder Street in the Guildsmans’ District.
9. Red Company of Fletchers is well-known for the distinctive black shafts of their arrows. These arrows have become particularly favored by assassins in Ptolus, although the Vladaams deny any direct connection: After all, anyone is free to purchase their guildcraft; they have no control over what they do with it after that.
10. Red Company of Founders is a guild of brass and bronze workers located on Brass Street.
11. Red Company of Glaziers: Essentially the only guild in Ptolus specializing in paned glass. They achieve this distinction – and the monopolistically high prices that come with it – by virtue of violently shutting down competitors. (The term “glass-shatterer” has become common slang in Ptolus for guild-on-guild violence.)
12. Red Company of Goldsmiths: A small metal-working guild associated as subsidiary to the Goldsmiths’ Guild (which, in turn, is run by the Ironworkers’ Guild). Located on Gold Street.
13. Red Company of Surveyors: This company of mapmakers rose to prominence nearly three centuries ago when they began producing incredibly detailed maps of the Teeth of Light based on the exploration ships that were sent into the southern reaches of the island chain by Yrkyth Vladaam. These charts greatly expanded trade throughout the Southern Sea during the decades leading up to the Great Sea War in 563 YD. The Red Company of Surveyors still uses as its mark the great seal Yrkyth used when he was head of the household.
14. Red Company of Surveyors: Apprentices work as boy messengers on the Docks, purchasing interesting data from docking ship captains.
15. Red Company of Surveyors: Chart-making workshop and headquarters located on the High Road in Oldtown.
16. Red Company of Painters: Colloquially known on the streets as the “Forgers’ Guild”. They provide portraiture and murals of all kinds, but fifteen years ago they were involved in a minor scandal involving their forgeries. The company was able to successfully weasel their way out of it by claiming that the works were merely imitations and were never meant to actually deceive anyone.
17. Red Company of Paviors: Responsible for laying much of the original roadwork for Rivergate, the company still holds license for maintaining most of those paving stones and also the maintenance of the Rivergate Bridge. A century ago, the Red Company of Paviors was involved in a scandal involving repeated sabotage of the Wings Fall Bridge. Their tolling rights for the Rivergate Bridge were stripped from them, but the Vladaams responded by getting all bridge tolls banned within the city.
18. Vladaams are known to deal primarily in three drugs: Snakeweed and Abyss Dust from Freeport; and a particularly vile substance known as either “agony” or “liquid pain” from an unknown source.
19. Vladaams reported run a number of “curse dens” in the city: Dens of iniquity featuring a rich drug culture mixed with strange curse magicks and gambling.
20. Fleet of Iron Sails: The Vladaams maintain a fleet of trade ships which are active throughout the Southern Sea. They are notable for their dull grey sails. The current Fleet of the Iron Sails contains 18 ships. See Fleet of Iron Sails.
21. Knights of the Golden Cross have a long history of enmity with House Vladaam.
22. House Dallimothan and House Khatru have long been Vladaam’s rivals.
23. There’s a long-standing feud between Sheva Callister and the Vladaams.
24. No one knows who the mother of Navanna, Aliaster, Godfred, or Gattara is. (But they are believed to be different women.)
25. Vladaams maintain residences for their deot members all around town, but a large number of them are housed in five apartment buildings on Crossing Street in Oldtown. One of these apartment buildings was recently gutted by chaos cultists. (GM Background: The chaos cultist incident is tied to the Night of Dissolution.)

UNCOMMON INFORMATION

(25% chance of getting a family member’s schedule information)

1. Gattara Vladaam is said to be dabbling in Reformist cults. (False: She’s actually worshipping the Galchutt.)
2. The family has demon-tainted blood: Navanna shows this most in the current generation (black skin and horns), but usually uses glamers when going abroad in public.
3. In addition to the Red Company of Alchemists (which operates out of a storefront on Guilder Street in the Guildsmans’ District), the Vladaams operate three other alchemical labs: The “Bodyworks” on Brewer’s Close; the “Poisoner’s Guild” on Black Street; and the “Shadowworks” on Wayfarer’s Street.
4. Red Company of Fletchers maintains a black market in dreadwood arrows out of their guild headquarters on Vanguard Street.
5. Word on the street is that the Shuul believe the Red Company of Founders is responsible for a recent theft from the Foundry. They have been unwilling to make an official complaint due to the prestige of House Vladaam, but they are currently looking to hire some mercenaries to steal their goods back.
6. Red Company of Goldsmiths: No one dares to hit them because they’re Vladaams, but young thieves like to talk big about planning a job. It’s rumored that they have as much as 40,000 gp worth of gold on the premises.
7. Red Company of Surveyors: Rumor is that they were intimately connected with the creation of something known as the “Enigma Engine” for Yrkyth Vladaam during the 6^th century. According to conspiracy theories, this device is supposed to be capable of all sorts of things: Communicating with the gods. Granting eternal life. Mass creation of undead. Becoming a lich. A massive energy source. The ultimate scrying device, granting the user a form of omniscience. A super-weapon capable of destroying entire cities or boiling oceans.
8. Brotherhood of Yrkyth: Little is known about this organization except the name. It was reportedly founded by Yrkyth Vladaam in the 7^th century. Although conspiracy theorists occasionally claim it still exists, it seems to have died with Yrkyth.
9. At least some of the Surveyor apprentices acting as dock messengers also smuggle drugs for the Vladaams.
10. Curse Den: Located on Nethar Street in Guildsman District.
11. Curse Den: Located on Yarrow Street in Oldtown.
12. Curse Den: Located on Outer Ring Row in Rivergate.
13. Slave Trade Ships: Pride of Morrain.
14. Slave Trade Ships: Eye of the East.
15. Slave Trade Ships: Sarathyn’s Sail.
16. Vladaams maintain a warehouse somewhere in Midtown which is reportedly used as part of the slave trade in Ptolus.
17. The Vladaams own an abandoned temple on Malav Street in the Temple District.
18. A man named Makett who belonged to the Red Company of Surveyors and was reportedly embezzling money from the Vladaams recently disappeared.
19. Fleet of Iron Sails: Shipment of illicit goods (determine randomly) coming in on (determine random ship) on (date 1d6 days from now).
20. Fletchers Guild: Is looking for someone who can decipher the password for a bluesteel door. Reportedly willing to pay as much as 10,000 gp for it.
21. Founders Guild: Has reportedly been looking for lorebooks on chaositech.
22. See Common #25: Repairs on the apartment complex have been going on for weeks, but none of the construction guilds have been contracted and there aren’t many workers going in or out. (GM Background: This incident is tied to the Night of Dissolution.)
23. Guildmaster Telidor of the Red Company of Goldsmiths has two bodyguards that she can summon to her at will: They are drakken named Harla and Jarla. They stay at the Welcome Inn in the South Market.
24. Gattara was putting together plans for a Nocturdei celebration in an abandoned temple on Malav Street (Abandoned Temple of the Mother) to which she was inviting members of the Balacazars and Forsaken. (Apparently she thinks she can form an alliance between them and against the Killravens.) But Navanna reportedly quashed the idea of using the temple.
25. Lord Zavere was once a bodyguard and enforcer for Iristul Vladaam
26. A thief stole 25,000gp worth of gold strips from the Red Company of Goldsmiths. Vladaams have offered a 2,000gp reward for anyone giving them information on the thief. Word on the street is that they’ve also hired a Vai assassin to take retribution. It’s unclear how the thief got in and out of the guildhouse. (GM Background: He used the smuggling hole.)
27. Archmage Cretai of the Red Company of Magi is addicted to abyss dust.
28. Archmages in the Red Company of Magi can issue imperiums to junior guild members which the junior member must obey. (This concept, however, is also a broader invocation of the lines of authority that exist within the guild: One who has “imperium” over another in either a specific field of study; their mastery of the arcane arts; or within the guild hierarchy itself. It’s a core philosophical underpinning of the Red Magi which dates back to Flambara.)
29. The pearl statues of Guildmaster Arzan outside the Red Company of Magi are actually pearl golems – animate statues that are immune to magic.
30. The paving stones taken from the Temple of the Ebon Hand and now affixed to the Ghostly Minstrel were originally purchased from the Red Company of Magi.
31. There are carpets within the guildhouse of the Red Company of Magi which are filled with images of snakes which are said to be living: Intruders will be consumed by the snakes or dragged back into the carpet by pythons (depending on which story you believe).
32. Madame Hammala is the cook at the guildhouse of the Red Company of Magi. She is known to brag in local taverns about holding her own among “those witch-bitten windbags”. Although the Red Magi keep trying to convince her to let them “improve” the kitchen with various magical accoutrements she always refuses them.
33. The next guild meeting at the Red Company of Magi is 1d6 days from now.
34. There’s a significant collection of Aliaster’s sculptures reportedly kept at the Red Company of Magi.
35. There is said to be an alliance between the Vladaams and the Ennin slave traders. The Vladaams are somehow involved in transporting or housing the slaves for the Ennin.

RARE INFORMATION

1. Prince Iristul Vladaam is searching the world for hungerswords.
2. Godfred Vladaam wields a hungersword.
3. Gattara Vladaam worships the Galchutt.
4. It is suspected that the Red Company of Fletchers has a dreadwood grove under the guild headquarters.
5. Red Company of Founders performs chaositech research at their headquarters on Brass Street.
6. Red Company of Goldsmiths: Vladaams use this guild to launder stolen funds and goods from other enterprises.
7. Red Company of Surveyors: Somehow involved in bringing four dark dwarf masters of alchemy – Grui, Thornai, Kilana, and Kaldri – from across the Southern Sea to work for the Vladaams.
8. The Vladaams are said to keep a secret cache of hot goods somewhere in the Temple District.
9. Captain Hinmos of the God’s Pearl recently brought in a cargo of black lotuses from the Teeth of Light. (DM Background: Went to alchemical workshop; now stored at Abandoned Temple.)
10. Vladaams have reportedly been stepping up production of acidpoint, firepoint, and frostpoint alchemical bolts and arrows at their “Shadowworks” facility at the request of the Commissar in anticipation of the Atapi.
11. There are two keys for the vaults in the Alchemical Labs: One held by the guildmaster and another which is held in copy by all of the journeyman members of the guild.
12. Security at the curse dens are generally light – the Balacazars and Killravens might fight each other, but nobody fucks with the Vladaams. However, there are usually a few guards and a mage about (for providing the curse spells).
13. Den Master Marcus Corellius oversees the curse dens of the Vladaams and is also responsible for providing cover for other illegal activities.
14. Curse dens provide a “snuff” service.
15. See Uncommon #10, #11, or #12 (randomly determine). Security at the curse dens includes a Vladaam Mage and several Vladaam guards, but is generally pretty light. (Everyone knows that the Vladaams respond violently to anyone disrupting their operations: The Balacazars and Killravens might fight each other, but they don’t fuck with the Vladaams.)
16. See Uncommon #12: A hostess at the curse den in Rivergate has run up significant gambling debts with the Killravens at the Gilded Phoenix (see NOD5C Mrathrach Table Raid).
17. There are huge supplies of illegal drugs maintained at all the curse dens.
18. The stables at the Oldtown curse den aren’t used or horses.
19. There’s a smuggling hole that runs from the Red Company of Goldsmiths under the wall of the city. (Location given second time this rumor results; or on a rare result if specifically sought.)
20. See Uncommon #22: Aliaster, Navanna, and Gattara have all been seen entering or leaving the apartment building gutted by chaos cultists. (GM Background: This incident is tied to the Night of Dissolution.)
21. Slave Trade Warehouse: Run by a centaur named Dilar.
22. The taxes of Marquette’s Textiles on Pitch Street are being paid by the Red Company of Goldsmiths. (This is the Undead Shipping Warehouse.)
23. Guildmaster Telidor of the Red Company of Goldsmiths is interested in purchasing a familial title with House Abanar, but she fears House Vladaam retaliation. Despite this, she’s trying to put together a stake large enough to purchase a significant title (which might be enough to dissuade the Vladaams taking direct action against her).
24. The bertrant table at the Curse Den in the Rivergate District is showing bias towards the fangs. It could pretty easy to manipulate that to increase your winnings. (False: Possibly planted by the curse den management itself to encourage betting.)
25. There’s a golden disc depicting a map of the world in the guildhouse of the Red Company of Magi. It is said to somehow track the location of every Red Magi in the world.
26. Red Company of Magi is offering to pay very high prices for any lorebooks pertaining to the Demon Court.
27. There is a slave warehouse maintained on Runshallot Street in Midtown. Although common word on the street is that it’s run by Dark Leaf, it actually houses Ennin-owned slaves and is managed by House Vladaam.
28. Marquette’s Textiles is reportedly a front organization for some sort of illegal Vladaam activity. There’s no word on exactly what the illegal operation might be, but ratlings have been seen in the area.

Go to Part 5: The Vladaam Estate

The Vladaam Affair – Part 2: The Vladaam Family The Vladaam Affair – Part 3: Clue List The Mrathrach Agenda – Part 3A: The Mrathrach Machine