SESSION 31D: THE MIDNIGHT WATCH

November 9th, 2008
The 18th Day of Kadal in the 790th Year of the Seyrunian Dynasty

As midnight drew near, Tee left the Banewarrens and headed across Oldtown for her guard duties as a “cultist”. On her previous watches there had been little or no activity around the apartment complex. In fact, from all outward appearances, it seemed to be abandoned.

About an hour into her shift, however, Tee suddenly saw a light come on in one of the upper windows of the building. Her interest was particularly piqued when she realized that it was the window of the room in which Ranthir had clairvoyantly spied on a quarrel between cultists of the Ebon Hand and the Brotherhood of Venom.

Tee slipped across the street and, using her magical boots, levitated up to the window. The curtains had been drawn, but they were cracked and she was able to peer between them: A grim-visaged man wearing grey robes and an iron breastplate bearing the symbol of a coiled serpent was kneeling next to the corpse Ranthir had seen left behind. After a few moments, he stood up and left the room.

Tee floated up to the roof and kept an eye on the street to make sure that he wasn’t actually leaving the building. A few minutes later, however, she saw a light through the rear windows of the building moving back towards the room with the corpse. She returned to the window in time to see a group of several people return: The same grey-robed man was accompanied by two others wearing serpent symbols and a fourth man with a large tattoo in the shape of a black hand on his throat.

After no more than a cursory inspection of the corpse, the group fell into arguing with each other. Tee was having problems hearing, so she cautiously cracked the window open.

“—we’re not going to stand for this!” This was the Ebon Hand cultist.

“Vocaetun, if you’re making some sort of accusation—“ this was the grey-robed man.

“I am! You may think that you can steal this research from us! But we have worked just as hard to perfect the venom-shaped thralls, and we won’t let you steal them from us.”

“It could have easily been one of the thralls who did this.”

“Don’t be absurd!”

At this point one of the Venom cultists slipped out of the room. The argument continued vociferously. It became clear that the two cults had been working together to create “venom-shaped thralls” – which Tee guessed must be the insectoid horrors that Ranthir had seen on the lower level – but now significant distrust was boiling up between the two groups.

The cultist who had left returned, following a woman with golden-brown skin. Tee spotted a bell-shaped charm around the woman’s wrist.

As soon as they saw her, the other cultists fell silent. She eyed fixed them with a steady gaze until they settled down. “What’s going on here?”

“Reggaloch’s dead, Gavele. Theral found the body here.”

“Theral killed him you mean!” Vocaetun shouted.

While the other cultists went back to arguing, Gavele knelt down next to Reggaloch’s body and did a more thorough inspection of the corpse. Unnoticed by the others (but not unnoticed by Tee), she found a note and slipped it into her pocket. Then she stood up.

“That’s enough,” she said. “Reggaloch has been dead for days. Give the body to the thralls. They’ll eat it up. Then come with me and we’ll settle this. You really don’t want me to have to bring this idiocy to Illadras’ attention.”

At the woman’s direction, a couple of the cultists grabbed the corpse and hauled it out of the room. The rest of the cultists followed, taking the light with them.

Tee waited for a long while. When it was clear that none of them were coming back, she decided to go through the window. She eased it open silently and slipped inside.

She could hear sounds of movement from below, but nothing untoward here on the upper level. It looked as if the room had been torn apart: Various pieces of furniture had been smashed into kindling and scattered around haphazardly. There were doors to her left and right, but there was also a gaping hole punched through the far wall.

She headed through the hole in the wall into another large room. The floor creaked ominously under her weight. There was another hole in the far wall here, too, but she couldn’t see anything beyond it due to the lack of light. There were a couple of doors and one of these had been smashed open. Through it she could see a hallway leading to the stairs.

She decided to backtrack through the room where Reggaloch had died and tried one of the doors. Through it she found the remnants of a small apartment. In one corner of the ruined room she saw a cocoon of crystalline black secretions. In the other corner there was a second cocoon… but this one had been ripped open from the inside, and something seemed to be writhing in there.

I’m going to die in here… Tee realized with a sudden dread. She backed out of the room, shut the door, and escaped out the window.

She returned to her post across the street and waited for dawn to come. Just a few moments before the end of her shift, however, the door of the apartment building opened. The Ebon Hand cultist she had seen in the room above emerged and began walking down the street to the west.

She was just considering whether she should follow him or not when she spotted him surreptitiously passing a note to a man walking in the opposite direction. That settled the matter for her: She wanted to see that note.

She followed the messenger for several blocks and then, seizing an opportune moment, knocked him unconscious. She grabbed the note, quickly rifled through his purse (to make it look like an ordinary robbery), and then slipped away. When she was safely out of sight, she opened the note and read.

Malleck—

Reggaloch is dead. I am certain the Brothers of Venom are to blame. Gavele is deaf to our cause. I would urge you to send more of our brethren as soon as you can.

Vocaetun

Thinking quickly, she returned to where she had left the messenger. He was still unconscious. She quickly replaced the note and then woke him up.

“Hey! Are you all right? I saw that guy hit you and then—“

The messenger, with a look of panic in his eye, quickly patted himself down. As soon as he had confirmed that the note was there, he pushed his way past Tee and hurried down the street.

Alarmed, but not suspicious… Good. Tee nodded to herself and then headed back to the Banewarrens to meet up with the others.

A MORNING WITH ILTUMAR

When Tee returned to the excavated cave, she found Agnarr and Kalerecent on watch. Ranthir was awake, as well, having suffered from bad nightmares during the night. Waking the others, she proposed that they should renew the alarming charm that had been placed on the sealed door.

This needed to be done in any case, but it also gave them an excuse to leave Kalerecent so that they could speak in private. As they walked, Tee quickly briefed the others on what she had seen the night before.

(“You went inside?” Dominic said, incredulous.)

Elestra renewed the alarming charm and they made their way back to the excavated cave. All was quiet in the Banewarrens.

While the others rejoined Kalerecent’s watch, Elestra and Tor left the Banewarrens.

While careful to remain within the limits of her alarming charm, Elestra walked the streets of Oldtown. What she heard disturbed her: Late last evening, a small group of arcanists had magically animated the painted mural of the griffon in the common hall of the Griffon Tavern on Tavern Row. Three innocent bystanders had been killed by the creature before Sheva Callister had been able to stop it.

The word on the street was clear: The Killravens were making a concerted push to muscle in on the Balacazars’ protection racket along Tavern Row. There had been a few skirmishes between low level enforcers, but it was only a matter of time before the Balacazars started pushing back… and when they did, things were going to get ugly.

Nearly drowned out by the affairs on Tavern Row, there was another piece of news: A warrant of arrest had been sworn out for Sir Kabel. The charges were “disturbances of the peace” and “conspiracy to murder”.

Tor, meanwhile, headed down into Midtown. He met Iltumar at the Bull and Bear.

“Did you get a sword?”

“I did!” Iltumar said, patting the blade strapped awkwardly to his hip.

“Good. Do you have a horse?”

“… no.” Iltumar frowned.

“It’s all right. I’m sure arrangements can be made.”

And, in fact, they could. At the stable behind the Ghostly Minstrel, Tor saddled Blue and made arrangements to hire a horse for Iltumar for the day.

They rode up to the tournament grounds north of town. They were empty, but served as an excellent arena in which Tor could practice Iltumar on the arts of the sword.

As they worked, Iltumar slowly loosened up – both physically and with his tongue. “I think it’s important to fight for what’s right,” he said. “I wish I could do what you and Mistress Tee do.”

“What do you mean?”

“Making a difference in the world,” he said. “That’s all I dream about, really.”

Tor grunted. “That’s a noble sentiment. And now… defend yourself!” And he pressed the attack again.

Running the Campaign: Roleplaying NPC Scenes  – Campaign Journal: Session 31E
In the Shadow of the Spire: Index

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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

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This clue list provides an authoritative reference for every clue in The Vladaam Affair and where that clue can potentially lead the PCs in their investigation of the family.

It should be noted that this is in, fact, organized as a clue list, not a revelation list. For more information, check out Random GM Tip: Using Revelation Lists. (The revelations found here consist almost entirely of the node list for the scenario, which equates to the table of contents. If you want a revelation list, you can easily convert this clue list to one. Keep in mind, however, that Part 4: Gathering Information provides alternate vectors to many of the nodes in The Vladaam Affair.)

Some of the clues in The Vladaam Affair point to organizations or locations in Ptolus which are not part of the Vladaam deot. They are indicated with page references on the table.

 Note: Most of the illegal operations of House Vladaam have a small chance of having a large shipment of money about to be delivered to the Red Company of Goldsmiths.

Go to Part 4: Gathering Information