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POISONER’S GUILD – DAYTIME

• Thornai^**
• 2 Journeymen^*
• 4 Apprentices
• 2 Vladaam Gladiators

POISONER’S GUILD – NIGHT

• 2 Advanced Vladaam Guards
• 50% chance: 1 Journeyman^*
• 50% chance: 1 Apprentice

^* Carries common vault key.
^** Carries master vault key.

Alchemical Lab – Poisoners’ Guild
Guildsman District
Brewer’s Close – I9

AREA 1 – LABORATORY

The large space is filled with a chaos of lab tables and work stations. A thick, acrid smell fills the green-hazed air.

ALCHEMIST’S LABS: 6 sets of alchemist’s supplies.

• DC 14 Intelligence (Alchemist’s Supplies): The labs here contain a predominant amount of equipment specialized for the handling and refining of poisons.

ALCHEMY SUPPLIES: 2,000 gp in alchemical supplies.

One crate of unopened supplies still has the Bill of Shipping Right issued by the Docks attached to it. It identifies the Prince’s Servant, commanded by Captain Therech and registered to the Fleet of Iron Sails, as the ship which carried the crate to Ptolus. The taxes were paid by the deot of House Vladaam.

ALCHEMY CONCOCTIONS: banecord (x6), benecord (x2), beastbane incense (x2), beastbane salve (x2), beastgrace perfume (x1), poisonbane unguent (x12), verminbane incense (x2), verminbane salve (x2)

DC 20 INTELLIGENCE (INVESTIGATION): A concealed trapdoor reveals a small compartment with an iron coffer (DC 24 Thieves’ Tools) containing augur’s draught (x3), cassandra’s tears (x6), and soul’s draught (x3).

SECRET DOOR: DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation), two DC 24 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) made simultaneously. Requires both the master vault key and one of the common vault keys to be turned simultaneously in twin locks.

AREA 2 – POISON VAULT

This vault contains:

• 3 vials of every poison in the DMG (p. 357) except for midnight tears, purple worm poison, and wyvern poison.
• Alchemy Lab 2 – Secret Lorebook (located on pedestal; see trap below)
• Unfulfilled Order for Shadow Essence Poison
• 5,000 gp in alchemical supplies

IRON COFFER: 10% chance of being present.

• 500 gp
• 40,000 sp
• 50,000 cp
• Instructions to have the Ithildin Couriers ship it to the Red Company of Goldsmiths on Gold Street (see Part 12).

TRAP: If the lorebook is removed from the pedestal without first pushing a trigger concealed on the back of the pedestal, six crossbow bolts tipped with purple worm poison fire into the room (determine targets randomly). Detect DC 20, ranged attack +10, 1d8 piecing damage + purple worm poison (12d6 poison damage, DC 19 Constitution saving throw for half damage).

UNFULFILLED ORDER FOR SHADOW ESSENCE POISON

Thornai—

I’m running low on shadow essence, and I’d dearly appreciate a fresh supply of thirty doses at your earliest convenience. Our guests can get dreadfully out of sorts without it.

I’ll take delivery at Marquette’s on Pitch Street.

Arquad

Go to Part 7C: Alchemy Lab 3 – Shadowworks

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BODYWORKS – DAYTIME

BODYWORKS – NIGHT

^* Carries common vault key.
^** Carries master vault key and Letter from Guildmaster Essetia.

Alchemical Lab – Bodyworks
Guildsman District
Brewer’s Close – I9

LETTER FROM GUILDMASTER ESSETIA

Master Grui,

I think your for your kind gift of Thoth’s Incense. I have little doubt that my scholars will benefit greatly from sharing the thoughts of the scholars you have captured in its vapors. However, I am afraid I must — with all due deference — refuse your request to study (or sample) brain dust drawn from the sarcophagi of our master cartographers.

I confess I would be most curious to know how you learned of the burial chambers beneath our guild hall in the first place. But, nevertheless, they must remain sacrosanct.

As a minor matter, I would also appreciate it if you would make some inquiry into your lorebooks regarding any references to “Malkith” or his arts. We have found some arcane references of late and would like to clear up some evident confusion on our part.

Guildmaster Essetia,
Red Company of Surveyors

AREA 1 – ENTRANCE

A covered porch. The long wall is a large mural of the Vladaam alchemy sigil.

FRONT DOOR: AC 15, 32 hp, DC 20 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)

AREA 2 – LAB

Long workbenches run the length of the room, covered in elaborate equipment. Cabinets along the north wall contain various supplies.

• 6 fully-stocked alchemist’s labs
• 2,000 gp worth of alchemical supplies
• acidbane salve (x2), balm of the rose, denharil’s oil (x5), draught of Morpheus x5, rejuvenative draught (x2), summoning balm, thoth’s incense (arcana)
• Alchemy Order from Navanna
• Note from Kilana to Grui

ALCHEMY ORDER FROM NAVANNA

Master Grui—

Please deliver six Draughts of Morpheus to the house estate as soon as possible. Aliaster and his mages have been working long hours at the Oldtown apartments and I have loaned them the entirety of my current supply.

Your work with the grafts has been excellent. Aliaster assures me that additional revelations will soon by flowing from his work.

Navanna Vladaam

NOTE FROM KILANA TO GRUI

Grui—

We’re running low on acidbane salve at Wayfarer’s Street. One of the new apprentices has been going through it like butter. If you could send us next month’s shipment early, that would be lovely.

Kilana

AREA 3 – STORAGE

Shelving of dark wood stained with chemicals along the walls. Additional shelving below a low, square work table in the middle of the room.

ALCHEMICAL SUPPLIES: Worth 6,000 gp.

VAULT DOOR (to Area 4): AC 19, 100 hp, two DC 24 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools) made simultaneously. Requires both the master vault key and one of the common vault keys to be turned simultaneously in twin locks.

AREA 4 – VAULT

Small area with lead-lined walls.

SHELVES:

• 8,000 gp in rare alchemical supplies.
• Alchemy Lab 1 — Common Lorebook

SIGIL BOX: A box with no visible mechanism for opening it. The top is inlaid with the Vladaam alchemy sigil.

• DC 15 Intelligence (Investigate): The two circles of the inlaid sigil can be rotated. (75% chance one of them gets rotated the wrong way, triggering the trap.)
• DC 25 Intelligence (Investigate): The circles need to be rotated in opposite directions to avoid the trap. Doing so causes the inlaid sigil to pop up; it can then be swung aside to reveal a lock which can be opened with Grui’s master key.
• Wyvern Arrow Trap: ranged attack +8, 1d8 damage plus DC 15 Constitution saving throw (7d6 poison damage or half that on a successful save).
• Contents: Alchemy Lab 1 – Secret Lorebook, 33 pp, 3091 sp

IRON COFFER: 10% chance of being present.

• 500 gp
• 40,000 sp
• 50,000 cp
• Instructions to have the Ithildin Couriers ship it to the Red Company of Goldsmiths on Gold Street (see Part 12).

AREA 5 – SECRET LAB

Alchemical labs have been set up on opposite ends of the room. There large dissection slabs in the center of the room. A blue, alchemical flame in a sconce hanging from the ceiling casts an eerie light, but also purifies the air (giving it a distinctive ozone scent). There’s a trap door in the floor in the corner of the room.

ALCHEMY LABS: Contain two full sets of alchemist’s supplies.

DEAD BODIES: Being used for study and dissection.

OTHER ITEMS:

• 2,000 gp in alchemical supplies
• necromancer’s oil (skeleton x6, ghoul x2)
• 2 pain devil hell scourges, ready for grafting (see Part 15: Oldtown Apartments)

SHIPPING CONTAINER: Partially loaded. The side is stamped with an address on Pitch Street in the South Market.

• zombie oil (x10)
• zombie oil (control concoction, x2)

DM Background: Crate is being delivered to the Part 17: Undead Shipping Warehouse.

TRAPDOOR: A trapdoor in the floor leads to a tunnel which emerges in the Midden Heaps (Ptolus, p. 179).

DM Background: They use this tunnel to dispose of dead bodies.

Go to Part 7B: Alchemy Lab 2 – Poisoner’s Guild

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The Vladaam maintain four alchemical labs in Ptolus, all located in the Guildsman District.

DARK DWARF MASTERS

The alchemical labs are run by four dark dwarf alchemical masters:

• Grui (Bodyworks)
• Thornai (Poisoner’s Guild)
• Kilana (Shadowworks)
• Kaldri (Common Labs)

ALCHEMICAL LOREBOOKS

These are two types of alchemical lorebooks that are maintained in each laboratory (see Addendum: Alchemical Lorebooks).

Common Lorebooks: These are written in Common or Old Prustan and require an Intelligence (Alchemist’s Supplies) check to decode the appropriate recipes. (DC 12 to identify a recipe; DC equal to the crafting check to actually know what the recipe entails.)

Secret Lorebooks: These are maintained by the dark dwarves. They are written in Undercommon and also encrypted. It requires a DC 18 Intelligence (Alchemist’s Supplies) check and a DC 18 Intelligence (Deception) check to decode a secret lorebook.

OPERATING PRINCIPLES

The Bodyworks and Poisoner’s Guild are maintained as low profile guild workshops that are generally not open to the public.

The Shadowworks maintains a small public shop for selling alchemical bolts and arrow.

Goods are shipped from these three labs to the Storefront/Common Labs on Guilder Street. This storefront is officially the Red Company of Alchemists in city records.

VLADAAM ALCHEMISTS & OTHER DENIZENS

Apprentice Alchemist: Use commoner stats, MM p. 345.

• Intelligence 12
• Proficiency (+2): Arcana, Alchemist’s Supplies
• Acid Flask: ranged attack, 2d6 acid damage
• Equipment: acid, dagger, alchemist’s supplies, Vladaam deot ring
• CR ⅛

Journeyman Alchemist: Use artisan stats, Ptolus, p. 606.

• Intelligence 16
• Proficiency (+2): Arcana, Alchemist’s Supplies
• Equipment: caltrips x5, oil of mending x2, potion of climbing, potion of healing, Vladaam deot ring

Many of the journeymen alchemists are half-orcs:

• darkvision 60 ft.
• Proficiency: Intimidation
• Relentless Endurance: Once per long rest, when reduced to 0 hp, instead drop to 1 hp.
• Languages: Orc

Dark Dwarf Masters: Use mage stats, MM p. 347.

• Characterize spellcasting as deploying alchemical admixtures.
• Proficiency (+3): Alchemist’s Supplies
• Alchemical Master: Double proficiency bonus on checks related to alchemy.
• Equipment: alchemist’s fire x2, oil of mending x5, potion of healing x2

Dark dwarf traits:

• darkvision 60 ft.
• speed 25 ft.
• Dark Dwarf Resilience: Advantage on saving throws vs. spells.
• Tool Proficiency: Smith’s Tools
• Stonecunning: Proficient in Intelligence (History) checks related to the origin of stonework and add double proficiency bonus.
• Languages: Dwarvish

Vladaam Gladiators: Use gladiator stats, MM p. 344 with orc traits (darkvision 60 ft., as bonus action can move up to its speed towards a hostile creature).

Vladaam Guards: Use guard stats, MM p. 347, with AC 17. (Equipment: breastplate, shield, longsword, longbow, arrows x20, potion of healing, Vladaam deot ring.)

Advanced Vladaam Guards: Use knight stats, MM p. 347.

Go to Part 7A: Alchemical Lab 1 – Bodyworks

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BACKGROUND

This church belonged to a small cult which worshipped Aredhel, the sacred ur-tree which they claimed was the Mother of the Gods. The cult had a minor renaissance about fifteen years ago, during which time they claimed that the church’s tree was a sapling grown from a cutting of Aredhel herself. Seven years ago, however, the tree was struck by lightning and killed. The cult’s popularity abruptly declined and the church was abandoned.

The church stood vacant for several years and was then purchased by the Vladaams in 747 IA. They’ve used it for storage (and, most importantly, the hidden stash of illicit goods in Area 10).

(Malav Street – Temple District – I4)

THE TEMPLE

The church is entered by climbing stairs up from street level to the large balcony on the second level (Area 1).

Windows: Large windows look into Area 2 from the east and west. Smaller windows look into Areas 7, 8, and 9. Solid glass except for the window in Area 8 (which was broken and then boarded over).

AREA 1 – THE BALCONY OF THE TREE

The balcony has a balustrade of begrimed white marble. The floor is a mosaic of blue and green tiles, although several of the tiles are now missing and the rest are badly weathered.

Trap – Temple Entrance: Anyone crossing the threshold of the church into Area 2 who doesn’t wear a Vladaam deot ring triggers a bestow curse spell (DC 20 Wisdom saving throw to negate). On a failure, their forehead is branded with a “V” sigil which glows bright green and inflicts incredible pain (causing disadvantage on all attack rolls and ability checks).

• DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation), DC 24 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)

DM Background: It’s become a custom in the neighborhood to pry up bits of the balcony as good luck charms.

AREA 2 – HALL OF THE DIVINE SEED

Statues: Depict Ahaar, the Lord of Air, and Gaen, Goddess of Light, kneeling as if in subservience towards the tree in Area 3.

Pillars: These pillars are designed to dispense some sort of small nodule. (Four dispensaries per pillar.) The mechanism still works, but nothing comes out.

• DM Background: The pillars would dispense small silver “seeds” that would be swallowed to produce an intoxicating effect on supplicants before they descended into the lower halls of worship.

AREA 3 – THE GREAT MOTHER

The tree is long dead, but still stand proudly. Its bark is papery-thin and silver-grey in color.

AREA 4 – THE ASCENT OF GODHOOD

The floor here is molded to resemble grass and dirt and is sloped steeply towards from the tree, forcing anyone proceeding towards Area 6 to climb up.

DM Background: Symbolically this mirrors the journey of the Ahaar, Gaen, and the other gods out of the Grove of Aredhel. So, too, do worshipers move out of divine grace and into the deeper mysteries of the cult.

AREA 5 – PRIESTS’ QUARTERS

Filled with old, ruined furniture.

Doors: Badly weathered. One hangs loosely by a broken hinge.

DM Background: These were once the quarters of the church’s priests. Simple abode beneath the boughs of the Great Mother.

AREA 6 – HALL

The walls have been marked with crude graffiti, but it’s so worn with age now that it’s impossible to make out.

AREA 7 – VLADAAM STORAGE

Several crates have been stacked here, each marked with the Vladaam seal.

• 500 pounds of saffron (worth 7,500 gp).
• 3 crates of purple-and-red linen (worth 3,000 gp)
• A crate containing 700 finely crafted arrows with black shafts. (DC 14 Intelligence check for local knowledge notes that the black shafted arrows identify the arrows as coming from the Red Company of Fletchers. They have a reputation for being favored by assassins in the city.)
• 2 crates containing 50 longswords.

AREA 8 – EMPTY ROOM

This room has been stripped down to the bare stone. The window has been broken and boarded over.

DM Background: Formerly the High Priestess’ chamber.

AREA 9 – EMPTY ROOM

This room has been stripped down to the bare stone.

Mental Alarm: An alarm spell keyed to Aliaster Vladaam is triggered if anyone enters the room who doesn’t wear a Vladaam deot ring.

• DC 18 Intelligence (Investigation), DC 24 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)

Secret Door – DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation): A loose stone on the windowsill can be depressed, causing the secret door to Area 10 to swing open.

AREA 10 – VLADAAM SECURITY CACHE

Forged Art: A dozen framelss paintings have been propped against the walls here and there. DC 15 Intelligence (History) recognizes numerous famous paintings, with a total worth around 55,000 gp.

• The Heath of Midnight by Collier
• Eyes of the Satyr by Banald
• The Fire of the Gray Forest by Pannal
• The Color of the Gods by Lacas
• Beneath the Southern Sea by Lacas
• The Nine Eyes by Lacas
• Guildcrafters of Sarlush by Supparo
• The Valley of the Street by Supparo
• The Forbidden Love of the Gods by Pannal
• The Warrior’s Gauntlet by Pannal
• The Blooded Claw by Kabuto
• At Anchor at Dohrinthas by Heffala

DC 21 Intelligence (History) or Wisdom (Perception) recognizes one of the paintings as a forgery, plus one additional painting per point of success. (All of the paintings are forgeries.)

Dagger of the Black Sapphire: The dagger of the black sapphire is a +1 silvered dagger. Its hilt has a large black sapphire (cut into the shape of s dagger) embedded in it (so that it can be seen from both sides of the hilt). If someone is slain by the dagger, their soul is drawn into the gemstone and held there. Over the course of a year and a day, the soul is slowly consumed (during which time the victim cannot be revived or resurrected by any means). The holder of the dagger can speak with dead once per month to communicate with the soul. Only one soul can be held by the dagger at a time and it will not capture another until it has consumed a soul it currently holds. Shattering the gemstone releases the imprisoned soul.

• Current Occupant: A man named Makett who was a former member of the Red Company of Surveyors. He made the mistake of embezzling money from the Vladaams, and the even bigger mistake of getting caught. He does know several pertinent pieces of information regarding the Vladaams (conveying all the information on the notable guild houses and also 1d4+1 random bits of information from the gather information tables). He also suspects the presence of hidden chambers with the Surveyor’s guild headquarters (but he was not a member of the Brotherhood of Yrkyth, see Part 14: Surveyor’s Headquarters).

Black Lotus Poison: 3 vials of black lotus extract (7d8+30 poison damage and the poisoned condition, DC 17 Constitution saving throw for half damage and no poisoned condition).

• Attached Note: “Make sure payment is passed to Master Thornai for the concoction and Captain Hinmos for retrieving the lotus blooms.”
• DC 18 Charisma (Investigation): Thornai is the Master Alchemist at the alchemical lab on Black Street (see Part 7: Alchemical Labs).
• DC 14 Charisma (Inveistgation): Captain Hinmos is of the God’s Pearl, one of the Fleet of Iron Sails (see Part 9: Fleet of Iron Sails).

DM Background: This area was originally designed as a safe room where the priests could hide in case of religious persecution. The Vladaams use it as a place to store hot or risky items.

AREA 11 – HALL OF WORSHIP

Several rows of dusty pews, including one which has partially collapsed, face a dais on the far side of the chamber.

Dais: There are signs that an altar once stood here, but it’s been removed (leaving only bolt holes in the floor).

AREA 12 – MURAL OF THE GREAT MOTHER

A painting of a silver-barked and silver-leafed tree fills the wall of this alcove. Depictions of Ahaar and Gaen, their holy symbols tattooed or burned onto their chests, stand below the tree, and seventeen huge, cocoon-like seedpods depend from the boughs of the trees (each marked with a holy symbol of a different god).

A dry and empty pool is slightly raised from the floor in front of the mural.

Go to Part 7: Alchemical Labs

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Although briefly described in the Ptolus sourcebook, the Vladaam Estate was originally published and fully detailed in the Banewarrens campaign book five years earlier in 2002. This, unfortunately, resulted in some continuity errors.

The key problem is that the Vladaam family was not fully detailed in the Banewarrens. Only Iristul, Navanna, and Aliaster are mentioned, and as a result the Vladaam Estate lacks rooms for the other siblings. While it’s possible that Godfred and Gattara simply keep their rooms elsewhere, I decided it would make more sense to add the rooms to the mansion, which I did by simply adding a third floor identical to the second (as shown on the map above).

I’ve added key entries for these new rooms, as well as adding some enhancements to other rooms in the mansion. You’ll also find an adversary roster below, which is quite useful if you end up needing to run a true heist at the Vladaam Estate.

ADVERSARY ROSTER

There are two adversary rosters for the Vladaam Estate: One for daytime and another at a night (when security is higher, but the servants are asleep).

If the estate is on high alert, use the nighttime roster during the day. If Navanna is leading the PCs on a fake heist (see Banewarrens, Chapter 4), use the daytime roster at night (but still have the servants asleep).

Vladaam Guards: Banewarrens, p. 45.

VLADAAM ESTATE – DAYTIME

VLADAAM ESTATE – NIGHTTIME

SERVANTS

OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS

• Godfred: If present during Navanna’s fake heist, he’ll be drunk and potentially foul it up. 50% chance he’s in his room (1 in 10 chance he comes out looking for more liquor). 50% chance he’s out drinking (1 in 10 chance he comes home early).
• Aliaster: 40% chance of being out during the day. 90% he’s at home at night (sleeping).
• Gattara: 10% chance she’s present.

REVISED KEY

AREA 11 – LIBRARY

Very well stocked, the Vladaam library seems particularly complete on the subjects of history and magic. Many books here are valuable.

Secret Trap Door: Can be found with DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation) check. Leads down to the dungeons.

Chaos Lorebooks: Protected by a knavescour spell.

• Book of Faceless Hate
• Masks of Death
• Eye of Legion
• Hand of Gellasatrac
• Vested of the Galchutt

KNAVESCOUR
4^th-level Abjuration [Warlock, Wizard]

Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 10 days

A particularly useful foil for thieves, knavescour allows you to designate 8 objects which you touch at the time of casting, anmd again once per day to maintain the spell.

If anyone intentionally touches any of these objects without your spoken permission, this spell causes it to spray corrosive energy at that creature, dealing 8d6 acid damage (Dexterity saving throw for half).

After this discharge, the object becomes safe for anyone to handle, and the other objects retain diminished protection. The second object touched without your permission deals one less die of damage than the first, the third deals two less dice, and so on.

At Higher Levels: You can designate an additional 4 objects for each spell slot level above 4^th.

This spell is covered by the Open Game License.

AREA 22 – VLADAAM CREST

The original stone crest of the Vladaam family — roughly six feet in diameter — hangs above the door to Area 24.

AREA 24 – IRISTUL’S BEDCHAMBER

Locked Door: DC 23 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)

This room is tastefully decorated with grand furnishings, albeit in a slightly dated style. Although kept meticulously clean, any careful inspection of the room reveals that it has not been lived in for months or possibly even years.

Black Roses: On the mantlepiece, there are four black roses, each levitating under a separate glass bell jar. (Iristul keeps one for each of the Vladaam children’s mothers. The reason for this is uncertain, as sentimentality does not seem to be one of the patriarch’s virtues.)

Weapon Collection: One wall of Iristul’s room is filled with a large collection of prized weapons. Notable items include:

• unholy battleaxe
• berserker axe
• silver dagger (marked with runes which read, “For the Heart of the Wife”)
• light hammer +1 (marked with the personal seal of Yrkyth Vladaam)
• light hammer +2 (marked with the personal seal of Yrkyth Vladaam)
• longbow (of blackoak, gilded with the Vladaam family crest)

AREA 25 – TROPHY ROOM

All sorts of beast and animal heads, as well as stuffed specimens in their entirety, are displayed here.

AREA 26 – BONSAI ZOO

A small zoo of “bonsai monsters” — living miniature monsters kept artificially small through magical “pruning.” Created and maintained by Gattara Vladaam, specimens include:

• owlbear
• gas spore (looks like an ocular tyrant)
• flail snail
• polar bear
• mammoth
• tyrannosaurus rex

AREA 27 – GATTARA’S BEDCHAMBER

Locked Door: DC 23 Dexterity (Thieves’ Tools)

Gattara’s décor is as garish as her wardrobe… or rather, her three wardrobes, each packed with bespoke outfits commissioned from the Jade Woman (Ptolus, p. 277).

AREA 28 – GODFRED’S BEDCHAMBER

Godfred’s bedchamber is decadently luxurious, the walls filled with more animal trophies. An aumbry filled with rare liqueurs is near the black-and-gold sheeted bed.

Writing Desk: A small writing desk in the corner of Godfred’s room is ill-used, but has a recent letter from Guildmaster Essetia requesting a meeting (see Part 14: Red Company of Surveyors).

REVISED KEY – DUNGEON LEVEL

AREA 3 – INNER STRONG ROOM

See key in Banewarrens, p. 48.

In addition to the other items, there are six blood rubies in a coffer near the hand.

Blood Rubies: A blood ruby can be placed on the chest of a victim. Once per hour, It inflicts 1 point of Constitution damage (as the ruby mystically fills with blood) and forces a DC 15 Wisdom save. On a failure, the victim suffers the effects of a dominate person spell as if cast by the person attuned to the blood ruby. The effect lasts for a period of time equal to how long the blood ruby rested on the victim’s chest.

AREA 4 – TRAINING ROOM

See key in Banewarrens, p. 48.

DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation): Beneath the inset mahogany floor is a seal of adamantine with an arcane lock that can only be opened with a drop of Vladaam blood. This vault leads to the Fane of the House Founder (see below).

AREA 5 – PRISON

See key in Banewarrens, p. 48.

Thariad Rivelost was brought to Ptolus aboard the Pride of Morrain, taken to the Vladaam slave warehouse (see Part 16: Slave Trade), and then selected by Gattara Vladaam and brought here. He can identify the ship and/or lead PCs to the warehouse where he was kept.

FANE OF THE HOUSE FOUNDER

The walls of this sunken chamber are made from gleaming black chalcedony with veins of milky-purple. A green sphere, glowing with a faint light, levitates in the center of the room, bound in position by seven thick, black chains that are attached at various points across the ceiling, walls, and floor.

Behind the sphere is an inhumanly large statue carved from the same purplish-black stone of the vault. It depicts a faceless, androgynous figure with bat-like wings. Its left hand is extended beneath the sphere, as if presenting it to the room.

Sphere: The sphere represents the lost (or hidden) moon of Vallis. At the touch of someone with Vladaam blood, the “moon” can be opened, revealing a small chunk of Vallis rock within that has a 100 spell level capacity (see Ptolus, p. 648).

Figure: The figure depicts Vladaam, one of the original Vested of the Galchutt who helped the Lords of Chaos identify the Seven Chains that held the soul of the world upon the Vallis moon.

THE TWELVE CLAWS

Navanna’s “werewolf” bodyguards, known as the Twelve Claws, are not actually werewolves at all. Their hybrid transformations are the result of wolf’s paw totems that they wear on golden chains around their necks. These are linked to Navanna’s master totem (also known as the Thirteenth Totem) and using them requires on to swear loyalty to Navanna.

The master’s totem is crafted from the mummified heart of a werewolf. The wolf’s paw totems are crafted from the left front paws of werewolves infected by the werewolf from whom the heart of the master’s totem was taken.

Go to Part 6: Abandoned Temple of the Great Mother