House Melshimber

House Melshimber

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Personages

Matriarch: Hlanta Melshimber Consort: None Heir: Khallos (eldest son, third child) Membership (Nobles): 24 Predominant Faith: {{{faith}}}

Faction Details

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Faction Ranks

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Interests

Trade & Interests: Sage-lore (history, genealogy), information, fine wines Holdings: Northern Seawatch Street, Sea Ward, Waterdeep (Estate); Offices (Castle Ward), Rooming House (Trades Ward)

History

Ethnicity: Tethyrian Founded: 1190 DR

Best known for their scholarly pursuits and fine wines, Waterdhavians in the know like to say that the Melshimbers have combined those two interests to master the art of gossip and information-gathering. One of the older families in Waterdeep, few are such a fixture on the social scene as the Melshimbers. It is a simple fact that no social event can be said to truly occur in Waterdeep without at least a flurry of invitations being sent to the Melshimber Villa, and acceptance by at least one is required to accord such an event a success.

Members of the Family

Main Branch

• Lady Hlanta Melshimber: Matriarch of the House. Considered one of the most dangerous social foes among the noble circles, Lady Hlanta Melshimber is a well-known woman whose ability to wield magic is far exceeded by her skills in manipulation and information gathering. Few ask her about her business, as that gives her an excuse to pry into theirs, so she often conducts clandestine business at her villa without interruption. Lady Hlanta has never taken a Consort, though she did spend years with the fathers of her children. (Age: 53y)
• Elvie Melshimber: First Daughter. Hlanta's eldest daughter is something of a legend among the noble set of her generation. Invitation acceptances increase when it is heard that she will be at a party; when it's heard that she's agreed to grace such a gathering with her voice and harp, even those not invited clamour to find a way to be there. Though she has lost some of the bloom of youth, Elvie is hauntingly beautiful, with a long graceful neck and head of immaculately coiffed glossy black hair. (Age: 33y)
• Colodacia Melshimber: Second Daughter. As charming and affable as her elder sister is mysterious and beautiful, Colodacia is a regular on the social scene. She takes a great deal of joy out of welcoming those who are new to the scene, whether because they have just arrived in Waterdeep or they have just become old enough to do so. Her black hair is a mass of springy curls, and her figure lushly curved. Her laugh is infectious, and she is well-known for her love of zzar. (Age: 30y)
• Khallos Melshimber: Heir of House, First Son. An historian trained by his great-uncle Gierobuco, Khallos is his mother's heir. Though his wit and charisma serve him well in that capacity, it is his interests in his mother's intrigues (and ability to facilitate them) that has truly earned him the spot. His elder half-sisters are relieved of such, for neither of them have ever wanted it. (Age: 28y)
• Ervais Melshimber: Second Son. Bookish and given to bouts of sickness, Ervais is his great-uncle Gierbuco's current apprentice and assistant. His elder sisters dote on him quite a bit, as he's always followed them around adoringly. (Age: 25y)
• Ymarya Melshimber: Third Daughter. The youngest of Lady Hlanta's daughters seems to have inherited no small measure of her magical talent. As such, rather than the finishing schools her elder sisters attended, Ymarya attends the Eltorchul Academy (North Diamond Street, Sea Ward). She seems far more interested in her own social and arcane undertakings than anything her family is interested in. (Age: 22y)

Other Branches

• Agoda: Matriarch's Aunt. A priestess of Oghma at the Halls of Inspiration in Silverymoon, Agoda is well-respected throughout Silvermoon and by the faithful of Oghma in the North. Agoda and Hlanta once maintained an active correspondence, but that ceased some twenty years ago. (Age: 76y)
• Gierobuco Melshimber: Matriarch's Uncle. A revered sage in Waterdeep, "Uncle Giero" (as everyone calls him) served with the Watchful Order in his youth, where his divinatory talents shone. His first and only consort, Liadnos, was a fellow watch-wizard well-regarded for his mastery of evocative magics. "The Eye and the Flame" their fellows dubbed their partnership, and the two solved many cases that surpassed the Watch. When Liadnos died in the line of duty some thirty years ago, Gierobuco retired from the Order and is fairly reclusive, only seeing those who come to hire him as a sage. Only Uncle Giero seems to break Hlanta's constantly scheming demeanor - it is obvious that she cares very deeply for him and is fiercely protective of him. In return, he is her constant advisor (even when she doens't like what he has to say). (Age: 69y)
• Zalo Melshimber: Matriarch's Brother. Though he was once quite the wastrel in his youth, Zalo has retired into a position of some regard, acting as the chief archivist and historian for the Lord's Court of Waterdeep. All that remains of his philandering days is a tendency to flirt atrociously with young women half his age, and to carry on exhausting passionate love affairs that end terribly. (Age: 50y)
• Gonta Urmbrusk: Matriarch's Sister. Always a simple young woman, Gonta finished her time in finishing school and immediately found a husband. She married into House Urmbrusk and settled into the life of a noble lady and mother. Today, she occasionally visits her sister Hlanta, but for the most part remains involved in House Urmbrusk's business. (Age: 46y)
• Ciatto Melshimber: Matriarch's Brother. The youngest of Lady Nettia's children, Hlanta always doted on her younger brother. For his part, Ciatto was always a willing agent for his elder sister's schemes, and more than capable at the arts of subterfuge she taught him. Despite his skills, his inclinations are far simpler: he is an avid book and map collector, and takes great pride in Ciatto's Collection: a variety of books Ciatto has sponsored the writing of, on myriad subjects of history that interest him. Ciatto's favorite topic is elven history, and he is fascinated by old stories of Miyeritar, the ancient kingdom of dark and wood elves that stood where the High Moor is now. He has gone so far as to hire adventurers in the past to comb the moors for ruins seeking more lore. (Age: 44y)
  • Andedda Melshimber: Ciatto's Consort. A daughter of House Talmost, Andedda shows her upbringing as the undisputed fashion plate of House Melshimber. Fortunately, she is only too happy to see that her family (particularly Lady Hlanta and her children) are on the cutting edge of fashion. She and Hlanta are fast friends - indeed, it is through Hlanta that Ciatto met Andedda, and their friendship remains to this day. (Age: 48y)
  • Emilos Melshimber: Matriarch's Nephew. Originally quite the annoying cousin who constantly snuck out to follow Elvie and Colodacia out on the town, Emilos is a raucous socialite. He has always considered himself his cousins' and siblings' protector, and he is arguably the best with a blade in the House. (Age: 26y)
  • Enagia Melshimber: Emilos' Consort. As far as Enagia and Emilos are concerned, theirs was a fairy-tale romance. Precocious and willful, Enagia soon grew tired of typical noble debauchery and found a new game for herself: paying the owner of a festhall to let her pose as one of the girls there. It was in that capacity that she met Emilos, and won his heart and loins forthwith. She continued to play that role, only seeing him while hidden behind the purple silk veils in the House of Purple Silks in the Sea Ward. Finally, when he proposed to her one night, his House be damned, she gleefully revealed herself to be a daughter of House Lathkule. (Age: 23y)
  • Ciro Melshimber: Matriarch's Nephew. x (Age: 20y)
  • Ronto Melshimber: Matriarch's Nephew. Young and ambitious, Ronto has been his father's apprentice in swordplay since he could hold a blade. He cuts a rakish figure, having just entered Waterdhavian society, and is probably one of the best dancers to be had (thanks to his mother's lessons). Thin but muscled, he has drawn the eye of more than a few of the noble ladies (and lords, in fact), but has thus far accepted no one's advances (or so the rumors say). He is also a fine singer. (Age: 16y)
• Moro Melshimber: Matriarch's Uncle. Head of his own branch of the family, Moro nonetheless works very closely with his niece Hlanta. He is a canny business man, and is well-regarded as one of the noble patriarchs of Waterdeep. His palate for wine is unparalleled, and he has a friendly rivalry with the other vintner families of Waterdeep (in particular his life-long friend-and-rival Karustos Snome). Moro manages a great deal of the family's vineyards and vintner operations. (Age: 65y)
  • Ailias Snome: Matriarch's Cousin. Almost to put a lie to the rivalry between her father and Old Man Karustos, Moro's daughter Ailias married Karustos' son Kertival. She can frequently be found on the Melshimber estate to visit her father, occasionally accompanied by her adolescent children Martyn and Willa. (Age: 43y)
  • Raimfre Melshimber: Matriarch's Cousin. Fiery-tempered and despising being "managed," Raimfre long ago fell at odds with Hlanta. In order to achieve familial peace, Moro sent him and his new bride to manage the House's operations in Scornubel. It has been some twenty years since doing so, and Raimfre is a well-established Scornubian citizen of some standing. (Age: 40y)
  • Sibeth Melshimber: Matriarch's Cousin. The daughter of a rich merchant lord with aspirations towards lordhood (Walmos Arborfair), Sibeth came to her marriage with Raimfre with a fine dowry of extensive vineyards in Scornubel. Thus, when her husband had problems with the Matriarch of the House, she was only too happy to return to her childhood home and raise a family there. Sibeth is calm and quite canny, and tends to mange the day-to-day operations of their vineyards, letting her husband deal with their places in society. (Age: 38y)
    • Aelent Melshimber: Matriarch's Cousin. A sweet girl with her mother's fair complexion, Aelent took her vows as a priestess of Lathander in 1351 DR, at the Healing House of Lathander in Scornubel. She jokes that she has her grandfather Walmos' wanderlust, and has occasionally ventured out in the company of an adventuring company, bringing Lathander's blessings to her companions in doing so. (Age: 19y)
    • Cynndria Melshimber: Matriarch's Cousin. A young woman coming into her own, Cynndria's sweet singing voice is the talk of Scornubel's social elite. Despite this, she doesn't have much affection for noble life. Her parents have promised to help her establish herself however she likes, if she will simply decide what she wants. (Age: 16y)
    • Johans Melshimber: Matriarch's Cousin. A mischievous young man, Johans shows every indication of fitting in well with the young nobles of his generation in Scornubel. (Age: 13y)
  • Ambenc Melshimber: Matriarch's Cousin. Moro's youngest son, Ambenc used to be quite the socialite. When he was in his late twenties, he found himself in a duel with a distinctly unsavory character: one Orlpar Husteem, who laced his blade with poison. Though the scoundrel was held legally accountable for it, and Ambenc healed to the best extent magic could provide, it still left him with a limp. He quickly retired from public life, and now works primarily with his uncle Gierobuco. (Age: 38y)

Holdings

• Resources Limit: If necessary, House Melshimber could probably generate about 35,000 gp in liquid coin and valuables within a month, or about 15,000 gp within a tenday.

House Estate

x, Sea Ward of Waterdeep, Waterdeep
The estate villa of House Melshimber consists of a trio of buildings, with extensively landscaped gardens between them. The whole is surrounded by a fine white-washed wall, decorated with carved interwoven grape vines around quills across the top of it. The buildings themselves are likewise a mist-grey (almost white) stone, and they are fond of decorative stained glass windows - even the regular windows often have a frame of stained glass across their tops and bottoms, usually depicting grape leaves and clusters, books, scrolls, writing utensils and the like.

• Main House: A four-story structure, the Main House's best-known feature is the Tasting Room, a large rounded room that sticks out into the gardens. It is four stories in height, and its garden-facing walls are all fine glass windows. It is a fine party chamber that is the envy of many nobles, and rightly so - many of the finest social events in Waterdhavian histories have taken place there. The rest of the building is made up of private living spaces, for the most part: the ground floor features sumptuous chambers for entertaining guests, including a massive banquet hall with a stage on one end that is sometimes used to host theatrical events or musical performances. The upper floors are all wings of private suites for household members. Lady Hlanta's immediate family maintain rooms here, as does Zalo.
• The Vintage House: This five-story house has extensive rooms, including two floors of guesting housing for friends of the family visiting Waterdeep. The street-front face of the building features a massive set of oaken double-doors all entwined with grape vines and closed books in the center of the doors emblazoned with the Melshimber heraldry. There is also a small gate in the wall directly north of the house, allowing delivery wagons access to the house's extensive wine cellars. The cellars themselves are the size of the whole of the building, and entirely made up of row-after-row of ceiling-height wineracks. Half the servants of the Vintage House are directly under the Master Sommelier Chasal Maridun, and employed to keep the wines in fine shape and inventoried properly. These servants also deliver wines to the houses of the estate and see to its proper service. Moro maintains rooms here, along with his children (including a wing for Raimfre and his family, on the off-chance they should visit).
• The House of Parchments: Before the House maintained separate offices for such, the Parchments House provided them with a base for their sages to do their work from. Now friends of the family (and other Waterdhavian nobles) still occasionally visit for that purpose. The ground floor is made up of a handful of reading rooms and parlors which line the outer walls of the building. The southern edge of the building juts out in the gardens - this is the House library, a massive four-story construction, with literal walls of books. The upper second through fourth floors of the northern portion of the building is divided into a variety of suites. Gierobuco maintains ground-floor rooms here, with Ciatto and his family taking suites in the rooms above.
• The Great Cellars: Beneath the villa grounds is an extensive warren of cellars. These cellars can be accessed from the cellars of any of the houses, although only a few heads of house (Lady Hlanta, Khallos, Gierobuco and Moro) have keys to them. The family maintains a massive wine cellar down here somewhere, in which they store ancient and extremely valuable vintages, including some wines magically restored or preserved garnered from ancient historical sites (a neat cross of the House's interests). It is also said that the House's vaults are down here somewhere, hidden away behind traps and locked doors. Family rumor maintains that one passage also extends out into the sewers.

Waterdhavian Properties

• Melshimber Offices: Castle Ward. House Melshimber maintains a small office, with ample library (all copies of the House's own tomes) for the use of its members who maintain public presences as sages. In particular, it is Gierobuco's office, though at his age he doesn't often make his way there. Ambenc, on the other hand, frequently spends time there, and has even set up the apartments above it as his own retreat (which he claims is for when he works too late, but in reality is usually for when his House's social predilections become too much for him). Ervais can often be found here as well, running errands for his great-uncle.
• The Quill Hall: Trade Ward. House Melshimber also maintains a rooming house, which they rent out to only writers, sages and the like. The top floor of the house they keep empty, for the exclusive use of those writers they patronize to produce written works for them.

Other Land

House Melshimber maintains extensive vineyards around the North and Heartlands.

• The Helm-and-Eye Estates: A collection of rich vineyards just outside of Scornubel, with an opulent manor in the center of the lands, the Helm-and-Eye (named for the Melshimber heraldry) is home to Raimfre's family. They are masters of over a dozen individual vineyards and two small villages where the harvests are brought in and made into wines at the estate proper.
• Greenfields Vineyards: Though they own only a few of the vineyards to be found in these lands just north of Amn, House Melshimber invests in quite a few others here, and usually benefit from a pick of the harvest. They also own most of the best wineries in the area.
• Heartlands Estates: The Melshimbers also own a handful of vineyards and wineries across the Western Heartlands, including in Bereghost, the lands around Baldur's Gate, Triel, Scoubar and Elturel.

Other Investments

• Printers Through the North: House Melshimber also owns an extensive printery out of Silverymoon from when they print a great many books that find their way into libraries in the North.
• Patronage of Authors & Sages: The Melshimbers also make a point of acting as patrons for many writers of topics they consider of interest or importance, providing funding and even room and board (in the Quill Hall, above) for promising writers.
• Contributions: House Melshimber contributes heavily to a great many institutions, mostly libraries and temples to Oghma. Every major urban library and temple to Oghma in the North receives an annual stipend. They also contribute heavily to Candlekeep's coffers.

Rumors About House Melshimber

Society Engagements of 1353 DR

House Melshimber has made the following public plans for the Society Season of 1353 DR:

• Spheres (Tarsakh 10th): House Melshimber has committed to throwing one of the many Spheres parties for this year - in response, at least two other Houses canceled their own parties. The Melshimbers have already begun to exert social pressure on their friends to ensure that their party is the best-attended.
• Vernal Trousseau Festival (Tarsakh 26th): Of course, the standard commitments to attend parties are in place. In addition, however, this year Andedda has spearheaded a party on the night of the 26th in the Tasting Room of the Main House.
• Greengrass Tasting (Greengrass): Hlanta's annual Greengrass Tasting is an extravagant affair every year, and this year promises to be as grand as every other. It will be hosted in the Tasting Room of the Main House.
• Theater Season (Flamerule 18th): This Theater Season, Hlanta has agreed to host a Garden Theater party for Ciatto and his new discovery: a fine playwright whose works Ciatto is publishing.
• The Annual Garden Parties (Eleasias 17th): As is the case every year, Hlanta is busy preparing her House's gardens to compete in the garden parties. Hlanta has hinted that she is excited to meet one of the judges, even though their identities aren't supposed to be known yet.
• The Gathering of Harps (Eleasias 25th): House Melshimber's contribution to the night parties of the Gathering is on the 25th this year.
• The Matrons' Diversion (Eleint 10th): At current, Hyara Talmost II organizes and hosts these eventrs, although she has been depending more and more on Hlanta to organize them. Everyone knows that Hlanta wants "ownership" of the event back into House Melshimber, who started the tradition. At present the event includes the five matriarchs of Houses Melshimber, Lanngolyn, Maerklos, Ruldegost, Talmost and Thorp, plus their myriad daughters and nieces.
• The Pankration (Eleint 22nd): House Melshimber has registered as fielding a competitor from their own House among the wrestlers. Though the name hasn't been announced publicly, the fact that Ciro - a known wrestler in the Lathandran style - has returned to Waterdeep has been pointed at as very indicative.

It is said that...

• ...Lady Hlanta frequently targets other mages of some note, either blackmailing them or using her information to rob them for their magical secrets, extending her own magical power thusly. Indeed, the wags of Waterdeep would have everyone believe that both the fathers of her children were mages whom she lured in and killed to gain their spellbooks and items of magic.
  • It is also said that she studies include many rare alchemies, including the creation of various nearly unheard-of poisons. She is said to be willing to provide those for a price.
  • There are also those who suggest that someone as connected and knowledgeable as Lady Hlanta is either an agent of or enemy to the Lords of Waterdeep. There are also those who suggest that she is one of the Lords herself, and that the rumored tunnels beneath the Melshimber villa features a passage to the Lords' Court and other city structures, as well as the chamber where she conceals her lordly attire.
• ...Elvie has drawn the notice of a vampire, who has caused her to fall in love with him. Her melancholy and distance is caused by his feeding upon her, supping slowly at her life's essence to draw out the pleasure of her death. For herself, she is too in love with him - some say this is why she doesn't notice he is killing her. Others say that she does notice, but is too in love to care.
• ...Colodacia has stopped taking lovers from among the social set, because she has a lover of some power and importance. She is coy about answering such questions directly, but spurns everyone who approaches her amorously, even those old lovers with whom she frequently spent evenings in the past. Others simply claim that is because something terrible has happened to her and she can't stand the touch of a lover, or because she is pregnant.
• ...Khallos makes it a point to get information on everyone in the social set he can. Indeed, it is said that he maintains an extensive dossier of documents regarding each of those he has such secrets on, and is sometimes willing to sell such information in exchange for information he doesn't have, in essence turning nobles into his agents in exchange for access to some of his secrets. If there is any truth to this, only those who'd be taking advantage of the arrangement know, and they aren't speaking.
• ...Ervais isn't truly sickly, save perhaps in his mind. He is given to unwholesome appetites, and the Melshimbers have sequestered him to prevent scandal.
• ...Ymarya doesn't truly have any magical talent. In truth, it is her mother Hlanta attending the Eltorchul academy in her guise, using the opportunity to not only gain more lore, but to also secure the loyalty of many young magical nobles, in order to use them as her agents.
• ...Gierobuco's melancholy is so deep and long-lasting because he himself was responsible for the death of his love Liadnos. He didn't voluntarily retire from the Watchful Order - he was forced to do so, for his own safety, after receiving attempts on his life by those watch-wizards seeking revenge for the well-liked Liadnos.
• ...Zalo hasn't truly cleaned up his philandering ways. His sister has simply seen to it that he puts them to the use of the family. They say that he uses his position in the Lords' Court to secure secrets on behalf of House Melshimber, and when that doesn't work, he turns to his old arts of seduction to get what he wants. Others claim the same, save that he does not do so for Hlanta's benefit, but that of the Lords themselves!
• ...Ciatto's interest in the dark elves was too fervent and obvious - he has been made into an agent of the drow who dwell in the Underdark beneath Waterdeep. Even now, he gathers ancient lore for them to give them power for when they make their incursion against the surface world. Some claim he does so willingly, so enamored is he with their kind, while others claim that he is magically dominated or has even been replaced with a shapeshifter entirely!
• ...Emilos and Enagia have continued their original roles: occasionally Enagaia ventures out to the old festhall and Emilos comes by, and they act as though they were strangers at a festhall. It is said that sometimes others who do not know them are invited to join in!
  • It is also said that Emilos turns his wife's charms to the House's benefit, getting her to seduce someone to gain access to their secrets. Some say that she relishes this game, while others claim that she hates it and does it only out of fear of her husband and the Matriarch of the family (to whom these secrets are rendered).
• ...XXX was sent away to Silverymoon and forced into a priesthood for committing some terrible wrong, possibly ravishing or murdering someone. They say that he was forced to take holy vows of chastity and celibacy as punishment, though his predilections caught up to him in Silverymoon, so he's come home.
• ...Ronto occasionally turns his blade against others for profit. When another noble fears to duel someone who has wronged them, it is said that the right secrets or promise of a favor to Emilos will convince him to create a reason to challenge that person to a duel.
• ...Moro is in truth the master of House Melshimber, simply preferring to have someone like Hlanta out in front of the public face. He is also said to have subtly arranged for the poisoning of his rivals in the past, and does not hesitate to do so even now. Indeed, it is said that Alias was only married into the Snome family because Old Man Karustos caught Moro trying to poison him and forced him to give over his eldest daughter as surety against further attempts.
• ...Raimfre was banished from Waterdeep by Lady Hlanta, who threatened to kill him. Others say that he was the one who issued threats on her life, and barely escaped the confrontation where he dared to do so in her presence.