House Vinen
House Vinen
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Personages
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| Patriarch: Mas Vinen Consort: Brone Vinen (f) Heir: Authil Vinen (secondborn son) Membership (Nobles): 30 Predominant Faith: Gond |
Faction Details
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| Common Descriptors: Inventive, curious, innovative Primary Classes: Rogue, wizard, cleric (Gond), bard Alignments: LN, NG, N, NE |
Faction Ranks
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| • Favored: Rank 1. You are a favored member of the House. If you are a scion of the House, you have pleased the patriarch sufficiently to gain his notice. If you are an agent or retainer of the House, your efforts to aid the House have gone well-noted. • Lynchpin: Rank 2. You are given a position of some responsibility in the House's operations. If you are a scion of the House, the patriarch considers you one of the favored scions of the House, and consults with you on matters of House importance. If you are an agent or retainer, your contributions and skills in service of the House have won you a position of no small regard and respect in the patriarch's eyes - although that may earn you the jealousy of his blood kin who are less favored than you. |
Interests
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| Trade & Interests: Clockworks, engineering, trap-making (rumored), moneylending Holdings: Waterdeep, Lantan |
History
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| Ethnicity: Lantanna Founded: 1447 |
A house of clockwork-makers and engineers, House Vinen rose to true prominence when it helped fund and design the Timehands and install them in the tallest tower of the Palace. A long-standing family of Lantannese in Waterdeep before the disappearance of Lantan, the Vinen family were patrons of the House of Inspired Hands for several generations. With their great triumph, they managed to leverage the sudden fame and wealth into a place among the nobles of Waterdeep. They were one of the first to build a villa on the Rise, high above Waterdeep.
Members of the Family
- Lord Mas Vinen: Patriarch (Renown 10) • 48 years. A recent sufferer with a winter lungwrack, Lord Mas is a creative genius. He grew up to stories of his grandfather's incredible acumen and negotiation skills, skills which earned them nobility. Though he is nowhere near the social engineer his grandfather was, Mas Vinen is twice the mechanical engineer the old man ever dreamt of being. He spends long hours in his workshops; indeed, it is those long hours in the cold of winter that led to his recent illness.
- Brone Vinen: Consort (Renown 8) • 46 years. As the daughter of a priest of Gond, Brone understands the divine qualities of mechanical inspiration. Still, she can't help but wish that her husband and son could find a way to express their genius while maintaining some kind of normal life for themselves at the same time. Even so, she is herself a fine lapidary and jewelry maker, delighting in fine moving parts that frequently need lenses to see the mechanisms of, with pendants that shift faces when a dial is spun, or rings that conceal small reservoirs or even poison needles.
- Nimkzar Vinen: Patriarch's firstborn son (Renown 7) • 26 years. Passing up the heirship, Nimkzar is on a mission for his family: with the arrival of the first Lantannese ships in Waterdeep in a century, he has returned to Lantan to see about re-establishing contact with any of their kin that may yet remain, as well as discover the advances in Lantannese craft since the Spellplague. Though not a craftsman himself, Nimkzar understand the principles, and is very much a venturer.
- Authil Vinen: Heir, patriarch's secondborn son (Renown 5) • 23 years. Authil is well-entrenched in the Waterdhavian social set. Though not much of an extrovert himself, he enjoys sitting on the sidelines and watching the fun. He is incredibly perceptive, and usually picks up a couple of good secrets here and there, even though half the time he seems to be tinkering with a watch or wind-up.
- Ler Vinen: Patriarch's thirdborn daughter (Renown 3) • 21 years. Probably the most Waterdhavian of her kin, Ler is beautiful and very charming. A darling of the social set, Ler has come to represent her odd family during the social events of the season, and has ensured that marvelous clockwork wonders have ended up in the hands and halls of just the right people, sufficient to make them somewhat en vogue and desired by those who cling to fashion and trends.
Holdings
- Resources Limit: If necessary, House Vinen could probably generate about 23,000 gp in liquid coin and valuables within a month.
Vinen House
The Rise, Castle Ward
Tucked away on the part of the Rise that overlooks Fetlock Court, well away from other buildings, is Vinen House. Newly made and set with all sorts of wondrous mechanical amenities, including durthdra (dumbwaiters), mechanical doors, message tubes, and even mirror-based watch-glasses that reflect some parts of the house through cleverly placed glass apertures in other areas, Vinen House is a delight to visit. It also has mechanical water and heating. The main house is three stories tall, with a two-story set of workshops out back.
Known Faction Perks
Scions and agents of House Vinen in good standing might receive the following benefits:
- Living Quarters: Renown 1+. Those in good standing with the House are given quarters within the House's Waterdhavian villa appropriate to their role in the House.
- Living Expenses/Salaries: Renown 1+. Those in good standing with the House also receive a stipend of 1gp plus 5sp per day per point of Rank. This is not actual cash, but simply familial credit towards payment of Lifestyle costs. This stacks with the same kind of familial credit received from the Waterdhavian Noble Background (see Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide).
- Business Opportunities: Renown 3+. Lynchpins to the House's operations receive access to a variety of business opportunities within the House's money-making endeavors. This is handled as "Running a Business" in downtime months. This does not incur a business expense, but if too many of the character rolls results that end in a loss of money, he can and will find his Rank in the House reduced.
- Heir or Consort (Title): Renown 3+. The holder of one of the legal titles Heir of House and Consort of House, as recorded with the city of Waterdeep, is entitled to an additional 2gp per day in familial credit, per the "Living Expenses/Salaries" entry above. The heir is also accorded certain privileges within the legal system of Waterdeep, including the ability to speak on behalf of his House in some legal proceedings and the like.
- Wealth of the House: Renown 10. The patriarch of the House is in total control of the House's finances and various holdings, established by the laws of Waterdeep.
