House Helmfast

House Helmfast

Personages

Matriarch: Acacia Helmfast Consort: Varentha Helmfast (f) Heir: Grillant Helmfast (younger brother) Membership (Nobles): 21 Predominant Faith: Selûne, Gond

Faction Details

Common Descriptors: xxx Primary Classes: xxx Alignments: CG, NG, CN

Faction Ranks

• 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. • Matriarch/Patriarch: Rank 3. You are the acknowledged and legal head of the household.

Interests

Trade & Interests: Shipping, shipwrights Holdings: Waterdeep

History

Ethnicity: Illuskan Founded: 1292 DR Previous Eras: 1354 DR

House Helmfast is one of the nautical Houses of Waterdeep. While they certainly have a fair hand in shipping and trade (notably, they were among the first to find and establish trade routes from Maztica, across the Sea of Swords), they are primarily known for the quality of their shipwrights and dry docks. A Helmfast ship fresh off the construction cradle is a very fine vessel indeed, and they take great pride in competing with themselves: many of their rivals in the sea trade have purchased Helmfast vessels for their fleets, as Helmfasts are delightedly fond of telling folk.

Members of the Family

• Acacia Helmfast: Matriarch (Renown 10) • 34 years. The young matriarch of House Helmfast was late being introduced to Waterdhavian society, due to her service aboard a Helmfast vessel with her mother. When she inherited the House's xatriarchy at the age of 22 from her aged uncle, she settled into Waterdeep on a permanent basis, naming her wife and first mate Varentha as her consort. She watcher her uncle's control of the House and her (now deceased) mother's command of its merchant fleets closely, and while she has carried forth their traditions and policies, she has yet to truly distinguish herself as anything but an extension of the previous generation of leaders.
• Varentha Helmfast: Consort (Renown 8) • 35 years. The Calishite marine served first as Acacia's first mate, and then her wife. She is Acacia's foremost bodyguard and sword-hand, even when Acacia would prefer that she leave such things to...well, to household guards. Varentha sees rivals and enemies everywhere, and goes armed at all times when outside the villa (and frankly, frequently when within it). Still, her protectiveness springs from a deep love for her lady-wife, and there is no question of how the women feel for one another.
• Grillant Helmfast: Heir (Renown 5) • 27 years. Although legally designated as heir, Grillant is away from Waterdeep most of the time. His older sister passed captiancy of her beloved Wavecrest galleon to her younger brother upon being made matriarch of the House, and Grillant is hard at work proving himself capable. He hopes to one day be given control over the House's fleets as his mother was, though even he acknowledges that he has a long way to go before that's wise.
• Andalar Helmfast: Matriarch's father (Renown 6) • 62 years. Former consort of the House, and father to Acacia and Grillant, Andalar is a wallflower who was utterly eclipsed by his wife Linithanta during their time together. It is clear that he misses and still grieves the loss of his wife some five years ago. Andalar is there to provide love and support to his children, but he is largely useless at logistics and leadership in general. He is the doting papa there to listen to their problems and commisserate, not the one who advises.

Holdings

• Homeport Hall: The cheekily-named Helmfast villa in Waterdeep's North Ward consists of three main buildings. Helmfast House, the one facing Golden Serpent Street, is the main compound containing social spaces and the suites of the main family in its three stories. The opposite three-story building is called Markask's Retreat, named for the family scion of the past who purchased the building and expanded the villa to give himself and his immediately family some "breathing room" for the then too-cramped main house. It contains servant quarters in cellars and first floor, with rooms for other household on the upper two. Finally, the Old Stables is a half-moon shaped building with an entrance off of Catchthief Alley. Formerly the household of Linithanta and Andalar's family, it is now technically the heir's quarters. In his frequent absence, though, Andalar is often the sole inhabitant.
• Helmfast Shipyards: x
• Helmfast Fleet: x

Faction

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Overview

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Goals and Philosophy

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Activities

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Quests undertaken by agents of House Helmfast might include the following:

• x

Perks

Scions and agents of House Helmfast in good standing might receive the following benefits:

• xxx: Renown xxx. x