House Majarra

House Majarra

Personages

Matriarch: Sirshella Majarra Consort: Gild Majarra (m) Heir: Orskin Majarra (younger brother) Membership (Nobles): 26 Predominant Faith: Oghma, Milil

Faction Details

Common Descriptors: Noblesse-oblige, creative, lyrical Primary Classes: Bard, rogue, cleric (Oghma, Milil) Alignments: NG, CG, LN

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: Harping and harp training, instrument-making, silver-mining Holdings: Waterdeep, Mirabar (silver mines), Ice Lakes region

History

Ethnicity: Tethyrian Founded: 1248 DR (659 DR in Delimbyr as House Harpshield; 697 DR in Delimbyr as royalty) Previous Eras: 1354 DR

With an ancient lineage going back as Delimbyr nobility and then royalty, the Majarra family has always, to some degree, been part of Waterdeep's landscape, even before they were ennobled by the city in 1248 DR. A family whose riches are propped up on old silver mines, the Majarras are best known as harpists and bards. They were among the families who donated property to help found New Olamn, and in previous generations they have had close ties to the Harpers.

Members of the Family

• Lady Sirshella Majarra: Matriarch (Renown 10) • 55 years. A graduate of highest honors from New Olamn, and one of the bardic college's foremost noble patrons, Lady Sirshella's singing voice is renowned around Waterdeep. Many of her close friends insist that the only gift they want for their birthdays is for her to sing at their natal feasts, and Sirshella always happily accedes. Though she is well-loved in Waterdeep's social set, there has been friction with her position as head-of-house within the Majarras for many years. Her artistic and deeply social temperament sometimes leads her to making unwise decisions – or simply ignoring the need to make them altogether, putting her family in difficulties during her time as its Lady. Fortunately, her brother Orskin has always been there to help her where he can, and he has taken on more and more responsibilities for running the House over the years.
• Gild Majarra: Consort (Renown 7) • 47 years. A fellow New Olamn bard, Gild is a deeply unhappy man, and has taken to drink over the years because of it. Some say that his unhappiness has to do with being constantly upstaged by his wife's singing; others claim it is because of his and Sirshella's inability to have children. Whatever it is, it has left him resentful and melancholy, and over the years, his drinking has begun to impact his ability to play his lute, giving him more reason to be unhappy. In recent years, he and Orskin have come into conflict, as Gild believes that Orskin is deliberately trying to take the power of head-of-house from Sirshella.
• Orskin Majarra: Heir, matriarch's younger brother (Renown 8) • 48 years. Orskin grew up considered something of an embarrassment: no ability to sing or play, no craftsman talent, the only thing he could do was fight well. As soon as he was old enough to do so, he escaped Waterdeep, to take over leadership of the House's mine-guards. He spent almost ten years there, and might have stayed had his sister not hideously botched the paychest for the men at arms, leaving them on the verge of leaving the Majarra mines entirely unguarded. He hied himself back to Waterdeep quickly, and found that his time away had sharpened another skill: his business acumen. In the time since, he has married and had children, and been his sister's rescuer when it comes to the accounts ledger more than once over the years.
• Lireena Majarra: Orskin's consort (Renown 4) • 49 years. Lireena Mandarth struck up a conversation with the newly-arrived Orskin Majarra at an otherwise dull party; he had questions about financing and accounting, and as a daughter of House Mandarth, those things were practically second nature to her. Their chat grew closer over the following weeks, until he finally proposed to her. She accepted, and joined House Majarra, even tolerating the joke of being called "Orskin's Bride of Coins" after wearing her family's tradition veil of coins at their nuptials. Lireena is her husband's helpmeet in all things, and has proudly raised three children with him (even if Tharmuth frustrates her and Morilee worries her).

Tharmuth Majarra Orskin's firstborn son (Renown 1) • 27 years Though a bard of New Olamn, Tharmuth is something of a black sheep, owing to the company he prefers to keep. Drunkards, shady figures, tieflings, and even (gods forfend!) Husteems are all counted among Tharmuth's associates, and his family's objection to them simply seems to harden his resolve. Tharmuth clearly resents expectations of him and his life. He is a part of the Popinjays clique (the aforementioned group of questionable friends).

• Morilee Sultlue: Orskin's secondborn daughter, consort of House Sultlue (Renown –) • 26 years. The first child of any Waterdhavian noble family to marry into House Sultlue since their return to Waterdeep, Morilee is the secondborn daughter of Orskin and Lireena. Though her parents warned her away from "the snake-bloods," she fell head-over-heels in love with the dashing Zeldesker, and soon the two were inseparable. This caused a bit of friction with House Durinbold, whose son Merbar was wooing the lovely Morilee.
• Baendin Majarra: Orskin's thirdborn son (Renown 2) • 23 years. The youngest of the three siblings, Baendin is a curious balance of his parents and his House. He has a solid grasp of good business principles, and an acceptable (to the Majarras) degree of musical talent. He is also a fine harpwright, currently a journeyman in the Council of Musicians, Instrument-Makers, and Choristers, working towards his master's degree. He also recently married Orlanna Tarm, and the two are expecting a child. The only place where he seems to stumble is as a young nobleman: he has no interest in the doings of the social set, and though he attends events where he is expected, he is far more comfortable at Guild or New Olamn events, or simply at home with his bride.
• Orlanna Majarra: Baendin's consort (Renown 1) • 22 years. Orlanna and Baendin met when Baendin was shopping for a new horse, and sought out House Tarm for its fine bloodlines. He bought the horse, and a tenday later asked Orlanna to dinner. Their romance progressed quickly: he was handsome, charming, musical, and utterly romantic and devoted, and for a tertiary Tarm cousin who'd grown up around ranchers and husbandryfolk, he was a breath of fresh air. Though the other Majarras frequently look sidelong at Orlanna for her not-quite-polished etiquette and her decided lack of musical talents, Baendin's love and the affection she's seen from her parents-in-law makes it all more than bearable while she gets her feet under her. In the meantime, she has happily taken over teaching the Majarra youngsters to ride.

Holdings

• Resources Limit: If necessary, House Majarra could probably generate about 28,000 gp in liquid coin and valuables within a month.

Silverharp House (Villa)

Ussilbran Street, North Ward

The wall surrounding Silverharp House is a wall of five feet in height, wrought of a blue-purple marble, topped with a foot of whimsical structure: curving wood in the shape of repeating back-to-back harps, with thin metal "strings" of gleaming silver metal. These bear an enchantment that causes them to gently play soft, lilting harp music at night, the sound of which rises in jangling volume when someone attempts to pass over the top of the wall.

• Silverharp House: The grand four-story manor house of the Majarras faces Ussilbran Street with tall panels of lacquered wood between blue-purple marble, and windows and doors with stylized silver crowns at their peaks, all done in the style of the ancient Delimbyr crown worn by their family when they were House Harpshield. Silverharp House's first floor features public spaces of the house, with a grand ballroom two stories in height, with curving glass walls overlooking the gardens, a dining hall, various salons and intimate performing theaters. The second story is all familial spaces, including the grand Harpshield Hall, with an ancient throne and crown on display where the family gathers when summoned by the matriarch. The second story also features the apartments of the matriarch's family on the north end, and favored servants' and retainers' quarters, as well as guest quarters along the southern end of the house. The third and fourth floors are all household apartments, and the multi-level cellars boast mostly servant structures, including the kitchens, pantry cellars, ample wine cellars, servant quarters, and other work and storage spaces.
• Maenden's Conservatory: The family conservatory still sees use in training Majarras and their students. The ground floor features a variety of practice chambers, and two grand lecture halls that frequently host visiting musicians and bards for the seasonal lecture series organized by the head of the conservatory space. The ground floor also includes a swathe of guest rooms intended for visiting bards and speakers, as the Majarras have an almost ever-cycling roster of guests, so much so that the Convervatory has an exit outside the grounds just for those guests. The second floor has several quarters for the most-esteemed performers in the family; receiving one of the Conservatory Suites is a great honor among the Majarras, and a sign of the matriarch's favor. It also has a vast gallery of ancient musical instruments – primarily harps, some of which are magical – on display as a reminder of the House's legacy, with a performance space with its own exit to allow invited guests to arrive for performances. The upper two stories are family suites, and usually given over to those with musical talent, or for the young members of the family who are just learning, as the house runs on a strict schedule of practice and learning for them. The cellars hold servant quarters and a small use-pantry where food for quick snacking or abbreviated meals for those who are too busy to sit at meal with the rest of the family in Silverharp House's dining chamber.
• The Old Workshop: Three stories in height, the Old Workshop used to be the family's main workspace for its business of crafting harps and other stringed instruments. Though the street-level workshops remain in operation, it is no longer the shop it used to be. Now it is a space for teaching Majarra family and their apprentices the skills of creating the works of art the family is justly known for. Space in the Old Workshop apartments is at a premium, so favor is given to members of the family who are craftsmen, allowing them to be close to the spaces where they work their art. The second floor features a small kitchens and dining area for those craftsfolk who don't have the time for long meals, and luxurious apartments for the finest crafters in the family. The third floor is made up of smaller living spaces, often given over equally between junior members of the family, and to the apprentices of Majarra harpwrights.

Mirabar

House Majarra owns three small silver mines in the area around Mirabar.

Known Faction Perks

Scions and agents of House Majarra 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.