"Very well," Harper replies to Utar. "But don't forget that Olisara's day job is that of Lady-in-Waiting to Lady Dala Silmerhelve, the head of House Silmerhelve. She has all the noble support she wants in this town, especially considering how close of an alliance she had with the late Lord Valero Brokengulf." He scratches his chin for a fraction of a second. "And to your other question, she might not want to consider even the hint of an alliance with House Cadorna. Sure, they seem well-behaving nowadays, but their past is a gray at best, and quite the dark one otherwise. Their roots trace back to a family of fabric weavers and at least one dragon slayer. It is a long story, theirs, but suffice it to say that one of their historied members, one Porphyrys Cadorna, had risen to de-facto leadership of Phlan before being caught metaphorically delivering the keys to the city to the spirit of a dead dragon. Quite the scandal, that. He was run out of town over 150 years ago, and his betrayal was commiserated by the city naming the Traitor's Gate after Porphyrys, later known simply as the Traitor or the Lost Scion of House Cadorna."
(OOC: You would all know that the Traitor's Gate is the inner city gate that separates the eastern and western parts of the docks. If you'd like to see if your character knows more details about the history of House Cadorna, please roll a history check.)
With Harper busy focusing on the topic of House Cadorna, Sirge steps up to continue the conversation with Doozey: "The least we can do is ask, but I wouldn't wait for a decision awake. That said, I suspect you may want to narrow your scope a bit. Showing up with requests for favors involving Jeralla, Krulek, and House Cadorna all at once is a sure way to get the door slammed on your face."
All faces then turn to Raist as he briefly expands on having one of Jeralla's possessions. Harper is very interested in Onwelror: "Well, well! Talk about sweetening the deal. If this is something you are willing to donate to the Harpers' coffers, I am sure it would go a long way in getting Olisara on your side."
Harper's words spark Utar's memory, but he is not sure to what extent he can recall the history of Phlan, although he is sure he has passed through the gate a number of times.
"Might we stick on the topic of House Cardona a moment longer? They have us seeking a lost artifact of theirs, believed to be taken by Krulek. They called it the Heart of Myth Drannor?"
(Note: As Doozey isn't technically from Phlan, any recall from him would more likely be taken from the perspective of somehow who's heard of them from abroad. If there would be nothing, including what became of Porphyrys after he left Phlan, feel free to ignore the above roll)
"'course, only the one angle then."Doozey assured Sirge. When it later came to Harper's reaction, the halfling wouldn't even try to hide his grimace. Yet before he can say anything, Utar's insistence on stayin on the topic of House Cardona meant mustering the wherewithal to be patient. So, he leaned back in his seat, and with a sigh crossed his arms.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Yes, of course." Harper says while turning back to Utar. "It's some expensive bauble gifted to House Cadorna once they were accepted back into the Lords' Alliance. It is a symbol of them turning a new page after ol' Porphyrys' despicable acts."
Sirge nods in agreement to Doozey's six words and lets his eye linger for a moment. It is safe to say that Sirge noted the halfling's grimace.
Utar has heard bits and pieces of this story before, and Harper's retelling helps the orc string the bits together:
Porphyrys Cadorna was the son of Eugenia Cadorna, the Cloth Merchant of Phlan. In his youth, Eugenia escaped from Phlan under strange and unclear circumstances, generally assumed to be all caused by Eugenia's poor decisions and failures. While in "exile," Eugenia told his son about their lost fortunes left behind in Phlan. Hence, Porphyrys was raised listening to his father's embittered stories of the family's lost grandeur and withered wealth.
As an adult, Porphyrys was guided by the dreams of his parents and joined the efforts of reclaiming and rebuilding Phlan from one of its many historical crises. Over time, Porphyrys climbed the political ranks in Phlan until he became a member of the Council of Ten, the ruling entity in the city back then. He devised a complex plot in order to regain the powers once possessed by the Cadorna family, and then some. He hired minions and performed various missions against the monsters that infested the city. This earned him political power inside the Council. Porphyrys quickly rose to the position of First Councilman.
The largest monstrous threat in the city of Phlan at the time was a dragon possessed by an evil spirit. When his minions finally defeated the dragon, Porphyrys attempted to seize control of a source of magical power hidden deep beneath Phlan known as the Pool of Radiance. Details on what exactly happened next are quite obscure but it is generally accepted that Porphyrys betrayed Phlan to the spirit who had possessed the dragon, and that the Zhentarim were also somehow involved. Porphyrys' betrayal became public and he was run out of town. The Traitor's Gate was so named to serve as a reminder of the Cadorna family's disgrace.
With time, the rest of House Cadorna regained some semblance of respect in Phlan (their vast wealth surely helped), but their past and Porphyrys' infamy are never truly forgotten by those familiar with the city's history.
@Doozey:
The name Cadorna does ring a bell in Doozey's mind once it is associated with the term "dragon slayer." This is a story famous enough to have traveled abroad, but not one famous enough to be in the popular knowledge base. It is a feel-good story about perseverance and heroism. Doozey probably herd it from a storyteller.
The Cadorna family was brought to prominence by Magnus Cadorna from an obscure background as nothing but a small family of humble weavers. The family business suffered greatly when their home and its surrounding lands became plagued by a red dragon. As the family's eldest son, Magnus joined the local militia assembled to fight the winged wyrm. Unsurprisingly, the militia failed, but not before the dragon was wounded. Enraged, the wyrm rained fire on the village. Most of the militia was slain by the dragon; Magnus Cadorna was the only man standing, desperate and badly hurt. The stories vary widely on how the managed to drive the dragon back, but the end result is always the same: Magnus conquered the dragon with a fatal blow.
The feat made Magnus Cadorna a hero, and his family received money and accolades that elevated the Cadorna clan to a position of power. Soon enough, members of the now greatly respected Cadorna family spread across the region, forming a profitable textile trading company. One of their bases of operation would be later installed in Phlan.
"Very well," Harper replies to Utar. "But don't forget that Olisara's day job is that of Lady-in-Waiting to Lady Dala Silmerhelve, the head of House Silmerhelve. She has all the noble support she wants in this town, especially considering how close of an alliance she had with the late Lord Valero Brokengulf." He scratches his chin for a fraction of a second. "And to your other question, she might not want to consider even the hint of an alliance with House Cadorna. Sure, they seem well-behaving nowadays, but their past is a gray at best, and quite the dark one otherwise. Their roots trace back to a family of fabric weavers and at least one dragon slayer. It is a long story, theirs, but suffice it to say that one of their historied members, one Porphyrys Cadorna, had risen to de-facto leadership of Phlan before being caught metaphorically delivering the keys to the city to the spirit of a dead dragon. Quite the scandal, that. He was run out of town over 150 years ago, and his betrayal was commiserated by the city naming the Traitor's Gate after Porphyrys, later known simply as the Traitor or the Lost Scion of House Cadorna."
(OOC: You would all know that the Traitor's Gate is the inner city gate that separates the eastern and western parts of the docks. If you'd like to see if your character knows more details about the history of House Cadorna, please roll a history check.)
With Harper busy focusing on the topic of House Cadorna, Sirge steps up to continue the conversation with Doozey: "The least we can do is ask, but I wouldn't wait for a decision awake. That said, I suspect you may want to narrow your scope a bit. Showing up with requests for favors involving Jeralla, Krulek, and House Cadorna all at once is a sure way to get the door slammed on your face."
All faces then turn to Raist as he briefly expands on having one of Jeralla's possessions. Harper is very interested in Onwelror: "Well, well! Talk about sweetening the deal. If this is something you are willing to donate to the Harpers' coffers, I am sure it would go a long way in getting Olisara on your side."
History - 15
Harper's words spark Utar's memory, but he is not sure to what extent he can recall the history of Phlan, although he is sure he has passed through the gate a number of times.
"Might we stick on the topic of House Cardona a moment longer? They have us seeking a lost artifact of theirs, believed to be taken by Krulek. They called it the Heart of Myth Drannor?"
History: 22.
(Note: As Doozey isn't technically from Phlan, any recall from him would more likely be taken from the perspective of somehow who's heard of them from abroad. If there would be nothing, including what became of Porphyrys after he left Phlan, feel free to ignore the above roll)
"'course, only the one angle then." Doozey assured Sirge. When it later came to Harper's reaction, the halfling wouldn't even try to hide his grimace. Yet before he can say anything, Utar's insistence on stayin on the topic of House Cardona meant mustering the wherewithal to be patient. So, he leaned back in his seat, and with a sigh crossed his arms.
When you realize you're doing too much: Signature.
"Yes, of course." Harper says while turning back to Utar. "It's some expensive bauble gifted to House Cadorna once they were accepted back into the Lords' Alliance. It is a symbol of them turning a new page after ol' Porphyrys' despicable acts."
Sirge nods in agreement to Doozey's six words and lets his eye linger for a moment. It is safe to say that Sirge noted the halfling's grimace.
History checks
@Utar:
Utar has heard bits and pieces of this story before, and Harper's retelling helps the orc string the bits together:
Porphyrys Cadorna was the son of Eugenia Cadorna, the Cloth Merchant of Phlan. In his youth, Eugenia escaped from Phlan under strange and unclear circumstances, generally assumed to be all caused by Eugenia's poor decisions and failures. While in "exile," Eugenia told his son about their lost fortunes left behind in Phlan. Hence, Porphyrys was raised listening to his father's embittered stories of the family's lost grandeur and withered wealth.
As an adult, Porphyrys was guided by the dreams of his parents and joined the efforts of reclaiming and rebuilding Phlan from one of its many historical crises. Over time, Porphyrys climbed the political ranks in Phlan until he became a member of the Council of Ten, the ruling entity in the city back then. He devised a complex plot in order to regain the powers once possessed by the Cadorna family, and then some. He hired minions and performed various missions against the monsters that infested the city. This earned him political power inside the Council. Porphyrys quickly rose to the position of First Councilman.
The largest monstrous threat in the city of Phlan at the time was a dragon possessed by an evil spirit. When his minions finally defeated the dragon, Porphyrys attempted to seize control of a source of magical power hidden deep beneath Phlan known as the Pool of Radiance. Details on what exactly happened next are quite obscure but it is generally accepted that Porphyrys betrayed Phlan to the spirit who had possessed the dragon, and that the Zhentarim were also somehow involved. Porphyrys' betrayal became public and he was run out of town. The Traitor's Gate was so named to serve as a reminder of the Cadorna family's disgrace.
With time, the rest of House Cadorna regained some semblance of respect in Phlan (their vast wealth surely helped), but their past and Porphyrys' infamy are never truly forgotten by those familiar with the city's history.
@Doozey:
The name Cadorna does ring a bell in Doozey's mind once it is associated with the term "dragon slayer." This is a story famous enough to have traveled abroad, but not one famous enough to be in the popular knowledge base. It is a feel-good story about perseverance and heroism. Doozey probably herd it from a storyteller.
The Cadorna family was brought to prominence by Magnus Cadorna from an obscure background as nothing but a small family of humble weavers. The family business suffered greatly when their home and its surrounding lands became plagued by a red dragon. As the family's eldest son, Magnus joined the local militia assembled to fight the winged wyrm. Unsurprisingly, the militia failed, but not before the dragon was wounded. Enraged, the wyrm rained fire on the village. Most of the militia was slain by the dragon; Magnus Cadorna was the only man standing, desperate and badly hurt. The stories vary widely on how the managed to drive the dragon back, but the end result is always the same: Magnus conquered the dragon with a fatal blow.
The feat made Magnus Cadorna a hero, and his family received money and accolades that elevated the Cadorna clan to a position of power. Soon enough, members of the now greatly respected Cadorna family spread across the region, forming a profitable textile trading company. One of their bases of operation would be later installed in Phlan.