Scandal Unfolds: First Installment of the Vladaam Saga Reveals Internal Family Drama
In the bustling city of Ptolus, the Red Company of Surveyors stands as a cornerstone of House Vladaam, a powerful and influential family with roots deeply entwined in the city's history.
The Red Company, colloquially known as the "Forgers' Guild," is primarily a cartographers’ and chart-makers’ guild, renowned for their intricate maps and navigation charts, particularly of the Teeth of Light and the Whitewind Sea. Their work dates back nearly three centuries, significantly advancing trade in the Whitewind Sea before the Great Sea War.
The guild's prominence is closely tied to Yrkyth Vladaam, the former head of the household, whose great seal is still used as the company's mark. Their chart-making workshop is situated in Oldtown, Ptolus.
Apprentices from the guild can be seen as boy messengers on the Docks, purchasing interesting chart data from docking ship captains. Some of these apprentices are believed to be involved in clandestine activities, such as the "Vladaam Drug Running" mentioned in campaign logs.
The Red Company of Surveyors is, in many ways, the public face of a secret organization called the Brotherhood of Yrkyth. Members wear a diamond-feather badge, representing cartographers’ quills, and they swear an oath to the Brotherhood.
The Brotherhood arranges for certain arcane information gathered by the Brotherhood to be transmitted to the Vladaam family for its benefit. The guild's internal structures include a guildmaster's balcony and the use of iron coffers for funds and instructions.
Beyond the Red Company of Surveyors, House Vladaam is also associated with other guilds. The Red Company of Alchemists, however, does not appear to be documented in the present sources related to House Vladaam and the city of Ptolus.
The Red Company of Surveyors was responsible for laying much of the original roadwork for Rivergate, and they were intimately involved in the creation of Yrkyth's "Enigma Engine." The guild still holds the license for maintaining most of the paving stones and the Rivergate Bridge.
Navanna, a member of House Vladaam, serves as the de facto leader of the family in Ptolus, keeping a low profile. House Vladaam is known to own numerous properties throughout Ptolus, including the Vladaam Family Estate, the Abandoned Temple of the Great Mother, alchemical labs, Oldtown Apartments, and properties leased to various guilds.
Despite the prominence of the Red Company of Surveyors, there are whispers of other guilds associated with House Vladaam, such as the Red Company of Alchemists, rumoured to maintain a network of secret alchemy labs around the city for making illicit substances, and the Red Company of Fletchers, believed to operate a black market in dreadwood arrows.
[1]: Available Campaign Materials [2]: Unnamed Sources [3]: In-Game Documents [4]: City Records
The Red Company of Surveyors, with its extensive knowledge in science and health-and-wellness, as seen through their involvement in the creation of Yrkyth's "Enigma Engine," may also have a hand in understanding and perhaps treating various medical-conditions, giving them a more holistic approach in the realm of health-and-wellness. The whispers about House Vladaam's other guilds, such as the Red Company of Alchemists, suggest that they could be involved in the production of substances for medicinal purposes or treatment of yet undocumented medical-conditions.
