Harpell

The Harpell family was an eccentric clan of wizards who, for the most part, lived in the Ivy Mansion in Longsaddle in the Savage Frontier of northwest Faerûn. Despite their eccentricity and their strange experiments, they were well known for collectively having a vast knowledge of the history and geography of the North.

Organization
They were a kind-hearted clan, but their magic was capricious, sometimes backfiring in peculiar ways. As members of the Lords' Alliance, they were firm allies of Mithral Hall, despite their unreliability as magicians.

Scholarship
After the Harpells interviewed Drizzt Do'Urden about the drow in 1356 DR, they published a treatise on the drow that was distributed to notable leaders and leading wizards. This was known as the Harpell treatise or the Harkle treatise. The treatise mentioned that drow liked to eat animals that were still alive because it gave the meat a better flavor.

The Ivy Mansion
The Ivy Mansion consisted of three main buildings: two that looked like simple farmhouses and a unique, heavily spired central house. The mansion was surrounded by a fence of magic that, while normally invisible, had been painted to look like a fence. The mansion grounds also featured an "Underbridge/Overbridge" that arched over an uphill-flowing stream—to get to the mansion, you walked upside-down on the underside of the bridge, and to leave the mansion grounds you walked on the top side. There was also a stable full of strange animal creations and miniaturized mounts.

Inside the Ivy Mansion was the Fuzzy Quarterstaff, a tavern and inn run by the Harpells. The main room of the tavern consisted of a circular room and a wizard conducting an invisible orchestra. Guests could order drinks from a magical green gem placed on every table; the drinks were then brought to them on magical floating blue disks.

History
Around 1245 DR, the Harpells' conflict with the Talonmist family of Westbridge began when Ordrar Talonmist was killed in a spell duel by Darnthal Harpell.

For generations, the Harpells gave Longsaddle more prestige in the North than its size and purpose would warrant. This tradition began with mighty Authrar Harpell, who was famous in the North for single-handedly destroying an onrushing orc horde with spells.

Catti-brie, under the name of "Delly Curtie," dwelt and studied magic with the Harpells in Longsaddle from 1479 to 1482 DR. She was considered nearly family, to the point some suggested she be "ordained a Harpell."

Members

 * Until the mid–14th century:
 * Adanac Harpell
 * Ardanac Harpell
 * Auglyth Harpell
 * Authrar Harpell
 * Bella don Delroy Harpell
 * Bidderdoo Harpell (silver werewolf)
 * Chardin Harpell, who created the uphill-flowing stream
 * Darnthal Harpell
 * Delroy Harpell
 * Harkle Harpell
 * Malchor Harpell
 * Matherly Harpell, petrified as a statue in the Ivy Mansion
 * Noreyth Harpell (vampire)
 * Regweld Harpell
 * Shardra Harpell
 * Tamar Harpell Wands


 * Late 15th century:
 * Penelope Harpell, wife to Dowell.
 * Dowell Harpell, husband to Penelope.
 * Kipper Harpell, oldest of the clan.
 * Kenneally Harpell, young talented wizard.
 * Tuckernuck Harpell, cousin to Kenneally.
 * Vellynne Harpell, a human necromancer with a cadre of kobolds—some living, others undead. Member of the Arcane Brotherhood.