Vhondryl was a female human psion living in Skullport in the 1360s and 1370s DR. One of the most powerful psionicists in the city, she was also one of the top two dealers in poisons and potions, the alleged proprietor of The Deepfires inn, and leader of the Hall of Mental Splendor group of mercenary psychic spies.[1][2][3][4][5][7][8][6]
Description[]
Plain-featured and thin-framed, Vhondryl had an odd appearance that some described as alien or fey in aspect. Her skin was white as chalk and her eyes were yellow like straw, while she grew her blonde hair down to her knees. Few would consider her beautiful, but her appearance gave her an air of mystery.[1][2][5]
Personality[]
Vhondryl was quiet to the point of being taciturn and she could be cryptic, traits that added to her mystique. Her approach to business was distinctly mercenary, and she was not one to cross, cheat, or threaten, lest she retaliate.[1][2][3][5] Evil-minded but lawful,[1][3][4][5][7][8] she was wise and charismatic.[1][3][5] She was a passionate worshiper of Loviatar, the Maiden of Pain.[1][2]
Abilities[]
Known to have magical powers,[1][2] Vhondryl was in fact a formidable psionicist or psion, commanding great powers of the mind she termed "the Invisible Art".[1][3][4][5][7][8] She was the most talented psionicist in Skullport,[4] but by 1368 DR she hadn't managed to progress in her powers for over ten years.[1][3][note 2]
As a gifted psionicist, around 1368 DR she knew the powers banishment, dimensional door, dimension walk, teleport, teleport other, teleport trigger, time shift, and time/space anchor of the psychoportation discipline; body control, cell adjustment, and energy containment of the psychometabolism discipline; contact, false sensory input, identity penetration, and psionic blast of the telepathy discipline but no sciences; and detonate of the psychokinetics discipline. She was capable of all psionic defense modes: mind blank, thought shield, mental barrier, tower of iron will, and intellect fortress.[1][3]
Possessions[]
She wore bracers of defense and regularly kept a lavender-and-green ellipsoid ioun stone orbiting her head. On her right hand she usually wore a ring of shooting stars and on her left hand she wore a non-magical white gold ring set with a citrine, a peridot, and a topaz, with all three gems exquisitely cut. She typically wore a girdle of many pouches containing her various elixirs, poisons, and potions, as well as three ivory goat figurines of wondrous power.[5]
She also carried a scimitar.[1]
Activities[]
Potion Dealing[]
Vhondryl was one of the best potion dealers in the city, able to supply any kind of poison, potion, philter, pain-killer, or other strange beverage that could be found on Toril, as well as all known antidotes. She could supply such things on short notice, typically within a day. Her prices were stunningly high, but most customers thought them reasonable, given how rare some of her products were.[1][2][3][4][5] Her only competitor in the Skullport potion trade was the illithid Shaun Taunador; they had the best reputations, the biggest stock, and the finest products.[1][2][9]
Nevertheless, Vhondryl maintained a low profile and only dealt through intermediaries and minions, whether to buy or sell. She only met customers or suppliers in person when a deal involved very rare, incredibly dangerous, or unusual or exotic goods. She believed that petty poisons and those who wanted them were simply not worth her time away from managing the Deepfires inn.[1][2][3][4][5]
The Deepfires[]
Her best friend Raella Hiess gifted Vhondryl with permanent rooms at The Deepfires, an inn in Skullport, as well as easy access to its secret passages and the services of its bodyguards. Because of this, some believed Vhondryl was actually its secret owner, and she let them go on thinking she was proprietress of The Deepfires. She upheld this ruse on behalf of Raella Hiess, the true owner, who acted as an ordinary barmaid.[1][2][3][4][5]
The Hall of Mental Splendor[]
By 1373 DR, Vhondryl also ran the Hall of Mental Splendor, a mercenary organization of psychic spies who conducted espionage for those who hired them, promising discretion. They worked for many of the feuding factions in Waterdeep, the city lying in the world above, but Vhondryl persisted in seeking clients and work outside both cities. She recognized that every job could create an enemy, and would rather keep them far away and not directly above.[7]
Relationships[]
Vhondryl and Raella knew each other very well and were quite fond of one another. They'd been companions for a number of years, even saving each other's life on countless occasions. Raella granted Vhondryl permanent rooms at The Deepfires, and together upheld the ruse that Vhondryl was the owner and Raella the barmaid.[1][3][5] They operated as partners; Raella was available at all times and arranged meetings between Vhondryl and her customers and clients.[4] Vhondryl knew that Raella used the Deepfires as a means of gathering information for the Lords of Waterdeep and for sale to others, and kept her secret. Thanks to Raella, Vhondryl also knew that Raella's acquaintance Irusyl Eraneth worked for the Lords of Waterdeep too, and also kept this secret. Irusyl described Vhondryl to those who asked as "a powerful but vain and petty potion peddler".[1][3][5]
Vhondryl and Raella were two of the only four people with whom Shradin Mulophor shared his secrets. He trusted them enough to let his guard down and act normally with them. As a result, they were let in on some of the most amazing secrets of Skullport.[1][3]
History[]
Vhondryl was living at the Deepfires and known to be Skullport's top potion and poison dealer by 1368 DR.[1][2][3]
In Eleasis of the Year of the Tankard, 1370 DR, a Waterdeep-based Calishite merchant named Sammereza Sulphontis was apparently negotiating trade alliances with Vhondryl and the House Tanor'Thal drow whilst staying at the Deepfires in Skullport. After Sammereza was bashed by thugs, he spoke about the incident to Vhondryl and Irusyl, vowing that the Synabbat family thought to be responsible would soon lose their grip on the River Sargauth gate.[10]
Around the beginning of Mirtul in the Year of Rogue Dragons, 1373 DR, a mission conducted by the Hall of Mental Splendor went very wrong and an argument over it erupted between Vhondryl and the doppelganger members. The doppelgangers quit, leaving the Hall without any shape-changing capacity. Vhondryl began looking for potential agents who could shape-change through magic such as polymorph or even just excellent skills at disguise.[7]
She remained as Skullport's top potion dealer and the nominal owner of the Deepfires through 1375 DR.[6]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The 2nd-edition sources suggest that, in campaigns that do not use the psionics rules, Vhondryl could be treated as a transmutation-specialist wizard. They vary, even within the same book, on whether she is 13th or 14th level.
- ↑ Vhondryl's inability to progress may have been due to the failure of psionics in the Realms and its removal from the 2nd-edition setting after the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR, ten years before, as mentioned in Forgotten Realms Adventures, page 6. Psionics would return to the setting however.
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (August 1991). “Seeing the Sights in Skullport”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #172 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 12, 14, 88.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), pp. 104–105. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 Ed Greenwood and Steven E. Schend (July 1994). “Campaign Guide”. City of Splendors (TSR, Inc), pp. 109–110. ISBN 0-5607-6868-1.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Joseph C. Wolf (1999). Skullport. (TSR, Inc), p. 48. ISBN 0-7869-1348-7.
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 Joseph C. Wolf (1999). Skullport. (TSR, Inc), p. 95. ISBN 0-7869-1348-7.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 Eric L. Boyd, Ed Greenwood, Christopher Lindsay, Sean K. Reynolds (June 2007). Expedition to Undermountain. Edited by Bill Slavicsek. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 39. ISBN 978-0-7869-4157-5.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 174. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Eric L. Boyd (June 2005). City of Splendors: Waterdeep. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 109. ISBN 0-7869-3693-2.
- ↑ Joseph C. Wolf (1999). Skullport. (TSR, Inc), p. 31. ISBN 0-7869-1348-7.
- ↑ Joseph C. Wolf (1999). Skullport. (TSR, Inc), p. 73. ISBN 0-7869-1348-7.