Name of building: Bandarh's Fine Chests
Submitted by: RJ Gouger <Glyphscribe@juno.com>
Type of building: 2 story wood and stone structure
Business conducted: General Business with Dark Element
Owner: Bandarh (hm, F2, NG, shop owner)
Number and Types of Employees:
Corbus (0 level hm) woodcarver
Leliha (T1 hf LE)
1 journeyman (0 level hm)
3 apprentices (0 level hm)
Description of building:
Bandarh's Fine Chests is a sturdy two-story building constructed mostly of wood with a stone foundation. The first floor is a store front with a work area in the rear. The second story is where Bandarh resides with his wife and two children. When a visitor steps into the shop, they see a well lit display room where the mixed aromas of fresh wood and varnish intermingle. Leliha, the clerk, sits at a desk in this room, and will escort and assist customers with any purchases. If desired she will bring Bandarh from the work area to assist with any special orders. A wide wooden staircase leads up to the second floor. To the rear of the room is a door that leads back to Bandarh's work area. Although not for sale to the public, Bandarh is one of the suppliers of wooden caskets for the city. The building has a rear door where city workers pick them up.
Description of Business:
Bandarh's Chests specializes in the construction of good to excellent quality wooden chests. Along with what is carried on hand, Bandarh also supplies several of the local general stores. The shop carries the standard chests listed in the Players Handbook and can make chests of various sizes for special orders.
The majority of chests are constructed of red oak, mahogany, and black walnut. All chests have hand rubbed stain and lacquered finish. The buyer has the option to purchase one of the standard chests on hand or special order a custom chest. If needed, the chests can be lined with cedar or a custom fabric. Another option popular with adventurers is to special order chests made of Calantra (See Volo's Guide to all Things Magical; if made of at least 20% Calantra, a chest receives +2 to saves, and up to +3 if enchanted).
Corbus the carver does excellent to superior quality work. If requested, Corbus can specially engrave or carve names and symbols on the chests. Gilded gold leaf, silver leaf and brass plaques are also available on request. Normal items in stock are:
- Box, small jewelry w/ cloth lining, 10 lb cap. 6"x3"x3" 7sp
- Box, large jewelry w/ cloth lining, 20 lb cap. 1'x6"x6" 1gp
- Chest, small unadorned, 40 lb cap. 2'x1'x1' 3gp
- Chest, large unadorned, 100 lb cap. 3'x2'x2' 6gp
- Chest, small w/ cedar lining and carved, 40 lb. cap. 2'x1'x1' 10gp
- Chest, large w/ cedar lining and carved, 100 lb. cap. 3'x2'x2' 15gp
All prices listed are for red oak, mahogany, and black walnut chests. Items made of Calantra can add 20 - 200+% depending on the quantity of raw materials Bandarh has on hand and how quickly the customer requires the product. When Corbus produces a true work of art, the price is negotiated.
NPC's
Submitted by: RJ Gouger <Glyphscribe@juno.com>
Bandarh (hm, 2nd level fighter, NG, shop owner)
Bandarh owns Bandarh's Fine Chests. Raised along the Sword Coast, Bandarh's father, Derbalh, jumped from job to job, never really finding his niche in life. When Bandarh was ten, his father was apprenticed to a furniture maker and Bandarh took an interest in working with wood.
After being apprenticed to a couple of businesses, Bandarh opened his first shop in the hamlet of Ulgoth's Beard, near Baldur's Gate, making furniture. He also served in the local militia.
As he got older he found he was not doing very well supporting a family in Ulgoth's Beard, so he resigned from the militia and moved to a better locale. Arriving in Arylon, he sunk his life savings into Bandarh's Fine Chests. The business floundered until he contracted to build caskets for the city. Now Bandarh has added journeymen and apprentices to his thriving business. He hired Leliha, a clerk, who has freed him from dealing with customers and allowed him to focus on making his chests. His final saving grace was finding Corbus, one of the finest carvers in the city, if not the best.
At first, Bandarh did all the decorating, carving and engraving of the chests. He's capable, but not an artist. Since Corbus started, Bandarh crafts the chests themselves (producing more chests now that he's not decorating), supervises the training of the journeyman and apprentices, and coordinates with business contacts to expand the business.
Bandarh is now a middle-aged, short, stout individual with brown, slightly curly hair and a receding hair line. He has a deep baritone voice and is a very charismatic businessman. Always looking for new areas of expansion, Bandarh has recently been supplying chests to several of the general stores in Arylon.
Corbus (hm, 0 level, NG, carver)
Corbus does all the carving and engraving at Bandarh's Fine Chests. Apprenticed to one of the great artisans in Waterdeep (The City of Splendors), Corbus quickly gained notoriety for the quality of his work. Each piece carved by Corbus can be identified by a two-headed griffin engraved somewhere in the piece. Sought out by the elite of the city, Corbus was quickly overwhelmed by his fame and sought quieter settings. He hired on at Bandarh's Fine Chests on the condition that he had complete control over his work and would never have to deal directly with visitors.
Corbus is a soft spoken young man in his early to mid twenties with straight shoulder length blond hair and green eyes. A quiet introvert, he never makes complete eye contact when speaking to others. He enjoys working at Bandarh's Fine Chests because he doesn't have to deal directly with the customers. Any artwork or chest bearing the two-headed Griffin sign will usually fetch 10-20% more in the Waterdeep market, at least until the fad of owning his artwork fades, and the nobility of Waterdeep moves on to a new rage.
Leliha (hf, 1st lvl thief, LE, clerk)
Leliha is the clerk at Bandarh's Fine Chests and is also an operative for The Cult of the Dragon. Born and raised in Arylon, she was first introduced to Sammaster's teachings by her boyfriend, Archtel D'otez. Leliha was easily swayed by Archtel's charms but never really became an active member of the Cult's cell until tragedy struck. Several months prior to their wedding, Archtel was killed during the cult's raid on a caravan. In revenge, Leliha swore her loyalty to the cult and became an operative.
Leliha's current contact goes by Raven and his real name is unknown even to her. Raven has set up a system for Leliha to contact him. A local homeless waif passes by Bandarh's Fine Chests twice per day, once before mid-day and once before eveningfest. If she has any information for Raven, she passes a simple note, usually a love note addressed to Archtel. That evening they will meet at The Inn of Black Cats under disguise of having a lovers' tryst. Any information is passed to Raven during this meeting.
Information usually consists of business transactions that take place at the shop. Leliha isn't ignorant and focuses on the transient traffic and adventuring groups. If too many locals were robbed while traveling her cover could be blown. She receives a small percentage of any profit for information that pays off in a successful raid. Once information is passed, other cult operatives attempt to shadow the targets to gain more information as to when they're departing Arylon and what their destination is. If an adventuring group is naive enough to mention this to Leliha, all the better.
Leliha is an attractive woman in her late thirties with a glowing personality. An easy conversationalist, she can strike up an innocent conversation about nothing and steer it into information gathering. She's slim with dark brown eyes and long, straight, black hair she ties back with a bow.