House Gost

The Gost family was one of the many noble houses of Waterdeep, but were direct descendants of the Ruldegosts who could trace their lineage all the way back to the ancient kingdom of Uthtower in the 2nd century DR. At first, they were interested in obtaining quick wealth through illegal means, but over the years the family turned to more stable businesses such as caravan mastering, general trading, and armor smithing.

Organization

The patriarch of the Gost clan in the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, was Lord Djarrus, the eldest son of Lord Bhaedulph (recently deceased) and his consort Aurora. Djarrus had no consort at this time, and the heir to the family title was his younger brother, Dundald. At this point in history, there were seventeen members of the noble family. As of the 1490s DR the family is led by Ardun Gost great grandson of Dundald, Ardun has three daughters and two sons, one of whom, Malthus Gost, is a rising star in the ranks of The Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors.

Activities

The Gost family primarily worshiped Lathander, but were also major contributors to the church of Siamorphe.

Tactics

In the early days of this noble house, the members focused on high risk, high reward schemes to generate wealth, such as looting the tombs of other nobles, cheating various guilds, and even kidnapping. They even worked and consorted with yuan-ti, so some members of the Gost family exhibited a snake-like agility and were fairly resistant to poison.

Base of Operations

The Gost family villa (labeled N57) circa 1372 DR. The Gost family villa was located in the North Ward on the northwest corner of the intersection of Golden Serpent Street and Geltoon Street. Directly across the alley behind the residence was the Grinning Lion tavern. Inside the walled compound was a four-story mansion, a courtyard with some green space, and a three-story gatehouse that served as stables and quarters for most of the guards.

Relationships

The Gost family were descendants of the Ruldegost line that split off in the Year of the Sundered Shields, 1197 DR, when two sons and a daughter were excommunicated for worshiping Mask and advocating building wealth more rapidly by illegal means. The Gosts had an agreement with the Gundwynd family to use their hippogriff couriers when the portal network was unreliable. The Gosts were also early backers of the Shadow Thieves. During the upheaval caused by the Guildwars in the mid–13th century, Lord Geldirth Gost II terminated the agreement and sent hired agents to storm the Gundwynd villa, kidnap as many of the noble family as could be taken alive, and ransack the family's treasure. The captured Gundwynds were caged and left to starve to death in the Gost's underground lair. When the Gundwynd ghosts made the complex unusable, Geldirth II had to relinquish the family's stake in the Shadow Thieves in exchange for help in containing the revenge-driven ghosts. A member of the Gundwynd family that lived elsewhere returned to Waterdeep and managed to rescue the family's business and their name from oblivion. After this sordid incident, the two noble families eyed each other with suspicion and distrust. In the early 14th century, the family dungeon was abandoned and eventually forgotten as they turned to more legitimate businesses and began revering Lathander and Siamorphe. In the Year of Maidens, 1361 DR, Lord Djarrus became an anonymous patron of the Foes of the Fang adventuring company primarily because his half-sister Corinna Lathankin was a founding member.

History

The Gost family split off from the Ruldegost clan in 1197 DR but retained their nobility under their new name. They were of Illuskan stock and venerated Mask, the Lord of Shadows. Their "get rich quick" schemes included tomb raiding and swindling whatever guilds they could dupe. In 1219 DR, Lord Geldirth built a secret underground complex using slave labor and set up a portal network to quickly move goods to destinations normally served by caravans. In 1233 DR they expanded the network with branches to new destinations to bring in exotic beasts and monsters for illicit sale to local clients. Keeping a series of portals secure and operational proved to be challenging, so Geldrith's son, Lord Harthar, negotiated a deal with the Gundwynd family to move goods by hippogriff whenever deliveries were delayed. Eventually Harthar's son, Lord Geldrith II, took over the reins of the family business and, being a Mask worshiper, formed an alliance with the newly created Shadow Thieves crime syndicate in 1255 DR or shortly thereafter. This new association meant the Gosts were no longer dependent on the Gundwynd hippogriffs and, under cover of the chaos surrounding the Guildwars in 1262 DR, Geldrith II hired thieves to kidnap or kill every member of that noble house that resided in Waterdeep and bring the survivors to the underground complex. There, he left them in cages to starve. Many of the prisoners returned as ghosts that sought revenge on the Gost family, which made life in the villa above extremely dangerous. Geldrith II was forced to turn to the Shadow Thieves for help in containing the ghosts. In exchange for the Gost's stake in the syndicate, the necromancer Marune the Masked put ghost-proof barriers and traps around the portal nexus which allowed the family to sleep securely again.

Notable Members

Djarrus Gost: Patriarch in 1372 DR.
Bhaedulph Gost: Father of Djarrus, Tasmia, and Corinna. Died of the sweet sickness.
Aurora Gost: Consort of Bhaedulph and mother to Djarrus and Tasmia.
Tasmia Gost: Sister of Djarrus. Moved to Silverymoon with her consort, Motryth Bladesharp, to explore trade opportunities.
Corinna Lathankin: Half–moon elf half-sister of Djarrus. Famed vampire hunter and member of the Order of the Aster.
Dundald Gost: Younger brother and heir of Djarrus.[3] Member of the Deep Delvers adventuring company.
Geldirth Gost: Split (or expelled) from the noble Ruldegost family in 1197 DR. Worshiper of Mask and builder of the Fireplace Level.
Harthar Gost: Geldirth I's second son and heir. Negotiated pact with the Gundwynd family for delivery of goods by hippogriff in 1233 DR.
Geldirth Gost II: Son of Harthar. Allied with the Shadow Thieves and betrayed and murdered most of the Gundwynd clan in 1262 DR.
Ardun Gost: Patriarch as of the 1490s DR.
Malthus Gost: Heir of Ardun, and Journeyman mage of The Watchful Order of Magists and Protectors.