Tormau #111

[11] Apothecary (Gweyn of Kesham)

Size: 3 Quality: ✰✰✰✰ Prices: High+
At 26, Gweyn of Kesham is one of the youngest masters in the Rethemi
Apothecaries’ Guild. She recently took over the franchise in Tormau after
her father, Erward, died after a long and horrible period of suffering.
Erward was an avid experimenter and had long tried to concoct a
new salve to heal infected wounds. He died from a strange wasting disease
that left him partially paralyzed, weakened his heart and mind, and caused
him to constantly bemoan insects crawling under his skin. Local gossips
question whether he had been cursed or whether his daughter had poisoned
him. Gweyn suspects that her father did die of gradual poisoning but that
the real culprit was the mercury he experimented with for years. Rumors of
her alleged patricide have never really stopped, but residents of Tormau and
nearby villagers still come to her for herbs and medicines. She has grown
accustomed to their slander and scornful looks; out of petty revenge, she
simply overcharges her customers for every medicine they need.
Gweyn lives and runs a very successful apothecary shop in this solidly
constructed building, which has a stone ground floor, half-timbered upper
Gweyn of Kesham
Gweyn of Kesham Gweyn is a tall and
floor, and slate-tiled roof. Her journeyman, Thilsa of Harm (18), and her
impressive woman whose Kuboran heritage
apprentice, Valyse of Kesham (13), her half-sister from her father’s second is reflected in her fair skin and luxurious,
marriage, reside here as well. dark hair. She typically dresses in dark red
The young apothecary undertakes herb-gathering expeditions into and wears little to no jewelry. She often
Peran a few times a year. She is half Kuboran and learned the tribe’s wears her hair long and wild.
language and customs from her mother. What herbs she cannot gather in Gweyn tries to hide how much her
the wilderness, she grows in the herb garden behind her house or imports neighbors’ slander gets to her but her
from Golotha via local mercantyler Tursar of Meglese. volatile temper regularly gets the better of
her. She often lashes out with her tongue
Gweyn has excellent relations with Denyl Lynnaeus, Earl of Tormau. at her abusers, and has been known to
She provides him with antidotes to safeguard against poisoning attempts retaliate physically as well.
on his life and the lives of his nephew and niece, who have a claim on the Gweyn was still young when her Kuboran
throne of Rethem. In exchange, he has granted her the privilege of wearing mother died from an infected wound.
his colors on her expeditions in Peran. Coupled with her Kuboran heritage, Growing up, she clashed repeatedly with
the earl’s livery helps improve her safety in Kuboran territory. her father’s second wife, a freed Thardic
slave who later died from childbed fever
after giving birth to Gweyn’s half-sister,
Valyse. Gweyn never married and doesn’t
seem inclined to do so in the future.
Gweyn supplies herbs, potions, and
medicines to Tormau’s physician, Soloth
of Evone [10], and buys wax, fat for salves,
and other basic ingredients from chandler
Lanyne of Urelt [18]. She doesn’t like to
cook for herself and often gets her meals
from the White Stoat [12].
Put off by Gweyn’s reputation or high
prices, some locals have started buying
medicinal herbs and healing charms from
Sakira [30], although most villagers regard
the old crone as a malevolent witch who
consorts with demons. Gweyn knows
Sakira’s potions are rarely effective and that
these customers will come back when they
need something that works.

Copyright © 2017, Bernhard Bihler, N. Robin Crossby, and Columbia Games, Inc. HârnWorld®
 Tormau #112
Ground Floor
[1] Shop: The shop is often kept by Thilsa
or Valyse, as Gweyn prefers to work in
the laboratory in the back. The floor
is dominated by a massive counter
with weighty brass scales on which
the workers weigh and grind powders,
prepare poultices, and shape pills from
long, sticky rolls of pressed herbs.
Behind the counter, an impressive
apothecary cabinet holds more than 60 ingredients in single drawers
marked with Pvaric and alchemical symbols. Two large tapestries show
the zodiac and a diagram of the human body with Pvaric elemental
principles ascribed to organs and limbs. Stuffed animals, skeletons,
and bundles of herbs hang from the ceiling; among these are two dried
vlastas, a yelgri’s mummified wing, and a horn that Gweyn’s father
claimed was from a unicorn but is actually that of a narwhal. Visitors
cannot help but be impressed by the furnishings and decorations.
[2] Laboratory: Salves, potions, and other concoctions are made using the
alchemical apparatuses on the workbench. The chest holds common
ingredients such as diverse kinds of fat and ground minerals. The stores
under the stairs are mostly alcohol and foodstuffs for the household.
[3] Storage: This locked room holds valuable herbs and ingredients,
finished potions, and glasswares. Gweyn holds the only key.
Upper Floor
[4] Parlor: The parlor clearly shows that
this is a household composed entirely
of women, as it is uncommonly cozy
instead of meant to impress. The
women take their meals and do their
common chores at the large table in the
center of the room. As none of them are good cooks, Gweyn often has
meals brought in from the White Stoat Inn. On the rare occasions that
she entertains guests, she usually seats them in the elaborately carved
chairs in the corner or the high-backed bench next to the wardrobe,
which holds tableware and linens. The tapestry shows a woodland scene
in Peran.
[5] Mistress’ Chamber: Gweyn’s private chamber is dominated by a large
canopied bed with posts carved as dryads and satyrs. She often spends
her evenings at her writing desk reading or compiling new recipes.
The bookshelf next to the desk holds several tomes on alchemy and
herbology, as well as a couple of bestiaries collected by her father. The
locked chest houses her wealth of about £20 in precious stones, metals,
and coin, as well as a bound tome titled On the Extension of Life, a rare
Azeryani manuscript that inspired Gweyn’s father in his experiments
with mercury and cinnabar. Gweyn cannot read it but keeps it under
lock and key as she suspects its inherent dangers.
[6] Girls’ Bedchamber: Journeyman Thilsa and apprentice Valyse share
this room. It is rather small but is clean and has a good quality bed
for each of them. The chests hold their clothes and a few personal
belongings.
Copyright © 2017, Bernhard Bihler, N. Robin Crossby, and Columbia Games, Inc.
Adventure Hooks
Fang and Root
Someone important at the caer (such as
the earl himself or his nephew or niece)
has been poisoned and urgently needs
an antidote. Physician Soloth of Evone
does everything he can to stave off death
but he needs the proper medicine from
Gweyn, and quickly. Unfortunately, she
has run out of the relevant compound and
the earl’s stores have spoiled. The PCs are
hired or ordered to procure the necessary
ingredient. Depending on how much the
GM wants to aggravate or challenge the
players, Gweyn needs either an intact
poison sac from a death adder to make
Khalmet’s Theriac (see Potions 36) or some
lashu powder and a yulpris root to freshen
up some spoiled Heal-All (Potions 34).
Poisoner!
The Sheriff of Hohnamshire has arrested
Gweyn for the poisoning death of her
father. If convicted, she faces a penalty
of death by boiling. Desperate, she turns
to the PCs to clear her name. She hopes
to win the sheriff ’s judgment by having
respectable witnesses testify that her
father’s symptoms were the result of
mercury poisoning brought about by
his own experiments. The PCs will need
to seek a knowledgeable and reputable
master miner (perhaps at Keserin Mine)
or an alchemist of high standing (maybe
at the Chantry of Arcane Lore in Golotha)
and convince them to help Gweyn.
Alternatively, the PCs may come up with
other means to sway the sheriff and save
Gweyn’s bacon.
Overdue Books
The PCs are approached by a shady scholar
who offers them a nice sum to retrieve a
manuscript allegedly stolen from him by
Erward of Kesham many years ago. He
cannot prove the theft of On the Extension
of Life and thus have the matter settled in
court, but hopes that the PCs can solve his
problem through intimidation or burglary.
The truth of the matter is for the GM to
decide.
CREDITS
Writing, Mapping, and Illustration:
Bernhard Bihler
Editing and Layout: Brent Bailey
HârnWorld®