House Tomblador

House Tomblador welcomed the fall of Andropinis just as everyone else did, but certainly not for the same reasons. While most enjoyed the idea of the fall of an evil and cruel dictator, Tomblador saw this as an opportunity to implement their own brand of tyranical rule. But before they could hold a meeting with houses Wavir and Reese, House Wavir seized large portions of the city. By the time the head of House Tomblador realized that a land grab had begun, Wavir had already secured most of the eastern portion of the city. As a result, the Tomblador merchant house does not have the same area, and certainly not the same city resources, that Wavir possesses. This arrangement still irritates Kaladon (LE hm Rog12/Fgt5), the head of House Tomblador. His schemes to topple House Wavir as the pre-eminent merchant house of Balic have thus far failed, his only success was in assassinating a son of the previous patriach, Tabaros. This gained nothing for Tomblador except the eternal enmity of Wavir, for although they have no conclusive proof of his treachery, they strongly suspect. He is a heartless man who puts his personal wealth above those of any other. His trading techniques are self serving and he will quite literally do anything to make a profit - murder and theft are only two of his techniques. He has short curly black hair with equally black eyes and is clean shaven. Of the three merchant held sections of Balic, the area held by the Tomblador family is generally regarded as the area most like Andropinis held Balic.

To House Tomblador, the citizens in it's sway are little more than slaves to bring in profits. While the Balicans in Tomblador are free to move to other area of Balic, the fact is that most are poor, and cannot afford to move away. And, if they were caught trying to permanently move, they would be killed - if they were lucky. Kaladon has a single heir, a son named Minosh (hm NE Rog7), who has inherited his fathers greed and almost single minded desire for wealth. He is slightly larger than his father, though most who compare the two would still say that Kaladon has a more intimidating presence than his son. Minosh has his fathers black hair and eyes, and his tendency for cruel smiles. He has a weakness for strong alcohol, and is often seen wandering the taverns in the Bard's Quarter, which falls under Tomblador jurisdiction. Kaladon's wife died almost a decade ago, and since then he has taken a number of mistresses. He current companion is Oneli (hf LE Rog4), who possesses a crafty intelligence that is almost a match for Kaladon's. She is also quite attractive, with long blond hair and clear blue eyes. Though she has been in the company of many rich and powerful men, including a handful of nobles, she has found a kindred spirit in Kaladon, and realizes that through him, she can rise to one of the most powerful women in Balic. There is one other Tabaros that lives within the walls of Balic and that is Entellis Tomblador (hm N Ftr 3), the younger brother of Kaladon. Entellis has the same dark hair and eyes as his brother, though he also wears a full beard. While few would describe Entellis as a force of good on Athas, he is not nearly the cruel man that his brother and nephew are. He is not very involved in the family business, though he does occassionally run caravans, as he has contacts in several of the other city states. If it were not for these contacts, Kaladon would have, most likely, have disposed of his otherwise 'useless' brother. Entellis lives in a modest home near the center of the city, away from his family. In part two of a four part series on House Tomblador, the buildings involved in the business of the house are described. House Tomblador does not have a centralized camp as house Rees has. Instead, their camp is spread throughout Tomblador held Balic. Kaladon, lord of house Tomblador, feels that everything under his control is personally his, and the people in his grasp should see the signs of his house wherever they go. The home of the Tomblador's (Kaladon, Oneli, and Menosh) is an imposing structure in the northwest corner of Balic. It is one of the more recognizable structures in the city. It is a three story house built with stacked stone of various colors, but predominantly a deep yellow. A gate surrounds the home. The gate is made of rust colored flat stacked stones, so dark they appear almost black. Between the pillars of stone, set horizontally, are bones of various large desert animals. To keep any trespassers from climbing the bones, sharp shards of bone, stone, and obsidian have been set into the bones near the top several feet. The gate is a recent and hasty addition to the "estate." Kaladon has been thinking of new ways to improve his gate, but materials are rather scarce, and he doesn't want to spend his wealth on such mundane items as a gate. In any case, no one has attempted to enter his home uninvited. Several dozen feet of open area are between the house and the gate, making it difficult to reach the home without being seen by the Tomblador guards. The first floor of the home is where meetings are held with visiting merchants of stature. (If the merchants and traders who visit house Tomblador are not deemed important enough, they are dealt with at the warehouses.) In these rooms, the agreements for long term contracts are discussed and prices negotiated. The first floor also holds the servants quarters. On the second floor are the living rooms, dining room, kitchen, and a small gallery of items that Kaladon has collected in his travels. The third floor is dedicated to the sleeping quarters for the family members. The warehouses of house Tomblador lie slightly north of the front gate. There are two warehouses, both of which are rather large buildings. The walls are stone, while the roof is made of irregularly shaped stone shingles supported by wooden beams and held together by a silt-based adhesive. The warehouses are two stories structures, though the first floor is far taller than the second, as it holds the majority of the incoming goods. The second floor is additional storage space for less weighty merchandise, and a walkway for which the guards can patrol. Also on the second floor of the first warehouse are the offices of the merchants of house Tomblador, those who do the accounting tasks. A basic elevator system is installed, powered by kanks that pull ropes attached to the platforms that lift the goods up to the second floor. The second warehouse is almost identical to the first, though it also serves as a stables for the Tomblador's. Visiting merchants can store their mounts in the warehouse as well, for a price. Experienced caravan masters usually do not, as the animals are not well treated or fed. Entellis, Kaldon's brother, lives near the southeastern area of the Tomblador controlled area of the city, only a few blocks from the White Palace. His home does not stand out from the other two story townhouses of merchants and craftsmen that populate that area of the city. The four bedroom home is a modest dwelling for someone with his family's wealth, but Entellis prefers to keep a bit of anonymity, especially with the Tomblador reputation.