B8 Jamstav’s Merchant House

Jamstav’s Merchant House is one of Verbobonc’s most trusted brokerages and meeting houses for serious trade. Where the Trader’s Market is all color and noise, Jamstav’s is where deals go once they become too big—and too risky—for a stall on the cobbles.

River barges from Dyvers, caravans from the Kron Hills and Greenway Valley, and merchant factors from distant cities all pass through Jamstav’s offices to:

• Arrange bulk purchases of grain, ore, timber, and finished goods.
• Hire caravan guards and river escort contracts.
• Negotiate long-term trade routes and storage rights in the city’s warehouses.

Jamstav himself prides his house on neutrality and reliability: if a contract is written under his roof, both sides know the terms will be enforced—by Vigil Wardens, by Zilchite priests, or by Jamstav’s own considerable influence.

Appearance & Atmosphere

The building is a solid three-story block of pale stone standing just off a corner of the Trader’s Market, fronted by a broad set of steps and a pair of heavy oak doors banded in iron. A carved lintel shows a barge and wagon crossing paths beneath a stylized coin.

Tall, narrow windows look out over the market square; inside, the mood is calm and brisk, in sharp contrast to the chaos outside.

First Glimpse of Jamstav’s

History and Motivation

Jamstav’s Merchant House has carved a niche for itself as the southernmost outpost for goods from the far reaches of the north - the Wolf Nomads, Stonehold, the Bandit Kingdoms, and even the ominous lands ruled by Iuz. The motivation behind establishing such a daring venture in Verbobonc was to create a conduit for rare goods, providing adventurers, collectors, and scholars access to items unobtainable elsewhere.

The Proprietor: Jamstav

The heart and soul of the merchant house, Jamstav is a figure shrouded in mystery and intrigue. His keen eye for the rare and valuable has made him a key player in the underground trade networks.

Master Jamstav by 3orcs

• Personality: Jamstav exudes an air of calm confidence, always seeming to know more than he lets on. His ability to navigate the dangerous waters of black market trade while maintaining a veneer of respectability is unmatched.
• Appearance: With a demeanor as rare as the goods he peddles, Jamstav carries himself with an understated elegance. His attire is often simple but of high quality, a reflection of his discerning taste.
• Jamstav's face is strong, with sharp, discerning eyes that hint at a keen mind adept at negotiation and appraisal. A prominent, well-groomed beard, possibly flecked with hints of gray, adds to his imposing presence, while his hair, kept practical for both battle and trade, is pulled back to keep it out of his way during negotiations.
• Personality: Jamstav exudes an air of calm confidence, always seeming to know more than he lets on. His ability to navigate the dangerous waters of black market trade while maintaining a veneer of respectability is unmatched.
• Appearance: With a demeanor as rare as the goods he peddles, Jamstav carries himself with an understated elegance. His attire is often simple but of high quality, a reflection of his discerning taste.

Interior & Key Areas

Front Hall & Public Desk
Just inside the doors lies a tiled hall with benches along either wall and a long counter at the far end. Here:

• New arrivals state their business to a front clerk, who assigns them to a meeting room or asks them to wait.
• Basic services—message-taking, small parcels, posting of caravan notices and “guards wanted” bills—are handled quickly.

A small brass plaque lists Jamstav’s core policies: No open weapons. No shouting in the hall. Payment for services due upon signature.

Counting Room
Beyond the public desk is a large chamber with:

• Long tables littered with ledgers, inkpots, and abacuses.
• Clerks tallying shipment values, weighing sample ingots or coin, and recording rates.
• A caged window to a back office where higher-value coin and documents are briefly stored before heading to the Chapel of Zilchus or secure vaults elsewhere.

Here, the party can sell bulk goods at fair rates or watch as their loot is appraised by professionals.

Private Parlors
Upstairs, a ring of wood-paneled rooms serves as negotiation chambers. Each contains:

• A central table, carafes of watered wine, and trays of bread and cheese.
• Lockable doors and thick walls to muffle sound.
• A discrete bell-pull that summons a clerk—or a guard—if talks go poorly.

These rooms are where deals between major merchant houses, gnome factors, and nobles are hammered out. Having a meeting scheduled here is itself a sign of stature.

Jamstav’s Office
At the top of the spiral stair, behind a door of darker wood, lies the owner’s office: a long space with a large desk, several chairs, and a window overlooking the market. Maps of the Velverdyva, Kron Hills, and surrounding lands hang on the walls, marked with colored pins showing current routes, danger zones, and profitable runs.

Jamstav receives only select clients here—those whose business has implications for the whole quarter, or the Viscounty at large.

Staff & Security

• House Guards: A half-dozen plain-clothed guards linger as “porters” and “messengers,” but carry cudgels and short swords under their cloaks. They are used to breaking up heated arguments before steel is drawn.
• Clerks & Scribes: Educated men and women who can read several languages, familiar with trade law, tariffs, and temple practices.
• Vigil Wardens: Though not stationed inside, Wardens are frequent visitors, checking posted notices and responding swiftly to any disturbance reported from the house.

Valuables do not remain long in Jamstav’s keeping; high-value coin and jewels are typically walked under escort to the Chapel of Zilchus or to contracted vaults before nightfall.

Clientele and Services

The Merchant House is selective, opening its doors to those with the right connections or referrals. It's a place where the elite and the underworld converge, seeking items that speak of power, mystery, and ancient lore.

• Exclusive Offerings: From necromantic components to Flannish face masks, Jamstav’s inventory is a treasure trove for the right buyer. The goods come with a hefty price tag, a premium for their rarity and the risk involved in acquiring them.
• Black Market Operations: Beneath the facade of a regular merchant house lies a hub for trade in goods that skirt the edges of legality. Jamstav’s ability to procure and sell items like rare poisons and monster parts makes his establishment a necessity for those who operate in the shadows.

The Location: Business Quarter

Choosing the vibrant Business Quarter for his merchant house was a strategic decision by Jamstav. Positioned near the market square and waterfront docks, it serves as a perfect nexus for trade, accessible yet discreet enough for his clientele.

• Why Here?: The proximity to the docks facilitates the import of rare goods, while the market square's bustle provides the perfect cover for more clandestine transactions. The location underscores Jamstav’s role as a bridge between the exotic and the everyday.

Adventure Hooks

• Missing Caravan Ledger: A major caravan financed through Jamstav’s never arrived at its destination—and its last ledger copy, kept in the counting room, has vanished. Jamstav hires the PCs to discover whether the loss is due to bandits, cult interference, or internal sabotage.
• Neutral Ground, Tense Talk: Two rival groups—perhaps a gnome delegation and human nobles, or a merchant house and the Church of St. Cuthbert—insist on using Jamstav’s parlor for delicate negotiations. The PCs are asked to serve as neutral witnesses or bodyguards when talks inevitably go sideways.
• Temple Coin on the Road: Jamstav shows the party a batch of coins or seals matching those seen in known Temple of Elemental Evil caches. They’ve surfaced in payment from a “new partner” along one of his routes. He wants the source traced before his reputation and routes are poisoned.
• Under New Management?: A foreign merchant consortium hints it might buy out Jamstav’s if he can’t keep the roads safe. The party’s success or failure on several caravan-related missions could decide whether a more ruthless, less neutral power takes over the house.

Use B8 Jamstav’s Merchant House as your Business Quarter’s deal table—the place where the party can turn plunder into coin, hitch rides with caravans, and see the shadow of the Temple creeping through the ledgers and routes that keep Verbobonc alive.

Rare Monster Parts for Sale

• Griffon Talons - Used in potions of flying and other alchemical experiments requiring aerial essence. Price: 150gp each.
• Basilisk Eye - Essential for creating petrification antidotes and potions of stone to flesh. Price: 200gp per eye.
• Wyvern Venom Gland - A deadly poison on its own, also used in crafting potent antidotes and other venomous concoctions. Price: 250gp per gland.
• Phoenix Feathers - Highly coveted for their regenerative properties in healing potions and resurrection rituals. Price: 500gp per feather.
• Dragon Scales - Varied by color, used in crafting powerful armors, elixirs of elemental resistance, and magical enhancements. Price: 100gp per scale, with rarer dragon scales (such as gold or silver) priced at 200gp or more.
• Manticore Spines - Employed in the crafting of potent paralysis poisons and certain types of ammunition. Price: 75gp per spine.
• Unicorn Horn - Known for its purifying properties, used in the most powerful healing potions and to create wards against evil. Price: 1000gp per horn.
• Vampire Fangs - Used in dark rituals, crafting necromantic spells, and creating charms of persuasion. Price: 150gp per fang.
• Troll Heart - Essential for regenerative brews and spells, due to its rapid healing properties. Price: 300gp per heart.
• Hill Giant's Knucklebone - Used in fortifying potions, strength elixirs, and to enhance physical prowess. Price: 120gp per knucklebone.