butchflirt: The nine major merchant dynasties of Merland. While Merland is officially a republic, in
butchflirt: The nine major merchant dynasties of Merland. While Merland is officially a republic, in which the position of Shipmaster is elected from among the property-holding landed men of the population, in practice the position draws almost exclusively from members of these powerful houses. The current Shipmaster, Lyonal Sealily, was the first Shipmaster in over two centuries not to come from one of the nine great houses, and with Lyonal approaching 80 years of age, the houses are already vying to reclaim their power.- Fastning: House Fastning is one of the oldest and most powerful families in Merland, having ruled as petty kings in the days before Merland was united as a republic. They control much of Seaspray Point, one of Merland’s most notable ports, monopolizing shipping and trade in the city. House Fastning has produced more Shipmasters than any of the other houses, including a period in which five Fastnings served as Shipmaster in succession, making the role effectively hereditary for over a century and a half. The Fastning candidate for Shipmaster is Ralph Fastning, middle son of aged patriarch Quincy Fastning.- Lionheart: The Lionhearts made their fortune in building and selling mercenary armies to other nations, and militarily they are the most powerful of the great houses. Demand for the Lion’s Teeth, the family’s mercenary soldiers, is high, but supply is necessarily limited; as a result, recent generations of Lionhearts have discreetly begun partaking in the slave trade in order to procure candidates. The slave trade is illegal in Merland, and while House Lionheart’s participation in it is an open secret, the lack of concrete evidence has thus far prevented the other houses from exploiting the precarious situation it puts the family in. The Lionheart candidate for Shipmaster is Rishor Lionheart, brother of patriarch Errool Lionheart.- Da Casia: The Da Casias are the youngest and least powerful of the great houses, having only produced four Shipmasters. The Da Casias are of foreign origin, migrating to Merland from a distant southwestern continent called Cruscesca, far beyond the Western Breach. They arrived aboard an exploration ship which wrecked off of Seaspray Point; the only survivors were a handful of Da Casias and a collection of exotic animals known as ant-eaters from their home continent. These beasts proliferated on the mainland, and are now fairly common in Merland and Kakalikos. The Da Casias, meanwhile, found employment with the Fastnings of Seaspray Point as customs officials, and rose quickly to an independent nobility and wealth. The Da Casias’ primary trade is in intrigue and intelligence, typically aligning themselves with another great house, often the Fastnings. On occasion, Da Casias have risen to positions of great power, including, as stated, four Da Casia Shipmasters, but they are still considered just a step above the minor houses of Merland. The Da Casia candidate for Shipmaster is Sebastiano De Casia, Lord of Customs of Seaspray Point.- Shipp: The Shipps are an old and influential family in Merland. Only the Fastnings and Jockers have produced more Shipmasters than the Shipps, and Shipps have typically found positions of great influence in the courts and councils of non-Shipp Shipmasters. The Shipps control a good deal of the shipbuilding industry in Merland, giving them a great deal of leverage over almost every other family in the country. At present, the Shipps are focused on producing and selling war galleys and caravels for other Kalashan nations, and have not presented a candidate for Shipmaster, instead throwing support behind Ralph Fastning.- Jocker: The Jockers are the traditional rivals of House Fastning, the only house which has produced more Shipmasters. The Jockers claim through family legend to descend directly from the Sea-Father, and to have once ruled as High Kings of Merland. The Jockers have their hands in a variety of industries, from trade to shipbuilding to hemp production, and they have established effective control over the island of Blackreef, officially Firavemish territory. The Jocker candidate for Shipmaster is family patriarch Bapharius Jocker.- Butcher: The Butchers are a family of humble origins. Arising from the peasantry as butchers and meat-packers, the family worked its way up to control much of the meatpacking and distribution industry in Merland, developing novel methods of meat preservation allowing for greater levels of meat exportation. Although other older houses may look down on them, the Butchers have strong support from more minor families and has six times leveraged this support to ensure that one of their number is elected Shipmaster. The Butcher candidate for Shipmaster in the next election is William Butcher.- Marius: An ancient and noble house, House Marius claim descent from heroes of the Deusaera, during which time their ancestors conquered rich lands in the east of the country. The Mariuses are thus one of the few houses which does not make their wealth through the sea, but instead through mineral wealth, mining gold, silver, and rubies seemingly without end. Though they control relatively few actual ships, ten Mariuses have risen to the position of Shipmaster. The current Marius candidate is Zacus Marius.- Fletcher: The Fletchers, like the Mariuses, do not make their wealth at sea, but instead through controlling almost all river trade in Merland. They have controlled Lake Town, the terminus of the great Elf River Trade Route, for centuries, growing fat and rich off the generated profits. The Fletchers also have their hand in weapon and armor production, as well as horse breeding, relatively minor industries in Merland but still important, particularly to the Lionhearts, who use the Fletchers as their primary supplier. The Fletchers have produced five Shipmasters, but their candidate, Finn Fletcher, has withdrawn from consideration under suspicious circumstances, endorsing Rishor Lionheart in his place.- Wavebreak: The Wavebreaks have produced sixteen Shipmasters in recorded history, their great power and influence arising from the great level of control they exert over trade and industry in the capital of Trident. Every other family doing business in Trident pays their dues to the Wavebreaks if they know what is good for them, and they are considered on par with the Jockers, Shipps, and Fastnings in terms of wealth and power. Though no Wavebreak has been Shipmaster in two centuries, they hope to change this with their candidate, Thaddeus Wavebreak. -- source link