The Old Families of Marmella
The Old Families of Marmella are the wealthy merchant aristocracy who exercise the power in Illium's government and economy. There are five different families, each with their own interests, monopolies and reputations: the Petalli, Vellagons, Depperi, Medalyra and Sylarchans.
The Old Families see themselves as the founding clans of Illium, who through their pioneering spirit and shrewd investment turned a rough frontier colony into a wealthy export economy. They occupy most of the elected positions on the Grand Council and control the province’s lucrative trade. They are competitive, cunning and proud - but deeply out of touch with the common plight of Illium's people.
The families have become increasingly bold in recent years as Illium has grown wealthier. They complain about the weak presence of the Legion in keeping their borders secure from raiders, and the increasing taxes owed to an extravagant Emperor many thousands of leagues across the sea. Some even suggest secession from the Empire would better serve their interests. Such treason are usually only whispered with private audiences.
The Petalli
The Petalli are the wealthiest of the Old Families. The Petalli finance the Chrysalis Bank - Illium's largest bank, and one of its wealthiest institutions. They own enterprises in glasswork, shipbuilding, furniture and brandy, but are most prodigious in the iron and steel trade. The Petalli are proud supporters of the arts. They are the patrons of Marmella's amphitheatre - the Odeon - home to drama, music and oratory. The Petalli are known to be somewhat austere and cold. They consider themselves the cultural elite of Illium, on a footing with the powerful royal houses of the Imperial Heartland.
The Petalli claim their ancestor was Illium's first miner, a man of grit and fortune. His mines were abundant with iron ore that the colonists could smelt down for tools, weapons and fittings - though he yearned for something greater. After years of digging he would discover a brilliant blue sapphire the size of his fist. This gemstone would be fashioned into the Butterfly Stone, the Petalli family heirloom and the symbol of their house.
The head of the family is Hera Petalli, the richest woman in Illium. She is a well-respected and shrewd businesswoman, often mockingly referred to as the "Old Butterfly".
The Vellagons proudly trace their lineage back to Sir Vellos the Intrepid, a legendary knight who washed up on the shores of Illium and immediately set about protecting the burgeoning colony from the terrors of the wild. It is this history that accounts for the Vellagon's stiff sense of duty and honour.
The Vellagon Family made their money exploiting the treasures and resources of the Sylvan Valley, most notably the hardwoods that became one of Illium’s most profitable exports. Early Vellagon operations included the harvesting of the rarer Sylvan Valley goods, such as dryad, though border clashes with the Wood Elves have made this risky business.
The Vellagon teach weapons and warfare to their children from a young age, and many Vellagons have made names for themselves as skilled warriors and rangers. As a family they are martial and stubborn, ever quick to call for harsher borders with the wood elves to the south.
Mychos Vellagon has stepped into the role of head of the family since the death of his late father. He has previously served as a merchant captain and is said to be a daring sailor. He owns the Seawind Knight - one of Illium's finer ships.
If there's one thing the Depperi are known for it's wine. They are the most prolific wine merchants in Illium, renowned for both their appetite and generosity. The Depperi are loved by the common folk for their Midsummer Festival tradition of breaking open their season's vintage for all to share .
In truth their portfolios include expansive tracts of arable farmland, orchards and fisheries. The Depperi were the first to press the native purple grapes of Illium into wine. Folklore has it that after the original winemaker tasted his debut vintage he was so overcome with his success he drunk himself into a stupor, after which his wife sold the rest of their stock and bought up thrice the growing land to monopolise the trade.
The Depperi continue to thrive off their wine trade. They are known to be debachuerous, opulent and good-natured. The Depperi have an age-old rivalry with the Petalli Family. Whilst the Depperi think the Petalli are uptight and boring, the Petalli consider the Depperi uncouth and populist.
The Depperi family head is the large and red-faced Master Aulis, a common sighting at many of Illium's inns and brothels. Many know the real power in the family is wielded by his daughters, all three of them savvy traders in their own right.
The Medalyra Family trace their lineage back to Medea, a powerful sorceress who accompanied the imperial colonists who settled Illium. The Medalyra own extensive farmlands in Illium’s north, and are known specifically for their citrus orchards. They finance papermills and workshops in larger towns, and are the patrons of Marmella’s Blue Library - the greatest collection of written words in all of Illium.
The Medalyra are rumoured to have profitable relationships with gnomes and wood elves, and some dare accuse them of practising illegal black magics. The Medalyra often play host to the great scholars and learned men of the Imperial Heartland when they visit far-flung Illium. They are known to be an intellectualist and arrogant family, yet as they often keep to themselves they have garnered a reputation for being musty old recluses.
The head of the Medalyra family is the rarely seen Colchis Medalyra. His sons and daughters often take his place at Grand Council meetings and public events.
The Sylarchans are second in wealth only to the Petalli, though they have the most nefarious reputations of all the families. The Sylarchans are ambitious, ruthless and double-dealing - with friends from the darker corners of the Empire. They are widely-believed to cavort with pirates, thieves and assassins. Through either bribery or blackmail the Sylarchus Family have managed to evade incrimination from the Duke or his Legion.
The Sylarchans trace their lineage back to a notorious courtesan who supposedly swindled a nobleman out of his family fortune. They do not hide behind the pretences of the other families, instead proudly displaying their conniving ancestor's pink rose on their family crest.
The Sylarchans have one of the best-informed spy networks in the known world, and essentially run Marmella's black market. Despite their shadowy dealings the Sylarchans are considered charming and clever. The head of the Sylarchus family is Ennari Sylarchus, a wealthy brothel madame.
The Five Old Families
The Old Families hold inter-generational grudges, and conduct private festivals and rituals in the walled upper district of Marmella. They are great patrons of the arts and sciences, many of them boasting strong ties to the royal houses of the Imperial Heartland. Holding renown with the families can be rewarding, earning their ire can lead to destitution, a sham trial or a fatal "accident".The Petalli
The Petalli are the wealthiest of the Old Families. The Petalli finance the Chrysalis Bank - Illium's largest bank, and one of its wealthiest institutions. They own enterprises in glasswork, shipbuilding, furniture and brandy, but are most prodigious in the iron and steel trade. The Petalli are proud supporters of the arts. They are the patrons of Marmella's amphitheatre - the Odeon - home to drama, music and oratory. The Petalli are known to be somewhat austere and cold. They consider themselves the cultural elite of Illium, on a footing with the powerful royal houses of the Imperial Heartland.
The Petalli claim their ancestor was Illium's first miner, a man of grit and fortune. His mines were abundant with iron ore that the colonists could smelt down for tools, weapons and fittings - though he yearned for something greater. After years of digging he would discover a brilliant blue sapphire the size of his fist. This gemstone would be fashioned into the Butterfly Stone, the Petalli family heirloom and the symbol of their house.
The head of the family is Hera Petalli, the richest woman in Illium. She is a well-respected and shrewd businesswoman, often mockingly referred to as the "Old Butterfly".
The Vellagons
The Vellagons proudly trace their lineage back to Sir Vellos the Intrepid, a legendary knight who washed up on the shores of Illium and immediately set about protecting the burgeoning colony from the terrors of the wild. It is this history that accounts for the Vellagon's stiff sense of duty and honour.
The Vellagon Family made their money exploiting the treasures and resources of the Sylvan Valley, most notably the hardwoods that became one of Illium’s most profitable exports. Early Vellagon operations included the harvesting of the rarer Sylvan Valley goods, such as dryad, though border clashes with the Wood Elves have made this risky business.
The Vellagon teach weapons and warfare to their children from a young age, and many Vellagons have made names for themselves as skilled warriors and rangers. As a family they are martial and stubborn, ever quick to call for harsher borders with the wood elves to the south.
Mychos Vellagon has stepped into the role of head of the family since the death of his late father. He has previously served as a merchant captain and is said to be a daring sailor. He owns the Seawind Knight - one of Illium's finer ships.
The Depperi
If there's one thing the Depperi are known for it's wine. They are the most prolific wine merchants in Illium, renowned for both their appetite and generosity. The Depperi are loved by the common folk for their Midsummer Festival tradition of breaking open their season's vintage for all to share .
In truth their portfolios include expansive tracts of arable farmland, orchards and fisheries. The Depperi were the first to press the native purple grapes of Illium into wine. Folklore has it that after the original winemaker tasted his debut vintage he was so overcome with his success he drunk himself into a stupor, after which his wife sold the rest of their stock and bought up thrice the growing land to monopolise the trade.
The Depperi continue to thrive off their wine trade. They are known to be debachuerous, opulent and good-natured. The Depperi have an age-old rivalry with the Petalli Family. Whilst the Depperi think the Petalli are uptight and boring, the Petalli consider the Depperi uncouth and populist.
The Depperi family head is the large and red-faced Master Aulis, a common sighting at many of Illium's inns and brothels. Many know the real power in the family is wielded by his daughters, all three of them savvy traders in their own right.
The Medalyra
The Medalyra Family trace their lineage back to Medea, a powerful sorceress who accompanied the imperial colonists who settled Illium. The Medalyra own extensive farmlands in Illium’s north, and are known specifically for their citrus orchards. They finance papermills and workshops in larger towns, and are the patrons of Marmella’s Blue Library - the greatest collection of written words in all of Illium.
The Medalyra are rumoured to have profitable relationships with gnomes and wood elves, and some dare accuse them of practising illegal black magics. The Medalyra often play host to the great scholars and learned men of the Imperial Heartland when they visit far-flung Illium. They are known to be an intellectualist and arrogant family, yet as they often keep to themselves they have garnered a reputation for being musty old recluses.
The head of the Medalyra family is the rarely seen Colchis Medalyra. His sons and daughters often take his place at Grand Council meetings and public events.
The Sylarchans
The Sylarchans are second in wealth only to the Petalli, though they have the most nefarious reputations of all the families. The Sylarchans are ambitious, ruthless and double-dealing - with friends from the darker corners of the Empire. They are widely-believed to cavort with pirates, thieves and assassins. Through either bribery or blackmail the Sylarchus Family have managed to evade incrimination from the Duke or his Legion.
The Sylarchans trace their lineage back to a notorious courtesan who supposedly swindled a nobleman out of his family fortune. They do not hide behind the pretences of the other families, instead proudly displaying their conniving ancestor's pink rose on their family crest.
The Sylarchans have one of the best-informed spy networks in the known world, and essentially run Marmella's black market. Despite their shadowy dealings the Sylarchans are considered charming and clever. The head of the Sylarchus family is Ennari Sylarchus, a wealthy brothel madame.
Type
Political, Family
Comments