Lance
Historical Overview
Origins
In the earliest days of the Promenade, the Seaside did not yet exist, and whaling fleets were community-organized affairs. This hodgepodge of small ships, each generally crewed by a family, were organized under the Pike. Eventually, this position was held continuously by one family, which became House Pike, the administrators of the city's early whaling industry."When the procession arrives in First Point, and the Patriarch of House Pike throws the ceremonial harpoon into the Sieve, the people of Seaside are gathering in The Portion and Dogshead for general revelry and drinking." - Sprayspot FestivalThe Pikes' local dominance was codified by House Prominere, who elevated them to the status of minor house, cementing their importance to the then-formalizing whaling industry. As it became unseemly for a noble family to personally lead whaling armadas, House Pike established a more professional company to manage their affairs in the industry. Thus, the Pike & Sons Co. was born. The early Prominere whaling armadas were not just cobbled together groups of community-run small craft, but social affairs as well. Families naturally grouped up by neighborhoods, and friends sailed to the same hunting grounds together. The Pikes utilized their connections as the most prominent local family to coalesce friends, allies, and sycophants around themselves. This allowed the family a solid base within the industry from which to expand their company. These original recruits into the Pike family business are known as Lances, and while they are not noble families, their names carry great weight in the industry to the present day.
Serving House Pike
Captains
These Lances developed into a class of professionally trained captains within the Pike hierarchy, giving the family a crucial advantage over later comers to the whaling industry. They brought their own experienced crew, largely family based, to their ships early in the history of Pike & Sons. As the company grew, the Lances were an experienced core of professionals, and put their skills to use managing the Pike Manual of Practice. While early in the Promenade, Lances had an advantage in bringing in recruits through their reputations as local leaders, this did not persist after the Crossing Over. As the Coastal Whale died out, which largely coincided with the start of the Age of Men, recruitment for whaling ships fell and thus the Lances had to turn to impressment gangs. From harassing residents of the Seaside, to kidnapping inebriated visiting sailors in Dogshead, the Lances have become a resented group of thugs rather than honored citizens and experts.Businessmen
While many Lances stayed in their original roles as captains, a select few were elevated to the first leaders of the Pike & Sons Company. The company was originally created to let the Pikes back off from actual whaling, as it would not befit their newly acquired noble rank, but over time they withdrew from day-to-day management of the company as well. The first Lances to take over the management of the company called themselves the Admirals, and thus the company leadership has been known as the Admiralty Board.
Type
Financial / Trade
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