Houses of Darokin: Franich House
by Aaron NowackA Brief History of Franich House
Franich House is the youngest of the Great Houses of Darokin, founded only 63 years ago in 947 AC. As such, it's history is the shortest. It's founder was Rarold Franich, an adventurer who settled in Darokin City towards the end of his life. However it was his son, Arturo, who forged the House into what it is today by buying out or merging with a number of his associates, who represented a wide range of businesses. Franich became a great House in 973 AC, only fifteen years after Arturo took over the House.
Since then, though Franich House does not control any sector of the Darokinian economy, there is not an industry in which Franich House has not interested itself in, however minor that participation may be. Franich House also struggles to keep itself clear of the often treacherous politics in the Inner Council, though its efforts are mostly futile.
Franich House Assets
As mentioned above, Franich House maintains at least a small piece of almost every market in Darokin. However, it is not chiefly involved in foreign trade, and it recently reduced the amount of trade it did with the Atruaghin Clans.
A little known fact is that Franich House holds a controlling interest in nearly all of Darokin's banks.
Franich House Relations
Al-Azrad House: Neutral verging on Friendly. Franich House has financed several Al-Azrad ventures.
Corun House: Neutral verging on Friendly. The heads of Franich and Corun Houses are good friends, though any claims that the relationship is more intimate are denied by both Houses.
Hallonica House: Neutral. Both Houses are more than happy to leave the other alone.
Linton House: Neutral verging on Hostile. Linton House sees Franich as nothing but a newcomer that's gotten too big for it's britches. Franich, as an ally of Mauntea House, has no great love for the Lintons either.
Mauntea House: Friendly. Franich is a political ally of Mauntea House, and cast the deciding vote in favour of Corwyn in his election as Chancellor.
Pennydown House: Friendly. Though Pennydown's political stance is often more extreme than Franich's, the two Houses recognise that they have much in common and often cooperate on those matters of mutual interest.
Toney House: Hostile. Toney House has acquired information on some tax evasion on Franich House's part, and has used this knowledge to blackmail Franich into nearly eliminating it's trade with the Atruaghin Clans, giving Toney a virtual monopoly in that market.
Umbarth House: Neutral. Umbarth and Franich Houses have no real relations with each other.
Franich House Personalities
Arturo Franich (3rd level fighter/13th level merchant, LG)
Arturo took over Franich House when he was just under twenty years old, and has nearly single-handedly transformed Franich into a Great House. He is now 51 years old, and has white hair and green eyes. He loved his wife dearly, and was devastated when she died ten years ago.
In person, Arturo is very reserved, talking freely only with his closest friends. An aura of sadness hangs over him, and in the past ten years he has spent less and less of his time managing the affairs of Franich House.
Rarold Franich (1st level fighter/1st level merchant, CN)
Rarold is named after the founder of Franich House, and looks much like his father did in his youth, having blond hair and green eyes. However, the similarity between him and his father is only skin deep. Rarold has no interest in running Franich House. He spends much of his time in Darokin's less reputable inns and taverns, making the gamblers of Darokin City much richer.
Lillana Cranor (4th level thief/8th level merchant, N)
With Rarold completely incapable and Arturo slowly loosing interest, most of the responsibility for Franich House's day to day operations has fallen on this young woman. She is extremely capable, and is well liked by the other employees.
Unfortunately for Franich House, Lillana is less than scrupulous in her business dealings. She was responsible for the tax evasion that gave Toney House a hold on Franich, though she managed to put blame for that disaster on one of her subordinates. She is also skimming a small but still significant amount from Franich House's income, and recently used some of this money to buy herself a new mansion in the gold class quarter of Darokin City.
Lillana has recently begun to show an interest in Rarold, no doubt to secure her control over Franich House.