Thyatian Senators part 3

(or - “After this I’ll never need to think of a Thyatian NPC for my Campaign again”)

Dear readers, it is time again to delve into the depths of Thyatian politics. This is the third part in our gallery of Thyatian Senators and their families, acquaintances, relatives and enemies. The first two parts of this article can be found in Issues #3 (Thyatian Senators pg 209) and #4 (Thyatian Senators pg 188). The first two installments detailed the Constituency Senators, i.e. those tied to a specific dominion of the Empire, either because they are dominion rulers or their senatorial representatives, or because they are elected by the citizens of that dominion.

This third installment, instead, will focus on the forty aristocratic families who hold a Senatorial seat reserved for the head-of-the-family (who styles himself or herself with the pater or mater familias monicker in ancient Thyatian fashion).

In the next and final part of this article, we will end up describing the Conscripti, Senators that have been permanently raised to the seat through their merits - among whom is the Emperor - and the ecclesiastical senators, priests, diviners, sages and prophets from all over the Empire.

2. PATRES (40)

Rutiliano Actavius (born 937, F7, N) is the uncle of Geraldan Actavius, Count of Actius. An old fighter who served in the infantry legions of Thyatis, Rutiliano never married, although he has two illegitimate daughters and four grandchildren. After his retirement the seat will pass to Heraclius Actavius, oldest son of Count Geraldan.

Rutiliano has a medium-sized villa in the outskirts of Thyatis City, close to the sea. He is attended by a young woman secretary, Alicia Termoli (born 975, Bard 4, NG), who leads a small but efficient staff of servants and a half-elf lawyer from Terentias, Cletian Swargas (born 966, T (Rake) 6, LG), his legal advisor for all matters concerning lawmaking and politics - both Alicia and Cletian live at Rutiliano’s villa most of the time.

Rutiliano is an intelligent, efficient and respected member of Gens Sergia, and his past as a military man makes him the ideal person to discuss and seek compromises between the Sergii and the Zendrolian faction. See also entry for Actius¹ for more information on the Actavius family.

Rufus Aenobarbus (born 940, F4, TN) has always been a strong supporter of Emperor Thincol. He was only a young military official during the Alphatian Spike Assault and fell in awe of the northman gladiator. Rufus is a towering man with a red beard and red hair (in classical Thyatian his name and surname literally translate to “Red Copperbeard”). He keeps his appearance 20 years younger thanks to potions of longevity.

Rufus has two sons, the elder, Domitius (born AC 972, F4, NE) is his attendant in the Senate and is going to be the next senator of the family. Rufus’s youngest son, Publius (born AC 976, F3, N), is a naval officer.

Tracin Aurelian (born 946, C2 (of Vanya), TN) is a bleak and cold man who thinks that everyone should bow to the Church of Thyatis. Moreover, he applies to the letter the Immortals’ word. Aurelius is a tall, gaunt man with a salt-and-pepper beard and a few grey locks on his head.

He and his wife Laurentia (born 951, C2, of Tarastia, LN), an unsmiling woman obsessed with duty, have two sons, Adrian (born 972, C7, of Vanya, TN), who is very much like his father, and Tracin (born 981, C1, of Tarastia, LG), a young apprentice priest and religion scholar with a much less grim view on life than that of his parents and older brother. The Aureliani are long-time clericalists, and many family members are priests or involved with religious matters.

Alessandro Colonna (born 942, F10, NG) is a tired, middle-aged man who seldom attends the Senate. Once he was an important military officer and senator, but he has turned inwards and is now mostly concerned with his own family and little else. His wife Alexia (950 - 986) died giving birth to his younger daughter Paola (born AC 986, NW, NG), whom Alessandro considers the solace of his old years.

Alessandro’s older son Andreas (971-998) died falling from a horse during military service in the Hinterlands. Alessandro’s heir is now Gabriele (born 975, W2, LG), his second son, a sickly young man and apprentice wizard, though his studies are slowed by his health issues. The third son Bartolomeo (born 977, F6, TN) is an adventurer and mercenary.

Kymon Cubitius (born 951, NM, TN) is a skilled politician, an old and staunch supporter of Thincol. He is the Praetor Urbanus, and has held this position continuously since 991. As Praetor, Kymon is not the most efficient of men: in typical Thyatian fashion, he weighs almost all important cases according to their political outcome. Moreover, he is mostly disinterested, as an aristocrat and a political “big player”, to the plight of common citizens. Kymon is a tall, slightly overweight middle-aged man with sparse grey hair, intelligent, dark eyes, a short-trimmed beard and a beautiful, warm, baritone voice. He married very early to Elena Porpora, distantly related to Senator Silenus, and they have four adult children.

The Di Francesco are the last family to enter the forty, and hail from Kerendas.

Gabronius di Francesco (born 968, F2, NG) is an expert lawyer. A calm and polite man with a slight stutter, he is not particularly vocal in the Senate, but is known as an intelligent and skilled jurist, committed to the ideals of the Aemilii.

Gabronius was only 16 years old when he married with Alexandra Ditullio, then 14, a marriage planned by their parents. Andros Ditullio, Alexandra’s father and a member of the landed gentry of Kerendas, faked his own death before he was convicted for treason as he had embezzled money belonging to the Crown, with the help of Gabronius’s father Esculapio (940 - 997). To increase the chances of the family fortunes being saved, Alexandra was married to Gabronius, and the Crown didn’t strip the Ditullio family of all their possessions, as it would have been likely otherwise.

Gabronius and Alexandra are, luckily, very fond of each other, although the presence of the ‘dead’ Andros, who is living under an assumed name in Selenica, and comes once in a while to visit his daughter, wife and grandson, is considered by Gabronius a black spot on his otherwise immaculate life.

The Docerii are a noble family that moved to the Isle of Dawn many centuries ago, having elected their residence in Redstone.

Lucius Docerius (born 932, F11, CG) is a retired adventurer who has married a former adventuring companion, Althea Penhaligon (born 939, T11, CG), a member of a lesser branch of the noble Penhaligon family. Lucius is utterly disinterested in politics, although he votes with the Sergii, mostly because of family tradition and out of personal dislike for most other families and parties, from the emperor’s cronies to the republicans. Lucius tends to spend the winter in Thyatis and the summers hunting and fishing in Redstone, where he is a popular, respected figure.

His oldest son Lupus (born 974, F15, CG) is a mighty fighter and adventurer, well-renowned beyond the boundaries of the Thyatian Empire.

Lucius also has two daughters, Lyanna, an adventuress (born 976, W8, CN) and Helena (born 982, NW, NG).

Lucius’s niece Periandra is the elected Senator for West Portage (see dominion entry for West Portage²).

Varos Dominikon is the First Aide to Jarandros Monikar³, the Empire’s Ambassador to Alfheim. A corrupt Senator, Varos has forged a network of contacts in Alfheim with the goal of taking over the monopoly of commerce between Alfheim and the Empire. He is almost never seen in Thyatis.

The Evergetes family is among the ruling families of the Shadow Hand, and Maria (born 949, T11, NE) is one of its most prominent figures, and at the same time a strong supporter of the Emperor. Maria is also an Imperial Aedilis, something that allows her a special chance of using her contacts and the Shadow Hand’s companies for public work, making it especially easy for her to bribe on account of the Shadow Hand and to favour the Shadow Hand’s illegal activities.

10) Fabius, Quintus. Gens Aemilia. Praetor of the Southern Isle of Dawn.

The Fabius family is one of the most ancient and renowned families of the Empire - as well as one of the largest. They have several branches spread all over the Empire, from wealthy horse breeders in Kerendas to renowned jewellers in Biazzan, from landowners in Tel Akbir and Ochalea to shipping company owners on the Pearl Islands and in Westrourke.

Quintus Fabius (born 968, F8, TN), the family’s Senator, inherited his seat from his father Maximilian (940 - 990), who died fighting the Alphatians in one of the many petty skirmishes on the Isle of Dawn. Born at Finnegar’s Watch while Maximilian was commander there, Quintus grew up surrounded by soldiers and has followed his father’s footsteps. He is almost never in the Senate, working as an army General and a Praetor on the Southern Isle of Dawn. Quintus has sound relationships with Count Furmenglaive, Uthgaard McRhomaag and Scott Minnear. He is yet unmarried, but has recognized one son, Maximilian Jr (born 998), that he had during a short relationship with Feadyne Furmenglaive (born 976, F3), a military engineer related to Count Furmenglaive.

Goron Ordekis (born 928, F3, TN) is the current Senator of the aristocratic Ordekis family. A supporter of the Emperor and former Ambassador, the old Goron and his wife Clelia (born 934, NW, TN) have two sons: Tiberius, (born 952, F14, LG), Goron’s heir, currently a General, married with two boys; Androclian (born 954, NM, TN) who has spent most of his time working in the family possessions on the Thyatian Mainland, married with one daughter; Goron and Clelia also have one daughter: Ekatherine (born 958, T(Rake) 2, NG), who married a diplomat, Calpurnius Pisces (950 - 990), and then ran from home with her two daughters and her son, seeking refuge by Goron claiming that the man beat her and their children. Goron Ordekis refused to bring the man over to authorities, but had him discreetly removed from office and then killed by adventurers.

Goron’s brother Gabronius Ordekis died quite young in sickbed. Gabronius’s son, Lord Decimus Ordekis⁵ (born 953) is the Ambassador to the Minrothad Guilds and a former Captain of the Thyatian Legions and former aide to the Ambassador in Alfheim, Jarandros Monikar. Decimus has little time for his private life, and he is not married. However, during his time in Alfheim he had an affair with an elven lady, who gave him a daughter, Livia (born 987).

Valerius Hyraksos (born 940, NM, NE) holds the seat of this wealthy family from Machetos. The Hyraksos were more or less the only ones in Machetos to profit from Stefan Karameikos’s selling of his homeland to Emperor Thincol in change for Traladara. They are fierce supporters of Thincol, and at the same time are trying to keep the relations between Karameikos and Thyatis as smooth as possible. The Hyraksos family is despised in Machetos by most of the commoners, and the late Lucine Hyraksos, father of Valerius, was a personal enemy of Duke Callastian Jowdynites.

Valerius is a smooth-talking, smiling man who cares for nothing but his family’s wealth. He is not politically ambitious, and sees his position in the Senate only as a way to further his family’s interests. Valerius is married to Klara Kone, member of a rich and influential Biazzan family. They have four daughters, all married to wealthy, powerful and noble husbands all over the Empire and Karameikos. However, Valerius doesn’t think any of them is suited to rule over the family, so he is thinking to make his brother heir by asking the dutiful daughters to renounce their hereditary claims.

His brother Constans (born 944, T11, NE) has acted as his right hand all along, taking especially care to deal with all the more fishy aspects of power: from corruption to murders. When he was younger he was an adventurer and this toughened him enough to make him able to deal with some of the worst stuff himself - he is the most reliable killer in the service of his older brother. Constans is married to Evangelina Colonna (born 950, T1, TN), member of a lesser branch of the aristocratic family. They have two sons: Thincol Hyraksos (born 973, F3, LN), who is quite different from his father and is learning politics and fighting in Karameikos; and Stefan Hyraksos (born 976, T3, NE), who on the other hand is too similar to his father. Stefan’s most burning desire is to build himself a dominion somewhere in Karameikos or on the outskirts of the Empire. If this fails, he has a plan B: wait for Valerius to bestow the senatorial seat to his father and then find a way to inherit it himself - after all, he thinks his brother Thincol will not be too interested in it and will make way for him.

Valerius’s cousin Lucius (born 940, F11, LN) was Duke Stefan’s preceptor and left Thyatis with him to become Minister of War, a position he has held for 25 years now. Lucius is married to Katarina, a famous Traladaran singer and entertainer, now retired.

Stephanos Kendasius (born 966, F2, TN) is first cousin of Countess Julia of Kendach (see dominion entry for Kendach⁶). Their grandfather Maximus (900 - 976) separated the senatorial seat of the family from the dominion seat, abdicating the title of Count in favour of his older son Alexius (926 - 985) but relinquishing the senatorial seat in favour of his younger son Paulus (936, F3, TN), who passed the seat to Stephanos in 997.

Stephanos’ younger sister, Martina, married Ursus Allatrian. Their daughter Galatia (born 979, M2, NG) is lady-in-waiting to Asteriela Torion, and currently lives with her in Sundsvall, the capital of the Alphatian Empire (see also dominion entry for the Duchy of Thyatis⁷).

Youngest brother to Maldinius Kerendas, Malderius (born 976, F9, TN) holds the family’s senatorial seat. He is completely in awe of his oldest surviving brother, whose limits he greatly underestimates. Malderius is tall, blond, with blue eyes and a short, blonde-red beard, and is an extremely handsome man, although not a womanizer like his brother. In fact, Malderius has fallen in love desperately with Iliana McRhoomag, the aristocratic representative of the McRhoomag family (see below). See also dominion entry for Kerendas⁸ for more information on the family.

16) Korrigan, Georgos. Gens Zendrolian. Quaestor of the Duchy of Thyatis.

A supporter of Eusebius, Georgos Korrigan (born 945, T7, TN) is the corrupt Quaestor of the Duchy of Thyatis. Among the richest aristocrats in the Empire (the Korrigans are powerful landowners in the Duchy of Thyatis and Retebius), Georgos keeps a foot in every possible shoe, from the Shadow Hand to the Aurelii, providing lavishing funds to the Church of Thyatis to pass himself off as a pious man devoted to the Immortals, only to boost his image. However his best bet is on Eusebius: he thinks the Emperor’s heir will sooner or later dispose of his father Thincol, and wants to be on the safe side when that happens.

Darian Cornelius Lentulus (born 964, F12, LN) is the political heir of the ideals of the revolutionary republican Luscinia and the leader of the Republican Party, just like his father before him. They were not stripped of the senatorial title because they took no part in the Conjuratio Lusciniae, judging it immature and destined to doom, something that was proved right beyond doubt (nobody in the Republican Party doubts that - also because those few who originally did were eliminated one after the other, although it is not commonly known, and Darian himself doesn’t know about it).

Darian truly believes that a federal Republic would be the best way to rule the Thyatian Empire, but knows that the Emperor and the Senate are too strong, and have too much popular support, to be attacked. At the moment, the only way is day-to-day fight in the Senate, as a way to increase the Republicans’ visibility (and popularity) among the people. Darian has adventured often, and sometimes still does, generally to raise funds or to gain popularity through grand, generous (and dangerous) quests.

Many consider Julian Lucinius (born 969, T2, NE) the quintessence of Gens Sergia: he is renowned for his uncertainty in taking any position in the Senate, and is almost completely dependent on some of his more determined colleagues for his decisions in the Senate. His is one of the most ancient families in the Senate, but his family has slowly gone into decadence both from a moral and an economical standpoint.

Julian’s father Euripides (938 - 984) died pennyless of syphilis. By then, Euripides’s long-estranged wife Tallia (948 - 989?), a member of the disgraced Lentulus family, had already left the household for Glantri, where she disappeared in 989, apparently during a deer hunt in Belcadiz. The Lucinius seat passed temporarily to Ascan Lucinius (958 - 996), who should have held it until Julian became 21. A distant relative, Ascan tried in every legal (and not, like corruption and bribes to functionaries) way to get permanently the seat for himself, but only got himself arrested and ended his days in the jails of the capital. Thus, Julian took the seat in 990, and has not distinguished much himself in the Senate since - moreover, Julian’s personal history does not raise much pity from the cold-hearted politicians in there.

Julian hates most of the more aristocratic and snobbish Senators and is actually faking at least part of his ineptitude, in the meantime trying to build a personal web of informants in order to harm some of the people he dislikes the most, like Aemilia Scaurus, Archduke Derentarius, Duke Maldinius Kerendas, Duke Leonidas Ruggiero and Duke Callastian Retebius. In this respect, he has attracted the attention of the shrewd Angelarian Canolocarius, who is wondering how he can use the man to further his own goals.

Aemilius Lycandronion (born 947, C3 (of Khoronus), LN) is a very formal person - honest and reliable, but a bit of a bore because of his very technical view of politics. Occasionally annoying even to his fellow Aurelii, he has proven useful to their cause because of his expertise and dedication. He is a more than irreprensible Censor, a position he has already held successfully twice before.

His wife Cecilia Patrizio (born 960, NW, TN) is the younger sister of Senator Marco Patrizio (see below). Their oldest daughter Aemiliana (born 985, W1, TN) has started to study magic. Aemilius and Cecilia also have two boys, Damian (born 988) and Gavin (born 991).

Aemilius’s younger brother Plinius (born 950, F1) is married to Devota Palikratidius (born 960, NW), a skilled lutist and cousin of Commander Thyarius. Plinius has written several tragedies and comedies, with mixed-to-positive critical and public reactions. His comedic works show a humorous and humane, low-key approach to religion, while his tragedies attack the nihilist stances of Thyatian society, from corruption to party zealotness. Devota and Plinius have also written several songs together, some for Plinius’ comedies, that have become firm staples of Thyatian folksingers all over the inns of the Empire - some, like “The dwarf who thought he was a cat” and “Hattian Soldier, Glantrian Spy” are among the most popular novelties of the last five years all over the Known World.

In 964, after the death of Aemilius’s mother, Aemilius’s father Lepidus (924 - 980) married a Nuari woman, Tabitha Mensah (939), who had already a young son by her previous husband. Lepidus gladly adopted the child as his own, and he grew up as Harantius Lycandronion (born 960, F23, LG). Harantius has held the position of General Governor of Redstone for the last ten years.

Lepidus and Tabitha had two other children, the mountaineer, skier and explorer Mitasula (born 966, T(Rake) 6, LG), and the accomplished singer and lutist Polibius (born 970, Bard 3, NG). Harantius and Aemilius are quite fond of each other, being very much Lepidus’ sons, and they actually have more in common than Harantius and his true half-siblings.

The McRhomaags are barons of Caerdwicca (see dominion entry for Caerdwicca⁹ for more information about the family). The senatorial title is traditionally given by appointment of the current baron to a member of the family, so changes in holding this seat are more frequent than what is usual among other families. Iliana (born 979, T1/F1, NG) has been recently appointed as the new senator of the family, and is enjoying her new life in Thyatis, although she misses her half-witted, humorous family, uncle and the Isle of Dawn seas and marine landscapes.

Severin Valerius Metellus (born 943, F9, LN) is a strong-willed man from an ancient family of the northern mountains of Kantrium. He is married to Eliana Ghellariar (born 955, T6, NG), a former adventuress and sister to the wizard Marcus Publicola Ghellariar (born 956, W9, LG). In the last years, Severin has turned inward and is less and less interested in the Senate’s activities. He is one of the least seen of the aristocratic Senators, and everyone in Thyatis considers his political career dead. In fact, he’s started showing symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, but refuses to admit it even to himself, something that might be of dire consequences to his physical and mental health.

Severin and Eliana have three sons: Lucius (born 976, F6, LN) and Damian (born 977, F5, NG), both adventurers in Karameikos with the assumed names of “Jacob Boar” and “Harold Boar”; and Quintus (born 978, NM, LN), who is the heir since the resignation of senatorial rights by his older brothers. All three sons are a disappointment to their parents (well, at least to their father): Lucius and Damian for choosing the adventurer’s life, and Quintus because he left the family and went to live in the capital to become a scholar as soon as he turned eighteen.

The Murco family is very old, having been mentioned historically in the City of Thyatis well-before the establishment of the Empire. Mostly disinterested in politics, Traianos (born 934, W2, CN) is a scholar with many interests and only occasionally shows up at the Senate, generally when his relations in Gens Aemilia push for him to attend to especially close or important votings. Traianos became Senator after the childless death of his older brother Quintus (925 - 994), formerly a General on the Isle of Dawn.

Traianos’s older son and heir Postumio (born 966, W4, CN) is a snobbish and effeminate aristocrat who shares his father’s disinterest in politics. The younger Alexandra (born 970, F6, LG) and Stephania (born 973, T(Rake) 6, LN), both adventurers working together and living in Karameikos, have more in common with their energetic mother Ignitia Saragat (born 950), a red-headed woman from the petty nobility of Carytion, forcibly wed to the unloving Traianos when she was only 15 years old. One of the reasons might be that neither of the daughters are children of Traianos, but of Ignitia’s long-time lover Quintus - yes, her husband’s brother - although they don’t know it - yet.

Moreover, Quintus had an illegitimate, unrecognized son, Gabronius Gordon (born 977, T3, NE), from a Dunael woman. Gabronius is a member of the Thieves’ Guild of West Portage. He knows that his father is Quintus Murco, and is working with the Guild to forge some papers to show that Quintus and his recently deceased mother Leona were married, in order to claim the Senatorial seat (and the rich inheritance) of Quintus Murco for the Guild - with a healthy profit for himself too. Now that Leona is dead and Gabronius has come of age, it is almost time to reap the harvest of their misdeeds.

Marco Orsini (born 968, F8, NG) is the son of Sergio Orsini, an aristocrat-turned-Populares as a means to try to restore a prominence of his ancient family in the Senate. Sergius resigned in favour of his son a few years ago after an apoplectic attack.

Marco is not too tall, thin, with amber eyes and sparse light brown hair striped with gray, and a beautiful, aristocratic-Thyatian face.

Marco is married to Blanca Bernini (born 974), the daughter of a former Populares senator, and has one son, Paolo (born 994), and two daughters, Marcia (born 995) and Gabriella (born 998).

Aper (born 936, F7, TN) is the head of the Octavian family, a Kerendan family who is traditionally aligned with Gens Sergia. Aper has completed the whole cursus honorum, having been twice Censor and Consul, and several times Quaestor, Praetor and Aedilis, leaving a positive and honorable mark on his life as a Senator, although his most fond memories are those of fighting with Thincol during the Spike Assault counterattack, something that improved his odds in the political career. He loves dearly his many sons and daughters, and misses sorely his dead wife Nemea (944 - 992), who died of cancer a few years ago.

His older son and heir, Aiace (born 968, F15, LN) is a General of the Thyatian legions.

Aiace’s cousin Hector (born 974, C11 (of Tarastia), AL TN), recently became, at 25, the youngest ambassador of Thyatis, to the Kingdom of Ierendi (999).

An aristocratic wizard, Silvia (born 971, W6, NG) is the eldest daughter of Commandant Thyarius Palykratidius (born 950, C23, of Vanya, LN), who resigned from his family seat early in his career.

Thyarius is the head of West Reach, the officers’ training school in Kerendas. He is stern, short-spoken, intolerant of mistakes, enraged by backtalk. He is cold but loyal to Thyatis, well-beloved of his men, and the preserver of grand traditions in Kerendas.

Thyarius’s younger brother Mauritius (born 954, W9, LN) held the position for many years, before taking Silvia as apprentice, then as her personal aide as soon as she came of age, and then passing her the seat two years ago. Mauritius has been elevated to the seat of meritory Senator himself. He is not as stern as his brother, probably because of his personal strife to reconcile his (secret) homosexuality with his public persona.

Mauritius married late to much younger Diana Delectibus (born 972, NW, NG), whom he considers a friend and loves like a father. They have a little boy, Thyarius (born 993) and a little girl, Mauritia (born 996). Diana has become aware of her husband’s sexuality, and is disconcerted and confused. She didn’t marry Mauritius for love, but because of aristocratic family arrangements, and was relieved to find Mauritius a discreet, gentle and caring husband, who did not force himself on her. When she learned of Mauritius’s homosexuality, she reacted with rage, feeling cheated, but now she has settled more in the situation, also understanding that Mauritius is a gentle man who really cares for her and for their children.

Silvia is a scholar and researcher who votes according to the desires of her father, of whom she is incredibly fond of, up to the point that she only sees his good sides and never the bad ones, and is only mildly interested in politics.

Silvia is married to a commoner adventurer, Jurgen Neuenberg (born 966, F9, LG), politically a very moderate Hattian nationalist sympathetic to Gentes Aurelia and Zendrolian, practically seldom at home as he wanders a lot on the Isle of Dawn and in the Sea of Dread.

Jurgen is the brother of the Hattian philosopher Rudolf Neuenberg (born 967, F8, CG). A fierce enemy of the Storm Soldiers, Heldannic Knights (he was one from 988 until 992) and Pure Ones, he is famous for having written a succesful book, "How to become stupid," subtitled "About the stupidity of Hattians in general, and of Heldannic Knights in particular," for which he was prosecuted in absentia and sentenced to death in Heldann, and for which he earned the hate of most of Hattias. Rudolf has left his homeland to live in the Five Shires since 995, but still has good relationships with his family. As a scholar, Rudolf is interested in multiverse theories and is an expert in dark cults of Thyatis.

Marco Patrizio (born 958, C3 (of Vanya), TN) is a member of the lesser branch of the counts of Lucinius family. In recent times, his grandfather Vhakas Patrizio, the younger son of the first Count of Lucinius and of Alexandra Glantri, replaced Alexandra’s elder brother Canius Glantri among the 40 noble families, following the Conjuratio Lusciniae. He is thus a distant relative of Senator Appius Glantri.

Marco is married to Demetria Palykratidius (born 966, C2 (of Vanya), NG) the youngest cousin of Commandant Thyarius (and sister to Devota, the wife of Plinius Lycandronion, see above). Their son Mauro is ten years old.

Pater familias of the Pauli, Tiberius Paulus (born 942, F1, TN) is an expert and clever politician, and one of the leaders of the Aemilia family (see also dominion entry for Kerendas¹¹ for more information on Tiberius Paulus).

His son Kritias (born 976, F1, TN) served shortly in the army before becoming his aide.

Alexius Penhaligon (born 926, C7 (of Odin), LN) is the Senator for the Penhaligon family, of mixed Dunael/Thyatian ancestry. Though they came originally from Westrourke, they have now settled permanently in the Duchy of Machetos. Alexius was raised in Selenica, where his father was for several years the Thyatian Envoy in the city, and he continued to live there as a university student. He became then a priest of Odin and then a professor of religion at the University. He married Selene Vorbian and their first child was born in Selenica in 959, but she died in 969 and Alexius moved to Biazzan to take a professorship there, leaving his son in Selenica to be raised by private educators. Things went not well with him - Colin Julius Penhaligon broke all ties with his family and ended up an exile in Norwold (born 959, C11 (of Pearl), CE).

Alexius re-married another aristocrat, Aurelia Mactator (born 944, NW, NG), a cousin of the Archduke of Terentias, and they had two other children: Alexander Aghlin Penhaligon, a druid (born 972, D9, TN), and Alorian “Lorn” Penhaligon, his heir presumptive, an adventurer and scholar (born 979, W5, LG). Alexander and Lorn are experts in dark cults in Thyatis, and are friends of Rudolf Neuenberg (see above, entry for the Palykratidius aristocratic family).

An elderly man and a rich aristocrat directly descended from Thyatian Emperors, Silenus Porpora (born 937, NM, NG) is a small, wrinkled man, with a short-trimmed grey beard, and a clean-shaved head. The Porpora are powerful merchants and own many lands in the Imperial Territories, on Hattias and on the Isle of Dawn. They control a great chain of food industry, dealing from the production of grain and fruits and wine to shipping companies to bring raw wares and finished products to other parts of the Empire and neighbouring nations.

The Porpora are traditionally rivals of the Evergetes, and Silenus suspects that they must have some ties with the Shadow Hand, but he is careful around them since he is aware of the strong support (and the big financial backup) they provide to the Emperor’s faction. The family riches and his personal prestige have made him one of the most important senators of the Aemilii.

His heir is Caesar Porpora (born 962, NM, NG), who spends most of his time doing business in the Sea of Dread, and lives in a family castle on Hattias. Caesar despises the Storm Soldiers and considers himself an enemy of Count Oesterhaus. However, he knows of the Count’s power and relies mostly to indirect means to investigate and counteract the Count’s activities.

One of his most trusted men is Publius Cornelius Lentulus (born 964, F7/Werewolf 7, LN) second cousin to aristocratic Senator Darian. Lentulus, a long-time adventurer who contracted lycanthropy while living in Nouvelle Averoigne, is charged with the office of finding adventurers and conducting missions for Caesar, and is allowed free reign and a solid financial backing for his activities.

Of the other sons and daughters of Silenus, worthy of mention is Aurelia, engaged to Senator Kallistos Vorbian (see below).

The Prothemians are related to Empress Gabriela and the former Imperial family. Originally they were an aristocratic family from Tameronikas. An Alasiyan/Thyatian mixed family, they own pasture lands and farms in Biazzan and Tel Akbir.

Although the old father Massentius (born 915, T(Rake) 3, TN), still lives, he has resigned the seat in favour of his eldest son Nizam Prothemian (born 940, T6, TN). Nizam dislikes strongly his sister Olivia, the Archduchess of Karameikos, as she considers her in league with Archduke Stephan’s ‘independence’ move. He blames Thincol and his foolishness and corruption for the loss of undeveloped but rich Traladara, and is one of the most vigorous opponents of the Firestorm Archdukes of Westrourke and their separatist ambitions.

Nizam is married to the Tel Akbiran Zhora Karadja (born 950, NW, NG), and they have three daughters and one son.

Alexandros Retebius (born 973, F7, TN) is the younger brother of Callastian, and will keep the Senatorial seat as long as Callastian does not have a son or daughter that turns 21. Alexandros is jealous of Callastian’s fame, and feels he was not liked enough by his mother, who spent most of her time concentrating on his older brother. He pretends to be a loyal brother, but is just desperate to do something on a grand scale to prove the better of the two. He wouldn’t actually really harm his brother, but if he can’t do something big himself to show off, he would gladly put his brother through some mild public embarrassment to teach him some humility.

Lucius Sergius Scaevola (born 959, F11, NG) is an important senator of gens Sergia. A leading personality in the Senate, he was a well-respected naval officer and is a courageous fighter. He uses his personal reputation to refute the idea that the Sergii are cowards and cravens. He is more nationalistic than most of his fellow Sergii senators, and is very critical of the too-pacifist ones, as he doesn’t want his faction to be considered just the ethnic-Thyatian branch of the Philosophers. However, he is a far cry from a militarist or expansionist, and has been a vocal opponent of the Hinterlander invasion (‘strategically we have no need for the Hinterlands, and militarily we are already too thinly spread over the seas - we don’t need to fight an invasion war just to keep the military trained, do we?’).

Although his father Mucius (born 931, F9, NG) still lives, he has resigned in favour of Lucius a few years ago, to devote himself to his beloved olive trees in the family estates in the County of Lucinius.

Lucius is married to Anna Aenobarbus (born 971, T(Rake) 3, TN), a sculptress and second cousin to Rufus Aenobarbus, and they have two sons, Luscinius (born 996) and Valerius (born 997).

Lucius’s younger brother Ceras (born 964, F6, LG) is a military engineer and former army officer. He is married to the Helskiran of Alphatian/Ostlander mixed descent Kyria Grand (born 972, W3, NG) and they have one son, Iulius (born 998).

Lucius’s youngest uncle Publius (born 948, F9, LG), a formerly twice elected Senator, has two sons, Iulius (born 980, F3, LN), who is a young army officer in the Hinterlands, and Phileus (born 983, F1, CG), who entered the Thyatian Navy at 16.

The Scauri are one of the two branches of the original Gens Aemilia, the other being the Pauli.

Aemilia Scaurus (born 944, NW, TN) is one of the main taleswomen of her Gens, a skilled and expert woman with a strong personality, firmly rooted in traditional Thyatian values. Paradoxically, Aemilia shares many of the Thyatian prejudices against women - she thinks that the best women, and the only one suited to politics, must be very un-womanlike, and can only come from the aristocracy. She is contemptuous of most of the young upstart women in the Senate, and sneers at Thincol’s difficulties at raising properly his daughters Stephania and Asteriela. But, after all, he is just an upstart himself.

Aemilia was married to Patrizio Retebius (born 943 - 991?), uncle of the current duke, but they divorced several years ago, in 985, and Patrizio resumed adventuring (‘the foolish old mutton’) and ended his days as a prisoner of some minor khan in Ethengar. Unbeknown to her (and to anyone in the Retebius family), Patrizio had a daughter with a maidservant of the khan’s wife.

Their oldest daughter Leana Scaurus, a youth of 21, is Aemilia’s aide at the Senate, and the heir presumptive of the senatorial seat. Leana shares many of her mother’s political ideas and personal beliefs - with a few exceptions. She is more modern, has grown to like some of the ‘upstarts’ in the Senate, and is a good-looking, humorous woman who doesn’t think it is ‘bad’, after all, to ‘feel like a woman’. After her mother’s divorce, she gave up her father’s surname.

The Sirenides are a family of mixed human/sirine¹² blood from Actius. As a special mark of the fey blood running through the family, only about one child in ten in the family is a male. By a special decree of the Counts of Actius, ratified by the Senate a long time ago, the Sirenides family name is bestowed upon all offspring of a Sirenides daughter, although the child is entitled to renounce to the name and take the father’s if he/she so desires upon reaching adulthood.

Janine Sirenides (born 957, C10 (of Calitha), CG) is the current Senator. She has been in charge since her father Corbus (930 - 988?) disappeared on a trip to Ierendi.

Janine’s mother Paiza (936, T4, CG) was completely broken by Corbus’s disappearance and has mourned him ever since.

Janine is married to Ultimus Actavius (born 955, C10 (of Calitha), NG), a cousin of Count Geraldan. They met while studying the faith of Calitha Starbrow and adventured quite some time together. They have three daughters. The oldest, Teodora (born 980, T(Rake)1, NG) is heiress to the senatorial title.

An Ochalean scholar, Teng Lee-Dai is a distant relative of the Archduke. See dominion entry for Ochalea¹³.

The current Urbania family has much Darokinian blood, as they are a minor branch of the family who moved to Darokin several centuries ago.

Albert Urbania (born 942, NM, TN) is the current Senator. He lived in Selenica until he was 21, when he was invited by the Thyatian Senate to take his rightful position as heir to the Urbania seat.

Most of his family still lives in Selenica, where they have strong ties to the Hallonica Merchant House. Their allegiance to the interests of Thyatis and Gens Sergia is at best questionable, and Albert’s son Alanus (born 967, T7, CG), a skilled adventurer and thief, is the first member of the family to have been born in Thyatis since the 6th century.

Karl von Hendriks (born 950, F9, LN) is a honest man and a loyal supporter of the Empire. He dislikes the racist excesses of the Storm Soldiers, and being only a moderate nationalist, he has taken a liking to Hugin Kahlweiß (see entry for Hattias¹⁴).

Karl’s heir presumptive is his second son Frederik (born 974, F4, LN), a good fighter and soldier. Karl’s first son Erich (born 970) disappeared a few years ago while on a mission in Davania on a Heldannic Warbird.

Karl’s cousin Ludwig (born 951, F11, CE) is the infamous Baron of the Black Eagle in Karameikos; Donna (born 953, NW, TN) sister of Ludwig, remained in Hattias with the rest of her family when he moved west. She married a distant cousin from a minor branch of the family, Ocastar von Hendriks (943 - 974). A wealthy landowner in Hattias, Ocastar, nicknamed “the Mighty”, was a reckless man who spent most of his time adventuring and hunting, leaving the administration of the land to his late father’s staff. Harald died only 28 years old during a monster hunt in Halathias. Their only child is Anna (born 972, C7, LN), who joined the Heldannic Knights when she was 18 years old.

Donna re-married to Gustav von Moltke (952+996?), another reckless Hattian nobleman and knight, who disappeared on the Isle of Dawn while searching for an ancient family treasure, the Opal Sword, lost several centuries ago by one of his ancestors. Gustav and Donna had two children: Heinrich (born 976, F7, LN), a moderate Storm Soldier, and Ludwig (born 977, F3, TN) who recently joined the Speculatores (military explorers)¹⁵ on the Isle of Dawn. Ludwig has vowed to one day recover the Opal Sword and solve the mystery of his father’s disappearance.

Ludwig and Donna’s mother, Bretonia Korrigan, and Stefan Karameikos’s mother, Amanda Korrigan, were sisters. Their brother Octavius Korrigan was the father of Alexius Korrigan¹⁶.

Kallistos Vorbian (born 970, C7 (of Tarastia), TN) is a silent and pondering man, who inherited his seat a few years ago when his father Cato (born 943, F3, N) was crippled during a boar hunt and preferred to stay thereafter away from the city and in their family stronghold of Hillfork.

Kallistos has recently been appointed Quaestor of the Mainland Islands. A committed officer, he thinks that justice must be reached at any means, and law is something that has to provide a field game on which any dirty trick can be used - if the end is truth and the trickster is personally honest.

Kallistos is a personal friend of Caesar Porpora and has found it very easy to get along with Archduke Derentarius, the Praetor of the Mainland Islands. Kallistos spends most of his time between Actius and Hattias. Kallistos is engaged to Caesar’s sister Aurelia Porpora (born 974, T(Rake) 3, CG), a beautiful red-headed woman of 26.

Aurelia loves very much her fiance, although she is a much more playful and life-loving person. She has a great love for the Nuari culture and has learned the language through study and many trips to the islands. All in all they make for a lovable couple and are favourites of the gossip hunters, something that she delights in because it gives her the chance to take great pleasure in confusing her stubborn and stern Kallistos in public. The simple mention of the “Puar bikini incident of a couple of years ago” is a sure way to embarrass Kallistos at a mundane occasion.

Kallistos loves too much Aurelia to be mad at her for her personality - he loves her so much because she is so naive, spontaneous and different from him. Moreover, Kallistos has, to his great surprise, noted that Aurelia’s antics are actually making them (and him, as a consequence) more popular and respected in the public eye of all but the most traditionalist and narrow-minded conservatives. Kallistos’s only problem is that many of them pack up the lines of his own Gens Aurelia, and he is afraid that some old bore of the Gens might ask him to break the engagement for politics’ sake.

Ran-Wen Zenobius (born 964, F3, LN) descends from a Nicostenian family on his father’s side. The Al-Zabbah clan favored the Thyatians over the Alasiyan desert tribes and had been instrumental in the occupation of Tameronikas. By the time of the campaigns of Suleiman Al Kalim, the now fully Thyatianized Zenobii were forced to relinquish their Nicostenian holdings, but they still own large tracts of land in Tel Abkir. They have held a senatorial seat for more than a century.

Ran-Wen’s father, a military tribune posted to the Beitung military base, married a noblewoman of the Ochalean Chong family. Ran-Wen is not married, and his heir is his cousin Aemilius (born 973, F4, LN), who in turn has a son, Pertinax, who is 7 years old.

1 In issue #3 of Threshold magazine, page 217.

2 In issue #4 of Threshold magazine, page 205.

3 For more information on Jarandros Monikar and Varos Dominikon, see also “Jarandros Monikar” by Giampaolo Agosta, http ://pandius .com /jmonikar .html.

4 In issue #3 of Threshold magazine, page 222.

6 In issue #3 of Threshold magazine, page 230.

7 In issue #4 of Threshold magazine, page 202.

8 In issue #3 of Threshold magazine, page 231.

9 In issue #3 of Threshold magazine, page 220.

10 In issue #3 of Threshold magazine, page 225.

11 In issue #3 of Threshold magazine, page 231

12 Sirines are aquatic feys described in AD&D 2E Monstrous Manual (p.314) and in D&D 3.5 Monster Manual II (p.185). Offspring of humans and sirines are always female. The Sirenides family has to be considered fully human in game terms.

13 In issue #4 of Threshold magazine, page 191.

14 In issue #3 of Threshold magazine, page 225.

15 More informations on the Speculatores can be found in Threshold Issue #3, page 214.

16 See Gaz 1, “The Grand Duchy of Karameikos”, for more informations on Alexius Korrigan.