Introduction
At the heart of Dranian society and politics are the Five Families, dynasties that rule the city and its army together as oligarchs. For Dran's friends, rivals and enemies, who leads the families is matter of vital interest and in some cases it is a matter of war and peace. The oldest of the five is the Mondrias family, which traditionally has governed the great war councils of
Dran . In the past century it has been usurped by the powerful Varren family, whose lord, Sorias Varren is now the de facto ruler of Dran. This article explores the complex histories and politics of the families and the connections between them.
Mondrias
It Nurian Mondrias who founded Dran, using his cunning and brutality to crush the Hol Darah tribes that lived along the coast. Nurian Mondrias was effectively exiled from
Arc by Arc Empress Drassa Askar, who feared (with good reason) that Mondrias as her most assertive and headstrong general would stage a coup against her. Sending troublesome generals to distant outposts was a time honoured Arcish tradition but Drassa, in her naivety and inexperience made a fatal error. She exiled the general to the outpost of Dran which was outside the Vienyet (imperial district) of Arc itself but close enough that she could keep an eye on him. This succeeded only in creating a dangerous local rival not in removing from Mondrias all his power and influence. Nurian Mondrias was decisive, quick to anger and knowledgeable in building highly skilled armies and soldiers. He built Dran from being a small outpost to a deep water port and created Nurian's Rock, the home of Dran's armies for thousands of years to come. Mondrias left a more profound legacy behind him, however, and that was a set of maxims now known as the Mondrian Precepts. These rules not only governed the Mondrias family but have also shaped the approach of countless Dranian rulers to the business of war and diplomacy. Mondrias had ancient Vannic heritage, claiming that his line descended from the lost mountain fortress of Deuss Kaa, but he rejected much of the mysticism that came with this inheritance. Where the Vannic emperors claimed that they had been taught magic by the Graces and had learned the temporal powers of the dying Fey peoples, Mondrias firmly believed only in the material world and thought that change was only possible through 'Gold and Steel' (by which he meant commerce and war). The Mondrias family has upheld this as the first Mondrian Precept. The second is the precept of 'Blood and Wine', the set of beliefs that binded the Mondrias clan together. Mondrias believed that every dynasty was destined to fall eventually through its own mistakes and contradictions. The question of Blood and Wine, in his eyes, was a question of loyalty within the Mondrias family. It has been assumed that Mondrias was instinctively arguing that members of his clan should choose 'blood' (meaning kin) over 'wine' (meaning friendship), but he argued that a Mondrias could choose either, though they must choose wisely and to always choose loyalty. The third precept was the Cup and Sword, which addressed the question of mercy to ones enemies. Mondrias's ideas of honour were perverse at best, he argued that victory in battle gave the 'cup' to the victor, and their decision as to how to treat prisoners was nothing short of a divine right. Mondrias had little time for religion and resented the Aruhvian church's interventions in Dranian military affairs, but even he recognised that the indescriminate killing of prisoners would cause problems for Dran. He knew that turning his men into murderers would destroy his armies morale in the long run and create an implacable hatred of Dran amongst its enemies. For that reason, the precept of Cup and Sword was shrouded in ambguity and Dranian rulers have sought to avoid openly stating their true beliefs, arguing that mercy towards the defeated is a personal decision. This has created divisions between the houses and between Varren soldiers who favour mercy and those who put their defeated enemies to the sword.
The precepts are far from being the ony legacy of the Mondrias family, their fortified Korag (a citadel within the city) is one of the most imposing structures in the city, and from there the Mondrias family and their honour guard dominate at least half the city. Whilst the Mondrias family no longer rules the war councils of Dran, they make their presence felt across the city on high days and festivals distributing ale and cake to the poor (there are two categories of poor, the Tarrodine and Non-Tarrodine. The first category are those uban poor with a family member in military service who are able to claim a variety of benefits in kind. The latter are the poorest in Dran and are treated with nothing but scorn and contempt by Dran's citizens). The the ale and cake populism of the Mondrias family is effective in bolstering the family's declining political power, but does not compensate for the Varren family's capture and control of Dran's institutions.
Varren
The Varren Family is over a thousand years old and came to prominence during the collapse of the Arc Empire, its founder, Cavornus Varren was pivotal in bringing about the empire's collapse. He and a band of saboteurs from Dran known as the 'Hidden Hundreds' helped to isolate and starve out the Arcish expeditionary forces sent to dominate
Del'Marah . Cavornus Varren has never had the recognition that Nurian Mondrias had, even though he is an historical figure of equivalent importance and stature. Varren ensured that his dynasty lasted by making it a condition of every generation's inheritence that they secured the family name no matter what. This, and the legacy of the dynasty's founding father meant that countless generations of Varrens have been able to wield outsized political power comparative to the family's wealth. Unlike the Mondrias family, the Varrens have often entertained mysticism and esoteric knowledge and since the Sundering, numerous Seers have been born amongst them. Sorias Varren's belief in prophecy and the power of dreams and visions places him at odds with the rest of the lords of the families, who sometimes suspect that he has taken leave of his senses. Varren believes that his life will end within the coming decade and he has broken fundamentally with the ideas and beliefs not just of Nurian Mondrias but with the Dranian elite in general. Whereas other lords of Dran are dedicated to the future of Dran beyond the interests of one house or one clan, Varren believes that the futures of all Dranians must be subsumed to his interests; specifically his desire to cement his place in history. Sorias Varren believes it is his destiny to lead Dran to victory over Arc, over the lands to the east of the Arching Mountains and in doing so to end the cycle of Dranian history that began with Nurian Mondrias. Varren believes that the Great Eastern War that will come might result in the failure or even the destruction of Dran, and this is an outcome he is also prepared for. Varren believes that if his place in history is to lead Dran's armies to a glorious death, and the 'last gleaming of ten thousand swords' then it is a fate his is prepared to accept. Unlike the house Mondrias, the Varrens make little display of their power, instead they control the city far more covertly. The Varrens control the Marshal Courts (Dran's powerful legal institutions that were once the only meaningful check on the power of the Five Families), the merchants of the Iron Market (The main forum for recruiting mercenaries and the funds to finance armies) and the Brethren of the Sail (the fellowship of merchant sailors, captains and other mariners that operate from Dran's great harbour).
Greyll
The power and wealth of the Greyll family has always been based on an astute understanding of Dranian politics. Greylls are known as the 'cupbearers' as their lords anticipate the needs of the dominant family and ensure they are catered for. Every time a leading family has ascended to overall power, the Greylls have anticipated this and provided the means for their accession. Crucially though, Greylls themselves never attempt to seize power. The dynasty's most important thinker, Amanus Rydan-Greyll argued nearly 500 years ago, 'the throne is a prison', and rulers either have to fight constant battles to maintain their position or face overthrow. The Greyll family knows that power and security can be achieved through the timely switching of allegiences when one family's fortunes are in decline. At present, there is no indication that Sorias Varren and his clan face overthrow, and there seems to be no likely contender to replace the Varren clan. The lord of the Greylls, Prias Amaner Greyll, is fearful and suspicious of his children and sees them as a potential threat to him as he grows older. He has good reason to fear them, and the code of the Greyll family has fatally undermined his position. Prias has remained aloof from Sorias Varren's discussions about war in the east, hoping that these ambitions are really just a passing madness. Varren knows that the Greyll family are no threat to him and believes that instead, they can be used in order to support his vision of conquest. Varren has made a secret pact with Prias's eldest son and daughter Deprias and Oveya, offering them his support and Varren household troops to overthrow their father, on the understanding that they back his plans for war once they have seized control of the Greyll household.
Hauk
The Hauk family operates as a member of the Dranian war councils, but its extensive networks of agents and spies that span the Arclands and beyond make them a powerful presence within Dran and beyond. Hauks are used by the Mondrias and Varren clans for acts of brutality that most Dranians balk at. As the most prolific mercenaries on the council the Hauks are regularly used by the other families to carry out assassinations, coups and acts of terror far away from the confines of Dran itself, settling scores that most Dranians are completely unaware of. Sorias Varren treates the Hauk family and its twin rulers Vendas and his sister Oraya with immense caution and respect and never takes their loyalty for granted. Like the Greylls, the Hauks have no ambition to rule and instead offer themselves as king makers. The Hauks exempt their own household soldiers from fighting in Dran's armies and as a result they are forbidden by the Marshals of Nurian's Rock from setting foot there. The Haukes, who rose to prominence under the tutelage of the Varrens made secret deals exempting their soldiers from service, enabling them to commit their forces to Varren goals outside Dran. This exemption has caused deep resentment against the Hauk dynasty, a resentment that is rarely spoken on the streets of Dran due to the family's bloody reputation.
Evayn and Andrayne
The Evayn family has only been accepted into the Dranian councils of war in the past hundred years. Their presence as one of the elect families was meant to offer some kind of balance within the oligarchic rivalries between Mondrias and Varren families. When the Evayn fought and defeated General Tyas Marr of the Iron Army in the year 188, the first time Dranians had defeated an army from the lords of the mountain passes, Solander Mondrias seized the opportunity to create a new allied family who would serve at his behest and undermine Varren rule on the council. The result, as far as both the Mondrias and Varren families are concerned, has been little short of a disaster. The Evayn family has become the conscience of Dran for the past century, its leaders demanding an end to the Dranian slave trade. The Evayns have insisted that if Dran were to grant the slaves of Dran and its satellites their freedom and to give them land to cultivate, the only citizens who would be affected or inconvenienced would be the slave owners. Unfortunately, almost every major family member (excluding the Evayns) owns slaves. The Evayns have long been a target for the Varrens to eliminate and Sorias Varren has plans to purge the family in prelude to his war in the east. To this end, he has created a new clan to take their place, the Andraynes, distant cousins of the lady of the Evayne house, Tayre Ul-Evayne. Sensing that the house faces an existential danger, Allansr Evayn has sent his youngest son, Firrand, as an envoy to the court of
Del'Marah where he serves at the side of the new emperor.
Comments