Greenglade
House Greenglade: Lords of Vine and Shadow
In the twisted heart of the River Vo's meandering course stands the verdant stronghold of House Greenglade, where ancient jungle magic mingles with cutthroat commerce. Unlike their industrial rivals, the Greenglade nobles have forged a symbiotic bond with the primordial forests that clutch the riverbanks, their barges crafted from living wood that grows and adapts to the river's moods. Their flag bears an emerald serpent coiled around a golden coin - a fitting emblem for merchants who strike as swiftly as jungle vipers.
Deep in their territories, massive trees have been hollowed into warehouses and counting houses, their branches intertwined to form docks and walkways above the toxic waters. The Greenglade's finest vessels possess hulls threaded with bioluminescent fungi that guide them through the darkest reaches of the river, while their crews wear masks crafted from bark that allows them to breathe even the most noxious river-mists. Their leader, the enigmatic Matriarch Sylva, is said to commune with vengeful river spirits, bargaining with entities that lurk in the black depths.
House Greenglade maintains their power through an intricate network of favors and blackmail, collecting secrets as eagerly as gold. Their spies are everywhere - in the form of birds, fish, and even the very vines that creep across rival vessels. They excel at making problems "disappear" into the jungle's embrace, though they maintain a veneer of civilized business practices that keeps them in good standing with the River Lords. Captain Streak Haldar of the Golden Reed exemplifies their approach: charming, cunning, and utterly ruthless when opportunity presents.
The house's true strength lies in their mastery of river-based alchemy. Their botanists cultivate rare plants that grow nowhere else along the Vo, creating potions and poisons that fetch astronomical prices in Grizburg's black markets. These exotic substances range from truth serums to hallucinogens that induce prophetic visions, though the house's most lucrative formulas remain closely guarded secrets. Their research gardens are said to contain flowers that bloom in impossible colors and fruits that grant terrible wisdom to those brave or foolish enough to taste them.
To cross House Greenglade is to risk a fate worse than death - their vengeance often comes in the form of cursed cargos, tainted water supplies, or "accidents" that leave victims transformed by strange jungle magic. Yet they also reward loyalty handsomely, offering protection and prosperity to those who serve their interests. Their influence grows like kudzu along the River Vo, slow but inexorable, choking out those who stand in their way while nurturing allies beneath their verdant canopy.
Type
Guild, Merchant
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