nonaLivy History

seconLivy, Parent Branch of nonaLivy

The first branch split of the House of Livy occurred in the year GS 180, 40 years after the founding. This did not follow the rules later set down for branch splits. Instead, this was due to disputes between the youngest brother and the other two. Once there were enough males eligible for two councils and he had gained enough family prestige, the youngest brother persuaded the Council that an early branch split would allow them to evaluate the family branch system being proposed at the time. One reason the other brothers agreed was that forming a Board consisting of only the three brothers allowed them to regain control over the business. Their power had been diluted by the expansion of the original Council.
The two branches were named the First Branch, primLivy, and the Second Branch, seconLivy. The seconLivy grew their financial wealth and wisely kept a low-key presence in the Grand Society. Over the next few decades, primLivy and their offspring branches split, creating six more branches. The original brothers died and their power and responsibilities passed to their children, grandchildren, and so on.
The seconLivy Council kept their membership under the limits by settling and marrying out unsuitable heirs. But despite careful management, they finally expanded enough to mandate a branch split. Around the year GS 275, 135 years after the House of Livy founding, they created the Ninth Branch, the nonaLivy. With their increasing business wealth and support from nonaLivy, seconLivy possessed enough votes to keep their seat on the Board even after more branches were added.
After the Ninth Branch split, branch creation accelerated and with it, greater political maneuvering which often did not align with good business decisions — seconLivy found themselves often outvoted on business matters. Indiscreet business takeovers and open displays of wealth led to notice by the truly powerful of the Grand Society and in Ruartei. Governments, usually at the instigation of influential Houses and corporations, took steps to reduce or recover wealth from various House of Livy branches, using taxes, legal restrictions, and anything else they could arrange.
The Board appealed to Sancus for assistance. Sancus mitigated some actions, especially from business rivals who did not utilize (or paid much less than Livy for) Sancus services. But mostly, Sancus advised the Board to instruct their branches to avoid business conflict, pay taxes or bribes, and refrain from embarrassing the powerful and high status people in social situations.
Unfortunately, the leaders of primLivy disregarded this advice. Sancus and seconLivy watched with concern — expecting a pivotal incident — when an altercation with a greedy and highborn planetary governor resulted in the regrettable destruction of primLivy. The seconLivy branch leader stepped in and negotiated with Sancus for retribution, protection, and — more importantly — sovereignty for the House of Livy (and all its branches) on every member world of the Grand Society (along with key non-member worlds). At the same time, he implemented strict rules for all the branches regarding business dealings and social engagements — he contracted with Sancus to ensure that these rules were followed.
Most of the Livy Council members chaffed under these restrictions even as they realized the benefits. Some branches kept to the rules, but only just barely. Unsurprisingly, these branches’ businesses often became unprofitable, resulting in their disbanding. Other branches thrived and split. Time passed and only two of the oldest branches still existed — seconLivy and nonaLivy.
By this point, most of the branches still nursed their resentment of the Second Branch. They had conveniently forgotten how much seconLivy’s leadership had improved their branch and family businesses. And then, somehow, seconLivy’s businesses, wealth, and influence came to the attention of several of the Grand Houses — some of the more dangerous and vindictive ones.
The seconLivy branch leader quickly realized that members within the House of Livy were behind the Second Branch’s sudden notoriety. After some analysis and research, he determined that some other group was behind it and their intent was to destroy seconLivy. He knew he couldn’t prevent it, so he took steps to save as much of his family and branch members as possible. But he had only partway implemented his plans when disaster struck.
Several members of the Grand House of Amalrik, the ruling House of Tellurus, decided to acquire the seconLivy family business. They recognized that Sancus and the rest of the House of Livy would object to their acquisition of the branch business itself. So they secured an agreement with several of the more powerful branches — they would take the family business only and return the branch businesses to the other branches. A well-timed disaster killed nearly all the heirs of the Second Branch. As cousins of the Crown Princess of Tellurus, they used their power and connections to take the few remaining heirs under their “protection.” Soon after, marriage arrangements were announced — even the Crown Princess married one of the male heirs.
The Crown Princess and her cousins submitted claims to the Sancus Counsel of the Livy Board for the ownership of the seconLivy family business. They were surprised to learn that seconLivy had their own independent Sancus Counsel who informed them that any transfers would be according to the wills of the deceased seconLivy. And even more shocking, these wills bequeathed a significant amount of the Second Branch’s family business to heirs in the Ninth Branch.
Eventually, the Grand House of Raginvel resigned itself to the legal conditions in the wills and took control of the assets and fortune of the married heirs along with their inheritances as specified in the wills. Although these inheritances were large by even highborn standards, they did not receive as much as they expected.
In the meantime, the House of Livy Board ruled that the Second Branch should be dissolved since none of the surviving heirs were eligible for Council. The branch business was broken up and distributed among the branches represented by the Board members — seconLivy officially dissolved in GS 350, 170 years after its creation.

nonaLivy

Note: subject to change. Need to add the rest.