Andaris is a house that has always held power and a fairly large citizenry. Because of this, they're often a forefront for trade, sometimes acting as a middle man and other times trading luxury goods back and forth between themselves and other houses. This fact has led them to possess two separate Merchant Houses
House Ettrick
House Ettrick for an increasingly long time has seemingly deal completely in the trade of luxury items, always raised on luxury items themselves with deep coffers to splurge or offer up to House Andaris during times of need per their duty. They're one of the older families and are rather proud of how they ended up getting picked. If you've ever interacted with an Ettrick merchant it's likely a story you've already heard. Multiple times. In spite of that fact, it's a story that's seemingly always changing. It always has a general theme though. Andaris stumbling across a member of the house and picking them for their outstanding tastes. What this includes usually changes teller to teller. Sometimes it's about their outstanding pallet when it comes to discerning wines. Other times it's about how the house is excellent at telling the qualities of silk from touch and occasionally sigh alone. What few tend to realize is the fact that this is a code of sorts. Each teller of the story picks what they decide to focus on as a way of quietly boasting their own specialties. Those who are able to pick up on this seemingly minuscule detail and figure out what it means are usually privy to better deals and a prideful smirk. Though it's a puzzle that few ever solve, fewer would inform others about. There's a reason for this seemingly endless pride though as House Ettrick was originally picked for their skills with luxury goods. The original story might go a little differently, but that's of little bother when the entire house seems to specialize in a singular good and they do their work outstandingly. Specialization, however, doesn't mean their skills with other goods are any less wonderful.
There is one occasion in which House Ettrick does not deal with luxury goods and this is a very special kind of agreement. For the benefit of the Academy, House Ettrick does a fair deal of trading with House Rowan for new ideas and materials such as books in order to keep the Academy supplied. This deal has mutual benefit as Andaris receives an influx if thinkers and new information and Gawyne is able to import luxury goods that it wouldn't be able to get from a deal with Venora due to a lower desire for things like information. Similarly, Krome is another large trade partner. In exchange for various goods found to be inaccessible to House Ward, they ship off a good amount of furs and leathers which can be used to manufacture more luxury goods.
One might assume looking at such a family that they're pompous inside and out, even in regards to their own family. This assumption would be absolutely correct! It's a general consensus among the family that each member must be good at what they do, and even if they aren't quite as extreme as the Thorns it's the general assumption that every child and grandchild will join the family and become a merchant. Distant relatives might be spared, but everyone in the main sights of the family is completely expected to help out the family, picking a good to specialize in and still acting outstandingly in the identification and trade of all others. They hold themselves to higher standards than most houses due to the fact they're the most spotlight oriented Merchant House of Andaris. While House Lark exists, their friend and ally isn't on the major trade scene as often, meaning that House Ettrick has to hold up a lot of slack that shouldn't exist with two houses. To their benefit, they do this proudly without complaint or even a bad word for their fellow house. If anything they seem to consider House Lark distant family and the two often have their children marry between.
Heads of House
Jovani Ettrick takes his job as head of house very seriously and is a wonderful case example of the close nature between House Ettrick and House Lark considering he married a Lark. Estelle Ettrick, on the other hand, is a perfect example of a Lark that somehow managed to get along well in the Ettrick family. Technically the oldest daughter of her old family's line, it was either going to be Estelle or her twin sister who ended up as heir. She never wished for power but she did wish for control, hence why her marriage to Jovani was a stroke of good luck for the woman. She doesn't have power over the Ettricks, but she does have a lot of control considering she's good at organizational things. To the credit of the pair, there was love in their marriage before they got married. They were already good friends, as expected of the two since they were both assumably the heirs of their respective family. When the two ended up eventually moving from best friends to secret lovers to eventually outed lovers thanks to Estelle's priorly mentioned twin, no one complained since Estelle had a twin and could easily be replaced if she was married off into House Ettrick.
Jovani is a rather skilled trader and if you ask him about his family he'll tell you a story about a man impressing the current leaders of Andaris with his excellent palate and eye for alcohol. He's an expert on the brewing process and outside of just wine, he has a sharp eye for any kind of alcoholic beverage. Scent alone is enough for him to indentify the proof of any alcoholic substance. On top of that, his excellent sense of smell has led him to various successes in the trade of perfumes and soaps. Estelle won't try to tell you any stories. She'll just laugh and say she was once a Lark, shaking her head ruefully and rolling her eyes at the idea of a story. Most assume this makes her less of a trader, but this simply isn't the case. If anything it gives her the ability to be far meaner than her husband can bear, picing things like cheap wines outrageously. Of course, this is reserved only for those who upset her and her family. Act respectfully and you'll get a wonderful deal. Act like a heathen and you'll get your pockets bled without the chance to say no.
Current PC Members
N/A
If you would like to apply in order to join a Merchant House please contact any other members of the house you're attempting to join as well as the heir of whatever Noble House the Merchant House belongs to.
House Lark
House Lark is a Merchant House that doesn't quite interact with other Merchant Houses often outside of their copartner of merchants for Andaris. No, instead they deal with more of the foreign affairs. The live entirely in those few areas that have ports and they take advantage of it. They aren't skilled sailors like with Hosue Seaton but they are still skilled traders and good at what they do. House Lark takes a portion of the luxury goods offered to them and sends them out into work. Not quite with the same force as Venora or the same monopoly as Endor, but they do enough to keep themselves in the green and earn praises from the Nobles House that rules them. The true benefit of House Lark isn't quite what they send out though. It's what they bring in. House Lark while not having the most power has what could be considered a true monopoly on the spice trade of Rynmere. No one is quite certain how they get it or how they get such good deals on it, but they're able to bring in more foreign spice than any other Merchant House, or Noble House for that matter. Which is amazing considering their house is fairly small and their foreseeable influence is also small. They stick to existing in small baronies and areas with port access which isn't very big, yet they bring in spices by the droves!
This is perhaps why their relationship with House Ettrick is so close. While House Ettrick tirelessly deals with the other Merchant Houses, House Lark brings them aces in the form of hot trade items. Spices. While Venora and Endor also have access to spice it's never in the same plethora as House Lark brings to stuff in, giving House Ettrick a major advantage in many trade deals. House Lark does however also keep a close relationship with the Venora merchants House Seaton. Often times they'll pay House Seaton to spare some sailors for the trips back and forth to get more spice. These sailors are often married into Lark and sworn to secrecy as to protect the source of their spices from the other houses. No Merchant House has yet discovered who or where the Larks are getting their spices from.
When it comes to family, House Lark has always maintained itself as something very small but very close. Presently there is only one head of a house and shes acts as the mother of the entire house. Matron and ruler, she's very gentle to her descendants but has raised them wise. Most members of the house turn to the idea of being merchants in order to help the house. Those that don't often become sailors or at least do something to financially aid their house, such as helping to run family businesses which provide funding for their trade exploits. Many, many children of House Lark marry members of House Seaton or other sailors in order to better exert control over their trade and get better deals on those spices by sending sailors and traders away. Of course, members of House Lark aren't as good at sea as a member of House Seaton or even your average sailor so they often stay at home or suffer the whole trip.
Heads of House
Myrna Lark is the younger twin sister of Estelle Lark by about 10 minutes. She always loved her sister dearly as a child but they were both well aware of the fact that she made a much better head of house. That was part of the reason why they made a deal for Myrna to out Estelle as having become the lover of Jovani. I not only got Estelle out of Lark and into Ettrick but it helped win Myrna extra favor which sealed the deal on her becoming leader of house. When it comes to how she leads, Myrna is a shadowy creature. Especially when compared to the leaders of other Merchant Houses. She guards the secrets of the house fiercely and without a husband, she rules entirely on her own. She has full power over House Lark and she uses that to hide the secrets of their trade. It's nothing dirty or rotten, we promise you. Valuable secrets just need to be protected.
The reason for Myrna's evidence lack of a partner is due to the fact when she was young she married a man 6 times her age. He was a lesser noble, a distant relative of Andaris and an ugly little thing. But he was a business owner and at the time had been the owner of a rival trade company. Myrna wouldn't stand for such a thing, so she seduced the man and married him. He took the deal knowing that one day it would allow him to be head of the house. Myrna got as many children out of him as she could stand and then just waited. The man died before either one ever began the head of house and she didn't even bother to remember his name. Immortals know his children haven't. Being a widower gave her even more power over having just never married. That isn't to say she hasn't had multiple lovers and she has quite a few ligitimized bastards she's brought into the family fold in order to fill the need for more help.
Current PC Members
N/A
If you would like to apply in order to join a Merchant House please contact any other members of the house you're attempting to join as well as the heir of whatever Noble House the Merchant House belongs to.
