Arterius

Within the City of Arterius, its foundations is based on the three controlling familes that live within it. The Holtzen, The Xu, and The Nari are the three controlling families of Arterius, maintaining its power and prestige for all to see. With all three, they have created a relatively crime free and prosperous city on the cusp of expansion!

Though that is not say that the families are in competition with each other in the shadows to have a leg up over the others. However with the constant tug of war between the families and the involvement of the mysterious leader of Arterius, all of the families are on the same level of power of each other and have been so intertwined with one another, one cannot survive without the other's resources.

The Holtzen Family is the family the militant Imperialistic family that is responsible for the City's police force. The Holtzen Family is a very much traditional Prussian style noble family and is one that should appeal to Knights and others of similar persuasion for there dedication to honor and martial service. Merit is incredibly important and even though the family is human, anyone can become honorary family members which are known as Junkers(June-kers). Though the title of Junker is the highest anyone outside of the family can get. Those of the family (which are many) have the title of Duke or Duchess. Family members who haven't reach adulthood have the title of Page until they reach adulthood in the family. Those outside of the family can achieve the rank of Squire, Knight, Paladin, and then Junker. Except for Squire, all titles come with the moniker of Sir or Ma'am. One achieves rank with service to the family and having some martial prowess, but exceptions can be made to those who show dedication and honor. Even though honor is important, some of the family wish to see Holtzen to be the dominate family and have the city be seat of an empire and thus operate behind the shadows to try and undermine the other families...without much success at this point in time.

The Holtzen produce Aether based weapons along with more standard weapons and arms and are the largest group that manufactures them. They are responsible for the protection of the city with large aether powered golem's known as "Iron Saints" who patrol the city day and night.

The Holtzen family is its Patriarch, Lord Enrst Holtzen IV, a man of great martial prowess and a man who has been able to deal with outland native incursion into the city for many decades ago. Lord Enrst is in the ending years of his time as the Patriarch of the family and his first born son Duke Wilhelm Holtzen III is heir apparent to the Holtzen title of Lord. However this firstborn Duke has many claimants to deal with as his own brothers and sisters eye for the throne as well...

The Xu family is a very large Kitsune family that is in charge and control of aether services and transportation. Thanks to the Xu, the infrastructure of the city is top notch, but the Xu have a majority stake. Even with this influence, Xu when it comes to the economy dominates within the city. The success is thanks to its founding and current Matriarch Mistress Xu Fang, a very curvaceous white haired 9-tail Kitsune woman even though motherly and caring on the outside, is keen, shrewd, and full of intrigue on the in the inside. She is responsible with Holtzen muscle in ending organize crime within the city, she is responsible in being able to stomp out mafia groups, cartels, prevented thieves guild and assassins guild from setting up within the city. For Mistress Xu fang, her schemes and plots run deep to the point that the Leader of the City has to keep a constant eye on her and her plenty of daughters.

The Xu family is a gynarchy/matriarchy within the family organization and those who have really close ties to the family. Xu Fang has only daughters who come from many consorts she had over the millennia. These kitsune's are true kitsune's having the ability to change themselves however they wish and gaining more and more power over the years as they gain more tails, but they gain tails every 100 years. The daughters are numerous and to the point that rumors have began to circulate that the Xu family allows incestous relationships between the daughters of Xu Fang. The Mistress doesn't comment on it, but finds it amusing. Though it does show that the Xu family is incredibly decadent, opting to just rest upon the hardwork of others or after finishing whatever project a daughter or the mother have done. The Xu family and its associates are the biggest supporters of using almost unfelter use of aether and constituting the usage of slaves and are responsible for it.

Though slavery within the Xu and its associates is voluntary and consenting, those who become as the Xu calls "Levies" become it willing for different reasons. Security or even as payment for an expensive and radical operation. An example, being for people who aren't in the right body and wish to transition into being a woman(only a woman) the Mistress is willing to gender change them so said person is right in both mind and body and become truly a woman, but in exchange they will serve the Xu till either the Mistress or her eldest daughter another 9-tails named Xu Jiang relief them of service. The bigger the service you wish, whatever that maybe, the heavier the price the Xu will ask, either through coin or service.

Mistress Fangs, likes to play with a full deck and that full deck stays close to her well endowed breast as she pulls the City from the shadows

As the Xu and Holtzen were advocates of using Aether without limits, The Nari on the other hand caution its use and at times, outright refusal of using the important resource of the city. The Nari have cornered the market on medication and in treating the effects of Aether poisoning and the creation of aether scrubbers. At the moment, most of the Nari aren't present within the city and are instead pursuing business adventure else where around the world. The one of significant importance within the city is Lady Avridite Fredica Nari, a woman of significant business talent and skill, able to maneuver around the politics of Arterius quiet well. Though she is in a bit of hot water for she is being treated as the "new kid on the block" by the other family's thanks to her recent ascension to being the head of the family. The other family's taking advantage of her green position to make moves, but she has been successful in weathering the storm and poised to strike back once the time is right.

The Nari family hail from a desert kingdom called Teflistan which no longer exist. There origins as a philanthropic merchant family that assisted the Sultan and live by the family motto even to this day: "What good is a mountain of wealth when you'll never need it all. Nor live to spend every coin"

These words are the guiding philosophy of the Nari family, who operate on a meritocratic system and value those who do great public works or infrastructure for the people. For Lady Avridite and others like her to become family head, one must great grand public works and/infrastructure within a set budget.

The family itself consists primarily a mix of both humans and half-elves. Mostly men are born into the family thanks to unknown reasons while being someone adept in magic can be determined during the first full moon after birth. Men within the family are formally trained in the fashion of the sultans of old personal guard. Women are trained in the mundane healing arts so as to treat the wounded men. Both are taught the in's and out's of commerce and financially responsible philanthropy so as to maintain the ability to make money to be able to keep up their acts of good will.

If one practices of good will and philanthropy and prove to be an asset to the family, the Nari will welcome you within it.

Even though the three families are the pillars of the City, but one being ties them all together and makes sure they are on the same level. The Shadow Prince is the mysterious figure who is the leader of the City. No one knows who or what the Shadow Prince is, but they operate from the shadows, using agents, messages and plenty of others to communicate and enact his own power and influence. The Shadow Prince is able to manipulate the families to make sure one doesn't have an advantage over the other and is able to not only function well with domestic politics but also foreign politics which shows on the city's continued independence from foriegn powers.

The Shadow Prince's true aims with the city remains a mystery, but they are seen by those who are aware of there presence, that they are the guardian of the city.