Thursday, September 10, 2015

Masters of the World - the Barons of Stavanger

Stavanger is, by itself, the 7th largest economy in my TU, with a GWP of 17.1 trillion credits. Yes, the Big Four are an order of magnitude larger, but Stavanger has more economic clout than the Solaris Alliance, Thrainian Confederation, Correllian League or Republic of Tamarkand.

And thirteen Lords run the planet. I have characterized their noble Houses using the system I described here.  Apart from the three most powerful houses, they are listed in alphabetical order.

The planetary Coat of Arms of Stavanger


Each house has a number of Shares which represent their weight of influence on the Baron's Council. Each house has at least one Share, a few houses have accumulated more property and businesses and can claim more Shares.


House Hokksen (First House)
Head of house: Senior Baron Allan Hokksen major trait: mercantile
Age: Adult
Influence: all Stavanger and its allies
Loyalty: completely loyal to Stavanger
5 Shares
Recent Activity: New heir to the title born
Ambition: Increase the House's area of influence
Family Secret: Extra-planetary ties with the LTP

House Trendheim (Second House)
Head of house: Baron Olav Trendheim major trait: legalistic
Age: Retired, with an underage heir, Baroness Alicia Trendheim major trait: cautious
Influence: All of Stavanger
Loyalty: Loyal, but seeking change
3 Shares
Recent Activity: Conflict with House Ulstenvok
Family Secret: Piratical connections

House Arendal (Third House)
Head of house: Baroness Lucinda Arendal major trait: ambitious for her barony
Age: Retired
Influence: Planetary
Loyalty: Loyal to Stavenger
2 Shares
Recent activity: conflict with House Namsos
Ambition: Settle an outlying moon or planet
Family secret: none

House Dansinger
Head of house: Baron Philip Dansinger (underage) Regent -Sir Tolbert Bussby major trait: Ruthlessness (Bussby)
Influence: Dansinger barony only
Loyalty: Loyal but seeking change (Bussby)
1 Share
Recent Activity: normal social/political action
Ambition: Maintain the status quo (false, Bussby wants to claim the barony for himself)
Family Secret: Criminal connection on planet (Bussby)

House Drammen
Head of house: Baronees Lia Drammen major trait: miserly
Age: Adult
Influence: neighbors only
Loyalty: loyal to Stavanger but may be bribed
1 Share
Recent activity: usual social & political activity
Current ambition: gain wealth
Family secret: criminal connections

House Levanger
Head of house: Baron Yuri Levanger major trait: responsibility
Age: Adult
Influence: neighbors only
Loyalty: completely loyal to Stavanger
1 Share
Recent activity: usual social & political activity
Ambition: maintain the status quo
Family secret: none

House Lillesand
Head of house: Baroness Tasha Lillesand major trait: eccentric
Age: Young (17)
Influence: Regional
Loyalty: completely loyal to Stavanger
1 Share
Recent activity: put down a revolt
Current ambition: resist encroachment on her holdings
Family secret: religiously unorthodox (agnostic) and not very secret

House Namsos
Head of house: Currently vacant, (as of SA 929) with the unexpected death of Baron Dominic Namsos major trait: vain & vengeful
Age: Adult
Influence: neighbors only
Loyalty: Loyal but seeking change
1 Share
Recent activity: conflict with House Arendel and House Murietta of Holtzmann
Current ambition: recover lost holdings, claim Murietta's holdings on Schamel
Family secret: piratical connection

House Plancourt
Head of house: Baron Stefan Plancourt major trait: cool old guy
Age: Retired
Influence: neighbors only
Loyalty: completely loyal to Stavanger
1 Share
Recent activity: usual political & social activity
Current ambition: resist encroachment
Family secret: none

House Sandvika
Head of house: Baron Boris Sandvika major trait: lustful
Age: Adult
Influence: regional
Loyalty: would support a rebellion
1 Share
Recent activity: gained new holdings
Current ambition: increase local influence
Family secret: extra-planetary ties

House Tottenham
Head of house: Baron Ricard Tottenham major trait: spendthrift
Age: Retired
Influence: neighbors only
Loyalty: Loyal to Stavanger
1 Share
Recent activity: new trade route
Current ambition: gain favor with House Hokken
Family secret: psionic talent

House Tromso
Head of house: Baron Alistair Tromso major trait: wise
Age: Adult
Influence: planetary
Loyalty: Loyal to Stavanger
1 Share
Recent activity: put down a revolt
Ambition: Expand area of influence
Family secret: none

House Ulstenvok
Head of house: Baroness Wendy Ulstenvok major trait: boastful & vain
Age: Adult
Influence: neighbors only
Loyalty: completely loyal to Stavanger
1 Share
Recent activity: conflict with house Trendheim
Current ambition: recover influence
Family secret: criminal connections

It should be apparent from even this cursory information that there is lots of adventure potential on this planet. The Barons are likely to employ off-world agents for the more questionable and clandestine activities. PCs could be hired for legal work too, as guards or couriers or investigators into the pirate and crime syndicates, or for exploratory work, looking for exploitable resources in the uninhabited regions of the world.


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