House Severane

House Severane is one of the new families that have risen to senatorial status, not through old family status but through the hard work of its founders and a not insignificant amount of luck.
Marcus Severane, the fifth son of the Severane merchant family, realised that he didn't stand to inherit anything of value, enlisted in the navy and rose to the rank of captain of his own warship before retiring to found his own merchant company and with the help of his families old contacts, he was able to get a busniess going, setting up shop in the small coastal town of Avenio. Managing to marry strategically, Marcus married into a minor noble family, which was on their last legs, and while they didn't have much prestige, they had an impeccable family tree and no rivals to speak of.
By the time of Marcus' death, the family business had expanded its trade routes to most of the known world, several coastal ports, and traded with independent city-states. Marcus's heir and eventual successor, Lucious, followed in his father's footsteps and enlisted in the Navy, where he served for several decades he retiring having achieved fame fighting during The war of Western expansion which he rose to command a naval squadron that defended several ports during the years when the Kingdom of Dercia were on the backfoot. After the war, Lucious, for his effort, was by the newly crowned Empress Krea Astalles elevated to the highest social rank in the newly formed Empire of Dercia and eventually. With money earned from mercantile trading, a seat in the senate was purchased, brought with wealth, and justified by military service.
During his time as the head of the Severane family, Lucius focused on showing that his new house at least had the appearance of restraint, and once he retired from the navy, he began to fund the careers of naval officers as well as founding public works in those port cities where his family did their business.
Severanes have a distinct internal culture; they place less importance on lineage than on competence. Children of the house are expected to have an understanding of trade, logistics, and accounting, and to speak multiple languages. The villages of the family are elegant but less flamboyant than some of the other new and rising families that are trying to mimic the old families. The main villa of the Severane is adorned with frescoes of maps, ships, and a simple world map.

Current Standing in the Senate

Currently, the Severane sit in an uncomfortable position; they are too rich to be ignored by the old families, too new to the senate to be trusted, yet they are too useful to be opposed openly. Among the other senators, the Severane senator and the house by extension, are viewed as being reliable administrators; very few dare accuse them of incompetence, which is also the reason that many of the proposals that the Severane put to the senate are voted in their favour, even if some of the older senators might view them with suspicion. When it comes to voting power, the Severane have their own senatorial vote as well as two junior allied votes, acquired through client relationships and trade obligations. Likewise, the Severane can exercise a relatively strong influence over some of the coastal-based senators

Long-Term Ambitions of House Severane

While they don't place much importance on lineage, it's still an ambition of the House to marry into one of the ancient houses to legitimise their line beyond question. One of the more monetary goals of the family is to establish a port city under their patronage.

Actions bring results.

Related Ethnicities

• Crienia