House Rees is one of the three merchant houses that are institutions in Balic. Life in Balic depends on which section of the city one live in. The Rees's are hard masters, but if the workers do their jobs, they are treated fairly, though extravagant payment is not something one can typically expect, though bonuses for exceptionally good caravans are not unheard of.
The head of House Rees is Lady Essen as no nonsense a negotiator and trader that exists in the city. It has been her stern and brilliant leadership that has kept Rees an elite House in the Tyr Region. Lady Essen is a thin woman of average height whose sharp features are not unattractive - she has raven black hair and a certain regal bearing and an air of command that even those who are unfamiliar with her (which is uncommon in Balic) can sense. Those she commands know that disobeying her, or even not carrying out her orders expeditiously enough, is cause for harsh punishments or harsher words, but she has the respect of her peer and subordinates for the heights to which her house has achieved. Lady Essen shares her home, a large building, with her husband Taren a fair trader in his own right, who handles most of the day to day management of the resources that Rees controls.
Taren is slightly taller than his wife, though his temperament is far more moderate than hers. Most of the Rees employees deal with Taren, and prefer it that way, as he tends to be more forgiving than she. However, any dealings with foreign cities or caravans carrying important or high profit shipments deal with Essen, as do any negotiations with other merchant houses. Essen cares for her husband, but thinks he does not have the heart or mind to handle the complex transactions that can make or break a leading house.
Eassen and Taren have a son and a daughter, Galen and Athenis, who also play a part in the family business. Essen is grooming Athenis to be her successor, a fact that annoys Galen, as he is the eldest of the two. However, Athenis, more so than Galen, has inherited her mothers business sense, and Essen sees continued success of House Rees as above petty matters such as birth order.
Galen is the same height as his father (six feet) and shares his fair hair and skin. He has put forth a concerted effort to learn the business of House Rees, but he has also inherited his father's lesser business sense. He does have a promising future as a caravan leader, and that is what Essen has planned for him. He is a competent warrior and has a vested interest in seeing the caravan reach it's destination, so he will soon lead his first train across the desert. Athenis (hf LN trader 6) inherited her mothers sharp mind are her fathers fair features, which works to her advantage. She has softer features than her mother and long blond hair and pale eyes which turned many a man to her (and her families) side. And though she does not yet have her mothers experience and skills, she will no doubt be a formidable opponent one day.
House Rees holds the southwestern portion of Balic. While not the prime locations that Wavir controls, Rees has made due, especially as they control a key location: the only gate into the city. Caravans not specifically from Houses Rees, Tomblador or Wavir can expect to pay an entrance tax. Rees would charge the other Houses as well, but Lady Essen is neither foolish nor suicidal. The three houses share guard responsibility, and at all times of day, two guards from each house is at the gate, though in reality, there are at least a dozen Rees guards within a few feet to provide immediate reinforcements should they be needed. The Essen complex resembles a merchant camp that one would find in the desert and is, in fact, a city within a city. Approximately three thousand square feet of buildings that once stood near the Rees warehouse and family home have been destroyed to create a large courtyard to create a more open area for which to barter with newly arrived caravans. Also within the watchful eye of the Rees's is the warehouse where goods arriving into the city or preparing to leave are stored. Directly to the south and west is the Balic city wall, protecting the camp from those directions. While a wall to the north and east is not practical, guards are posted in the streets and alleys leading into the Rees complex, and all non-Rees visitors are required to check in at a guard station located next to the barracks. The Rees complex is essentially a half dozen buildings, but because of the buildings surrounding the complex, it can be difficult to determine where it ends and the remainder of Rees controlled territory begins. The easiest way to tell is to see the placement of the Rees guards - they stand on the border of what is considered the Rees complex and the surrounding area. The buildings that make up the courtyard area are the Rees family home, the stables, the warehouse, barracks, and merchant quarters. Outside the courtyard, Rees is still the controlling factor of that land until the border of Tomblador controlled Balic to the north and Wavir held territory to the east, but guards are not as prevalent as they are closer to the heart of house Rees. The Rees family home, located in the southwest corner of the courtyard, is a large two story building and is, from outward appearance, a place of great importance. The structure is made of stone with highlights of obsidian. A pair a deeply stained hardwood double doors lead inwards, with no other apparent exits. [Note: there is one secret entrance in back - a small alley runs between the Balic city wall and the Rees home. Only the Rees family knows of it's existence.] This is where the Rees family, who were detailed in the previous installment, lives and works. Lady Essen, the head of House Rees, has spared no expense in displaying the wealth that her brilliant business instinct has brought her. The house has eight bedrooms, three living chambers, two servants quarters, a kitchen, and dining room. It is also well guarded by the elite of the Rees guards and no one gains entrance without consulting either a member of the family to the head manservant, Andregani. The warehouse, where goods owned by Rees are stored, is located on the north side of the courtyard, between the Rees family home and the stables, and is the most secure building in the complex, with at least dozen guards on the ground, inside, and on the roof at any given time. With an elaborate communications system, the guards are able to quickly relay information by the use of hand signals, verbal calls, and flashing lights to gather reinforcements from the barracks next door. The warehouse has two entrances - huge double doors that open into the courtyard to allow wagons inside for loading and unloading of goods, and a smaller side door that faces the barracks. During the day, the double doors are usually open, or at least ajar, so as not to delay the commercial activity that is so important to house Rees. The barracks, where the sixty Rees guards are stationed, lies immediately next to the warehouse on the northeast corner of the courtyard. A two story stone rectangular building, it has few windows and fewer outer decorations. The guards housed in the barracks are only those that guard the Rees house, warehouse, and courtyard grounds, though they do have patrols through other Rees controlled area in Balic. Caravan guards are housed elsewhere and are thought by the house guards to be of a lesser quality of warriors. The barracks also functions as the armory and the officers quarters. The stables, in the east side of the courtyard, stores the mounts of the caravans that trek across the Tyr region. In addition, for a fee, mounts from visiting caravans or individual traverls can be stored as well. Rees handlers are renowned for their competence, and though the prices are slightly higher than other stables near the gate of the city, the owners who leave their beasts with the Rees handlers know that they will be well fed and cared for. The trading building, where both Rees traders and visiting traders stay, is located on the southeast side of the courtyard. It is slightly smaller than the Rees home, and far less decorated, being only a plain two story stone structure with dozens of windows looking out. The Rees employees are on the second floor, with visiting merchants on the ground floor. Servants and guards of caravans are left to their own devices - they can either find room at the numerous hotels or camp out in the courtyard. Also located inside are the offices of house Rees that store the records of business transactions, as well as negotiation and meeting rooms.