House Wavir holds a unique position among the other merchants houses of Balic - those living in Wavir held Balic are considerably better off under their new leaders than their previous. The Wavir's have the distinction of maintaining high profit margins while still treating those in their territory with respect. Much of that was due to the leadership of Tabaros Wavir, a generous man whose brilliant strategy lead Wavir to be the premiere House in Balic even before the disappearance of Andropinis. Kaladon Wavir died several years ago, leaving the leadership of the House to his granddaughter Tarinne. Tarinne Wavir (hf NG Rog7/Ftr4) now heads the house, and has kept the employees and customers satisfied. A shrewd woman, Tarinne did not inherit her fathers natural ability to form relationships, but what she does possess is a work ethic that any merchant house would admire. It seems at times that Tarinne's determination alone has kept House Wavir atop the triumvirate that rules Balic. A very appealing wife for any man in Balic, Tarinne has thusfar remained single. The initial offers of marriage from lesser merchant houses and noble families were rebuffed, and no recent offers have been forthcoming. Lady Essen of House Rees is hopeful that in a few years, she can convince Tarinne to accept Galen, her son, as a suitable husband, though this is unlikely - Tarinne knows that with the power of two of the great merchant Houses and the influence of the strong willed Lady Essen, Galen could very well become too possessed with power, driving House Wavir to ruin. Saranos (Rog5/Ftr4) is Tarinne's brother. His primary duty is to find new markets and products in the other city states of the Tyr region, but since the death of his grandfather Tabaros, he has spent more time in Balic to help with the sometimes overwhelming responsibilites that his sister faces. He normal trips involve purchasing a small amount of different products which he returns to Balic for review by the rest of the House. Should these goods be deemed a worthy investment, then a trading agreement is signed and regular caravans sent. The Wavirs are known throughout the Tablelands as honest dealers and tend to get trade agreements more quickly than other Houses.
The only other family member descended from true Wavir blood is Arnec, Tarinne's
nephew, the son of her now deceased brother. Amec's mother, Jerina, has designs for her
child leading the House, though her ambision is not enough for her to try any
mischievious deeds against the House leader, and she realizes that there are too many
Wavir's in the way for her son to become the head of the House anytime soon.
In this, the second of a four part series on House Wavir, the physical locations of note to
the House are described.
The imprisonment of Andropinis left a power vacuum in Balic. Kaladon Wavir had been
the dominant merchant house in the city for many years, and sensed that the time was right to make his move. Early one morning, his troops moved on the White Palace, the
former home of the sorcerer king and where most of the cities templars were housed. The
templars were at a severe disadvantage without the spells that were granted by
Andropinis, and they were soundly beaten, and for the first time in it's history, the White
Palace was occupied by an enemy force. It remains the primary headquarters for House
Wavir. The White Palace will be described in a future update.
House Wavir holds the eastern portion of Balic, from the port to the arena, including the
White Palace. Houses Rees and Toblamdor have openly complained about the prime land
that Wavir possesses, but the head of House Wavir - first Kaladon and now Tarinne - has
no intention of sharing this 'territory' with the others houses, a sentiment shared by those
living under the rule of Wavir.
The Wavir's control many important sites in Balic - the port (see below), the arena, and the
common chief among them. In addition to these sites, they also hold their previous area
just north of the docks where they have extensive warehouses to hold there goods. More
than either of the rival Houses, House Wavir depends (and thrives) on commerce from the
port, and though most of the House resources have been moved into the White Palace, the
Wavir's still control warehouses and homes near the port.
The most impressive collection of warehouses is northwest of the docks and is called The
Warren. There are nearly two dozen warehouses, most two or three stories in height. The
Warren aquired this name because of the narrow alleys between warehouses and the
overhanging roofs between several of buildings, creating the effect of covered streets.
Buildings are made of stone ranging in color from dark yellow to white, and the small
windows let very little light into the warehouses. Because many goods have been moved
to the White Palace, the most secure location under the sway of the House Wavir, they
have begun to rent out warehouse space to the other merchant Houses and noble familes.
The Wavir held Warren is heavily patrolled by House soldiers - on the ground, on the
roofs, and inside the buildings.
The traditional home for House Wavir is located on the northeast tip of Balic, just inside
the city walls and within sight of The Warren. House Wavir still keep their home guarded,
though no family members currently live there. It currently functions as a barracks for
soldiers stationed at the docks and The Warren. The building itself is an unassuming
structure surrounded by similiar homes to some other wealthy familes of Balic. Some
noble families also have homes in the area, either as second homes away from their
estates, or, as is the case for some of the lesser noble familes, a primary home.
The Balican fleet of silt skimmers is overlooked by Talus of Rolt (hd NG Ftr10), a favor to
the House of Rolt, though Talus is quite good at his job. Talus's office is in port masters
tower, a structure one hundred ten feet in height, located at the north end of the docks,
where the dock master or his assistants can look out with specially made telescopes to
peer through the silt at incoming traffic, as well as observing the goings on around the
warehouses. Because of the hight vantage point, the tower is also used to ensure the docks
are free of violence. Day or night, a dozen Wavir guards are on duty and can quickly
arrive at a disturbance.dock master could look out into the silt with specially made
telescopes to peer through the silt at incoming traffic.