The Sanatae family has for many generations held an iron fist over Thora. They took pride in their family name and the fact that they struck fear and awe in the heart of anyone who crossed them.
The Ghalanity Reign
For over 28 years, the reigning head of the family was Ghalanity. A headstrong woman with a fiery temper only calmed by her wife, Daylen, who was more cunning and calculating. Together, they were a power couple ruling the city, and the waters surrounding it, firmly.
Ghalanity was made leader after her mother passed away over 30 years ago. She was young, but it was not uncommon for a regent of such a shaky position, politically, to be hunted. She was 51, and for a human, not a bad age to die. The killer was never found, but Ghalanity has put it past her.
She married her wife to strengthen her position as it connected the families. They never had any children but announced the heir only a few years into their reign. A nephew of Ghalanity, Herdal, who was only 15 when it was announced. Why he, and not Ghalanity's younger brothers, was made heir, she never told anyone.
After Ghalanity died, Daylen never remarried but instead is an esteemed advisor of Herdal, though her power over him seems to be dwindling, as he is less susceptible to advice but just as stubborn as his aunt.
The Herdal reign
Herdal became the Head of the Sanatae family four years ago. The death of his aunt seemed to hit him hard, but it has become a bad excuse every time he makes a mistake.
He seems afraid of making bold decisions but sometimes a spark of that headstrong Sanatae honor makes him reckless. In cases like that Daylen tends to intervene and get him on the right track with whatever he suddenly decided must happen.
He is now 42 and fluctuates less than when he started out, but now that he is on his third wife and fifth child, all grown and out of his way, it seems like he is finally settling down and listening to his advisors more.
His children are mostly half-elven as he himself is, though, to everyone's surprise, he named his youngest daughter, a half orc named Juel, heir to his throne. He says she possesses a cunning mind more dangerous than that of his late aunt, and that he would love to see her fearsome brain as the next leader.
There are mixed feelings about why he chose her, but people seem to think it was for one of 3 reasons:
- She is his little princess and he favours her for that reason.
- He doesn't want his little angel to feel left out as the only half orc of the litter.
- He wants to make a statement about the firstborn being ruler just because they were born first.
The people of Thora generally seems to have mixed feelings about his reign and decisions, but the city has seen a rise in citizens joining the city so it cannot all be bad though his opposers would like to make it seem so.