Name: Duke Jarvis Pentaphraxis
Class: Noble
Stats: Assets 5 / Power 0 / Production 1 / Influence 5 / Charm 5
Being the 1st son of Villnius Pentaphrax, Jarvis (22) was from birth destined to inherit his family's legacy. He is a patient and unimpulsive man, as most in his family have been over many generations. Possessing a calm, yet commanding noble presence, he has over his short life shown an uncanny wisdom - be it at dinner parties with his father, or following the family tradition of being arbiters to the grievances of commoners. His consistent appearances among the common folk yield from them a sort of fondness that after the former king is rare towards nobility. Jarvis is well learned from the extensive libraries his family prides itself in and has - from constant contact with commoners - become very well attuned to social and psychological movements, as well as developing exemplary oratory skill to himself mold and direct both masses and individuals with his words. Completely unintentionally, and against what his family history dictate, he is thrust into the council, and consequently its political games by the near riotous masses from the Dao'min sector demanding that he be the one to set right the corrupt and collapsing government to the people's satisfaction. (See "Social Relations with Commoners" for details)
As a matter of historical record, the Pentaphraxis family is quite possibly the oldest lineage that has retained its name and nobility unaltered throughout history. This is in great part due to the prudence and care its line of leaders took to not become engrossed in royal schemes and political wranglings. By not drawing ire from powerful (but briefly lived) families, nor surrendering to their influence, Pentaphraxis have been the immovable obelisk among uprooted trees through countless storms of violence and intrigue. As a result, in exchange for their longevity and stability, they never accumulated wealth or power of any significant note. As it were, they are the uncontested stewards of literature of Dakhen, with a collection of writings that could fit the Royal Library in one of its corners. In this harsh world, few had the time to bother with ancient writings that were not directly pertinent to technology, industry or anything that could make them rich. The Pentaphrax have therefore been historically dedicated to deciphering, translating, and interpreting the words of the ancestors on subjects one may call the "soft sciences". Although most ancestral knowledge is still incomprehensible and unfathomable, even the dregs of that knowledge are an incredible wellsprings of human social and psychological understanding. Not particularly wealthy nor in possession of War Machines, the Pentaphrax hold a large share of an entirely different coin. The elite of Dakhen know that if you need advice and guidance, all one had to do was take the journey outside the Citadel to the Pentaphraxis Keep and ask in person. They ask nothing in return, and hold an immaculate record of secrecy in exchange for their words of wisdom. Heads of family, leaders of industry, government, military, nobles of every calling, and even kings turn to them for advice (notably the previous king had never done so and held great contempt). When the Pentaphraxis have a favor to ask, even the most dishonorable and unprincipled nobles feel indebted and compelled to reciprocate from deep seated gratitude to those whom their entire careers they owe.
Despite their famed pursuit for wisdom - or perhaps because of it, they are not an insular family. Unlike many families, the Pentaphrax have seemed to be immune to moral stagnations that include hedonism, haughtier and other such character traits that tend to come from status of nobility. Although tending to be thoughtful individuals, descendants of the line tend to have forceful personalities. The Pentaphrax have a natural way with words that commands respect and attention, with a sense of firm, but fair justice. Minor nobles of houses on a similar economic tier with petty squabbles among each other often comes for arbitration and abide by the Pentaphrax solution with honor.
All members of the family aside from the head man and women (although most choose still choose to do so) are bound to spend one day every week [whatever timescales you want to use instead of days/weeks] holding audience with, hearing complaints, and judging disputes of common folk on the ground level of the slums. To peasants who have never in their lives left the horrid slums know little but toil, labor, and hunger, the Pentaphrax were the only nobles who did anything for them other than exploit and squeeze them dry. The old king did little to appease the common folk, in fact, he drove them up against a wall of hardship that was unmatched in recounted generations which served to bind the Dao'min peasantry even more tightly to dependence on the Pentaphrax. On the day of the king's death, Jarvis, the first son of the family head, Villnius Pentaphraxis, was on judge duty down on ground level. Many gathered there as always did to hear his words then roared raucously upon hearing of the accursed monarch's passing. As if of a single mind, the mob swept away the several guardians, and carried Jarvis (precariously clinging to his armchair) the entire way to the citadel. Many along the way in the tunnels and corridors joined the near riotous procession upon hearing the news - all the way to the Royal Palace's walls demanding that he ascend his rightful place.
The Pentaphrax dwelling was painstakingly carved roughly 80 meters up upon a face of the northern arc of the 5th Central Ring that had long ago collapsed due to geological stress and strain [see map]. Officially named the Dao'min cavern, it is now more commonly referred to simply as "the slums". Perched atop this vantage point, the Pentaphrax have had the front seat to history over uncounted generations since the days when the Dao'min was a royal courtyard. Through the many raids, rebellions and reconstructions that tore at the land below, Pentaphraxis was the only noble lineage that had persisted here - avoiding the violence in their inaccessible fortress high upon the sheer pillar face. For a family with such a long history, they have a surprisingly modest and small home as compared to the sprawling extravagant palaces of families within the Citadel itself. The majority of their wealth is their hundreds of thousands of volumes printed on fine crystalline paper immune to aging and the elements. These are organized neatly and stored in a series of vertical tunnels that, just as the dwellings itself, were cut from wide cracks and fissures from the collapse that had created Dao'min cavern itself. Pentaphrax household is staffed by loyal and well trained descendants of several family lines picked from among the commoners generations hence, each of which are trained to specialize and refine a particular facet of work in the family Keep.
Techniques to growing their crystalline "paper" is one of the most inconsequential ancestor-derived industrial secrets out there, yet it provides the majority of their (minor) direct income. In the instances when durable information storage that is off-the-Nets for security purposes is needed, there is no form of record keeping that compares in longevity and immunity to disaster. Their monopoly as well as rather small operation and output of this material makes its price very significant. Many intellectuals of Dakhen pay fees to peruse the shelves and read anything they desire for a set time. Some occasionally purchase volumes, and so does the Royal Library in an attempt to fill its shelves with something other than coloring books.
An incredibly skilled hacker owes the Pentaphrax his life for granting him sanctuary at some point or another. It is a heated topic of debate on the Nets as to whether or not this individual who goes by the handle of "Neo" is a sorcerer - for his feats defy anyone's understanding of digital technology.
