[hider=The Solari Family][center][h1]The Solari Family[/h1][/center] The Solaris are a wealthy family of Revidian merchants who have quietly accrued power and influence over generations. Historically, they have flown under the radar of the nobility, but that changed with their current head, Cosimo Solari, and his secretive involvement with the current Doge of Revidia, Prospero Malatesta. Cosimo had recently married into the nobility, and suddenly, everyone wanted to know who the Solaris were and where they came from—perhaps even use that information to knock them down a peg or eliminate them entirely. By the time anyone knew they were a threat, however, they were too powerful and elusive. It was as if they had suddenly been conjured into existence by Prospero Malatesta himself, and much like him, could not be caught and pinned down. The family is perpetually conducting business and expanding their influence everywhere—and yet simultaneously, in times of danger or distress, they are simply nowhere to be found. [center][h1]Cosimo Solari[/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/1F9qKMF.png[/img][/center] Head of the Solari family, and owner of the Sant'Agata Albignese Trading Company, which he inherited from his father, who inherited it from his father before him. It was under Cosimo Solari that the Sant'Agata Albignese Trading Company became a household name, however. It was during this time that he also assisted Prospero Malatesta's ascension to the position of Doge of Revidia from behind the scenes, in the form of clever business schemes and secret intelligence: two currencies which the elusive Solari family are known for—in the right circles. He accomplished all of this while his father was on his deathbed, and his brother Marco was missing. No one is quite sure how he managed it—and generations later, there is still much disagreement among historians about the actual timeline of events. Some speculate that he used Temporal magic to accelerate his rise to success, resulting in the conflicting records of him being in multiple places at once. There remains no evidence to support this claim, however, and whether or not his recorded RAS of 7.82 would allow him to perform such feats of spacetime warping is in dispute. After Prospero Malatesta's rise to power, he quietly became jaded from the whole affair. Cosimo had been an idealist, and in the end, merchants were still not afforded the same rights as the nobility—namely, the ability to be appointed Doge. He retained a cordial relationship with l'Anguilla, as he was not fool enough to tangle with the Eel. Deciding that if one can't beat the nobility, one should strive to join them, he would marry young Sofia Yihan Xiang Esparza, taking joint ownership of the Esparza Crown Jewellery Company, and bringing both it and his wealth to new heights. He had always wanted a son to pass these companies down to, as his fathers did before—but after receiving three beloved daughters, he decided it was not to be. His third daughter, Xiuyang, had been convinced that she was being groomed for the role of company owner, but the words of the Twin Emperors of ReTan have cast a shadow of doubt over the affair. Is he trying to protect his youngest from the upcoming war, or has he come to see her as a troubled soul, as the Quentic Church does? [center][h1]Sofia Yihan Xiang Esparza[/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/98gw0oP.png[/img][/center] Roughly three generations ago, various families of Rettanese nobility loyal to the Jiang Dynasty fled the pursuing Ten Dynasty, all the way across the Asperic Ocean to Virang, marrying into their noble houses, changing their names. Others who were unable to do so drifted to neighboring countries, including Torragon, where they did much the same. Young Sofia was the granddaughter of one such woman of former Rettanese nobility. Officially, her grandmother was "captured" and "exiled" by the Ten. In reality, the Ten's Black Guard rescued her from their own supporters, who were gleefully taking advantage of the chaos and killing their political opponents in the streets. It was only on her deathbed that she confessed it—how she was secretly grateful to the Ten, and had kept them abreast of any attempts by the former Jiang supporters to organize against them. This news came as a shock to young Sofia and her mother—but unlike her mother, Sofia would continue her grandmother's work to honor her memory. Ironically, her third daughter Xiuyang would become embroiled in another conflict between the Jiang and the Ten, and also choose to support the Ten. Unaware of her daughter's continued treachery against what [i]she[/i] perceived as their ancestral legacy, Sofia's mother would give her the Esparza Crown Jewellery Company—previously owned by her recently-deceased husband—as she saw far more business sense in her than in herself. Cosimo Solari would also take notice of this, and would propose a marriage set to benefit them both. Freshly reawakened to the danger of the unscrupulous nobles of the world that surrounded her, Sofia would eagerly accept, as the head of the Solari family seemed to know how to navigate that world better than anyone. Despite being a merchant, he carried himself higher than most of his class, and it didn't hurt that he was already wealthier than many nobles. For the most part, she lets him run the businesses while she attends to her own private affairs, which includes keeping in touch with their daughters—especially Xiuyang, who, much like her father, has a finger on the pulse of politics, and an eye for business opportunities. Xiuyang has always had her mother's support, though she worries that Xiuyang takes on too much by herself, to the detriment of her health and any possibility of a future marriage. [center][h1]María Isabel Solari[/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/ZH4qFEZ.png[/img][/center] A stern and somewhat solitary woman who seems poised to inherit the family trading company alongside her husband, in place of Xiuyang. Joru may have abolished the class system, but in the Karoist Revolution—as in all wars—there were winners and losers, and María was determined to marry a winner. Enticed by the Karoist teaching that both sexes are equally endowed by Shune and Dami—and steeped in much the same cynicism as her father—she seeks to gain power and influence in a country that is ruled by its people, for "the people" are, above all things, historically and terminally stupid, and the hard of learning are easily influenced and controlled. If it can be said that there is corruption in Joruban politics, one can rest assured that María Isabel Solari is mired in it. Among the Solari family, only her father is even vaguely aware of her ambitions, as she has mostly broken contact with her mother and sisters since the day of her marriage. [center][h1]Desideria Solari[/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/LU9vIRo.png[/img][/center] A mischievous young lady who is said to have a strong resemblance to her younger sister, Xiuyang. Under the advisement (pressure) of her father, she married into Virangish-Rettanese nobility. Unlike her cutthroat elder, she loves her husband and enjoys spending her free time irresponsibly. Occasionally she travels all the way to Ersand'Enise just to prank her little sis. In reality, she is exceedingly bored with being set for life, and feels no small amount of guilt living lavishly atop the piles of those suffering beneath her. She is working behind the scenes to make the daily life of the average Virangish citizen just a bit less terrible—but the work is dangerous, the progress is slow and borderline illusory, and—if she's being honest—the whole operation is mostly a self-indulgent waste of time, though an earnest effort of one. As the eccentric middle child of the family, she benefits from her activities being mostly overlooked, even by those who claim that they can track the movements of the Solaris. [center][h1]Salomé "Xiuyáng" Solari[/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/Qt5SBkM.png[/img][/center] The youngest child of the Solari family, and the most rebellious by nature. It's an open secret that she is flirting with other philosophies and religions outside of Quentism, but this is mostly overlooked as an indulgence to be afforded to the young and ignorant—as is her habit of hanging around Yasoi and the street gangs of Mudville. She plays the role of a spoiled child who is growing up more slowly than her peers, showing a surface-level interest in almost anything—indicative of someone who lacks a solid identity. How much of this is real and how much of it is a cover for her true interests is anyone's guess. Despite being a notorious alcoholic partygoer, she seems to be excelling impossibly well in her studies, keeping up with her above-average peers and creating business deals and connections along the way—yet, few among the students have taken notice of this. If the Solaris can be described as being everywhere, and yet nowhere, Xiuyang fits this description the best among her sisters. However, it seems as if Ciro Volta has taken an interest in her—and the feeling seems to be mutual. While few things can be said for certain about Xiuyang, her dedication to the work of Oraff cannot be denied. [center][h3]Le Volpi (The Foxes)[/h3] [img]https://i.imgur.com/NNVrRR7.png[/img][/center] A street gang of Mudville, led by an enigmatic figure called the "Six-Tailed Fox." Their identities are unknown, but they are all students of Ersand'Enise, with RAS in the range of mid 6s to high 7s. Each of them specializes in one of the five canon schools of magic. Their status as a "gang" is mostly an aesthetic choice, and their activities are tolerated on account of ranging from benign to beneficial for Mudville residents. Among the youth, they have many admirers and more than a few imitators, making the five true members even harder to track down. In general, their operations can be described as maintaining the status quo of Mudville: a place that's the fun kind of lawless, and not the "so dangerous you should never go there" kind of lawless. Vaguely humanitarian in nature despite their rough-and-tumble appearance, they are perceived as trying to act cool and edgy while doing much the same kind of good works as monks and nuns of the church. In public and polite conversation, everyone agrees that their gang is... kind of stupid. Many support them anonymously, though. [center][h2]Solari Family Operations[/h2][/center] [center][h3]Good, Strong and Fair Enterprise Sant'Agata Albignese Trading Company[/h3][/center] No one can quite put an exact date on when the Sant'Agata Albignese Trading Company became a household name, but the reasons why are readily identified, usually visible on the horizon in the Ensollian Sea, and their effects are felt in port towns and board meetings alike. The Solari family hold an iron grip on the portion of the sea which ranges from Revidian waters to the eastern border of Joru and the western edge of Torragon, a range of influence which pirates of lesser constitution call the "Solari Triangle," down a pint, and shudder. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/9mlPBOb.png[/img] [i]A vague representation of what in the hells those sailors are gossiping about.[/i][/center] The company operates three major types of ships which vary in purpose according to its motto: good, strong and fair enterprise. It has three iconic ships which bear the actual names of its purported values, and many other similar but less grand ships that serve much the same function and are never far away. [center][h3]Buona Impresa (Good Enterprise)[/h3] [img]https://i.imgur.com/IxXxnK7.png[/img][/center] The Buona Impresa and its subordinate ships strike a balance between speed and power, carrying binders and their medical supplies to their destinations quickly and safely. They also respond opportunistically to distress calls from ships they happen to pass by. It was on the Buona Impresa itself that Xiuyang was first taught in the use of magic before arriving at Ersand'Enise, and it was this ship that delivered her to that destination. Port towns are a breeding grounds for the spread of disease, and these ships are aimed at mitigation efforts on that front. When outbreaks occur under the Solaris' watch, word spreads fast, and the quick response time saves many lives. [center][h3]Forte Impresa (Strong Enterprise)[/h3] [img]https://i.imgur.com/ISqa6D1.png[/img][/center] The Forte Impresa sends a strong message to would-be pirates of the Ensollian Sea: don't. Naturally, some have criticized the use of warships against vastly outgunned criminals, many of which do so only in difficult times—but those people are in the minority. Imagine having to pay taxes for safer trade routes! Everyone agrees that letting a wealthy merchant's trading company do it "for free" is clearly the superior option. Are they just another "plausibly neutral" arm of the Revidian government? [i]Who cares?[/i] In reality, there are not very many of these ships—certainly not enough to police the entire Ensollian Sea on their own. However, there are certainly enough of them to get the sailors talking and fostering a sense of security amongst themselves, which creates stability in the markets—and in the end, isn't that what [i]everyone[/i] wants? [center][h3]Giusta Impresa (Fair Enterprise)[/h3] [img]https://i.imgur.com/7EvQBrb.png[/img][/center] These vibrant ships are, themselves, seafaring marketplaces in their own right, tailored to meet every sailor's needs. The decks are covered in colorful tents, and the crews of allied countries' ships can freely board them and browse their wares. In the event of a sudden storm or pirate attack, the tents can quickly be folded up and the wares stowed away, faster than a ship can be boarded. A few critics have accused the company of charging outrageous prices for emergency supplies, but after a thorough investigation, the prices were determined to be "non-exploitative" by Revidian authorities. Additionally, it was found that the launch of this line of ships has caused (statistically) significant decreases in the number of delayed shipments, ships lost at sea, and even mutinies. [center][h3]Esparza Crown Jewellery Company[/h3] [img]https://i.imgur.com/p9YtRJF.png[/img][/center] Supplying shops in every major port town—including Ersand'Enise—their brands are ever at the competitive edge of current fashion. With the rise in popularity of Hegelan crafting, a market for functional jewellery has emerged, and the Solari family quickly seized the opportunity to stay ahead of the competition. In their haste, however, they seemed to have reached too far. In an unsuccessful venture code named "Operation Hairpin," the Solari family—primarily Xiuyang's uncle, Marco Solari—attempted to end the Hegelan monopoly on their own crafting methods. When Marco Solari vanished without a trace, the operation was quietly put on ice, its paper trail burned. Despite this crushing defeat, however, the company remains profitable, and is known to pay its store clerks a very competitive commission.[/hider] Might clean it up or expand it a bit, but the essential stuff is in there.