Merchant Council
The Merchant Council, also known as the Council of Advisors is the leading party that controls the Qi'Reshalian Archipelago.
Origins
Created in 228 by the Rathan King Ruahhgi after being pressured by the great families.
After the end of the Empire, the Great Houses had a great deal of influence on politics and trade in Ratha, but they didn't take primary control until the death of King Arhekesaar in 173 BL.
The once great Shasudan Bureaucracy, already in tatters, fell into ruin and the Great Houses ran things in their place. Although there have been movements that called for the restoration of the throne, they have all been suppressed and the families downplay the history of the Rathan Kings who once ruled all of Qi from Sshoi-Sson Palace, which has been left to rot.
The Council of Advisors rules the city, a committee of the nine patriarchs of the Great Houses of Ratha. It is a complex division of labor that leaves the families jockeying for position and dominance against one another.
The Great Houses of Ratha
| House | Primary Race | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Dne | S'Kra Mur | Secretive cloth merchants. |
| Lisska'Vran | S'Kra Mur | Warehouse owners. |
| Moglin | S'Kra Mur | Shipping fleet owners. |
| Nadamian | Dwarves | Pious Dwarves from Forfedhdar. |
| Odalva | Halfling | Merchants that work with the black market. |
| Pantel | Halfling | Grain. |
| Redthorne | Human | Staunch and ruthless merchants. |
| Tierskel | S'Kra Mur | Shipyard owners. |
| Zsikiel | S'Kra Mur | Former Kings of Ratha |