House Mallery

Mallery House is a lesser House of Athkatla, with ambitions to being much more. They are connected most closely to the Innkeeper's and Drover's Guilds, preferring a slow and steady approach to power building than many of the great houses. This tendency towards caution has paid off to some extent, since within three generations they have moved from simple innkeepers and hostellers themselves to respected estate dwellers with several large inns and trading caravans providing a monetary base for a concerted effort towards power consolidation within the city's political system.

Considered by some older houses to be coarse upstarts, Mallery House can at best be called practical, at worst dour. Family members are in general dark haired and swarthy, indicative of the Calimnite merchants from whom they descend, and they have an almost genetic chauvinism that puts them at a disadvantage in Athkatlan politics, since they deal very poorly with the female House leaders and guildmasters and have little talent for the delicate verbal fencing of social events. They are known as solid business partners and savvy investors, but without a willingness to take risks they are considered incapable of any dramatic improvement of their position, or threatening of anyone else's. They are learning, but they are considered at least two more generations away from a true place within the core maneuvering of the Houses.

One of their few politically savvy moves was the marriage of Rihahd Mallery, now the Head of the House, to Reiltin Rezah, second daughter of Rezah house and aunt of the current Head. While providing the family entry onto the social scene of Athkatla and establishing a dynastic connection, the marriage was hardly a happy one. Reiltin was much stronger than her tiny appearance indicated, and she refused to give in to Rihahd's offhand bullying, often standing up for herself or whichever serving person he was
verbally or physically beating at the time, something which amused him as much as it annoyed him. Her attitude didn't bother him nearly as much as the fact that she bore him three daughters before dying shortly after the birth of their only son, Qantar. In his opinion, daughters were less than useful except as marriage tokens, though even he had to admit that all three of the girls were lovely, and bore a much more striking resemblance to their mother than to him, especially the eldest, Aillen.

Rihahd has managed to marry off two of his daughters to prominent Guild members, one in the Teamster's Guild and one a rival in the Innkeeper's Guild, and is seeking an appropriate connection for his son, preferably with one of the greater Houses, through his relationship with House Rezah. His eldest daughter, much to his surprise, was chosen as a student by a Master of the mage's guild, an appointment even he couldn't refuse, though reportedly he was given little time to do so. She has had little to do with the House since, but Rihahd is careful to remind people of the connection, and has dropped rumors in several ears that she is considered a candidate for Master status, though in truth he has no idea how well she does, only that she does not now make demands upon his time or purse. He has considered making a marriage connection for her to better the family, but is unsure how the Mage's Guild might respond to such action on his part. Qantar is his father's current major worry; the young man has seemingly little interest in the family business, finding it more amusing to join groups of his friends at the various pleasure houses in town or take 'just one more music class' at the Bardic College than learn the intricacies of running an inn or caravansary. Rihahd is seeking a wife who will sober him up and refocus him on continuation of the family and the creation of a truly great House, and he is willing to pull what influence he can to ensure this. At the same time, Rihahd is himself consolidating his power within the Drover's and Innkeeper's Guilds, working to bring about uniformity of pricing, volume supply buying and other profit-making measures whether they are the popular decision or not. His heavy-handedness and willingness to venture into semi-legal deals has made him some enemies, but his shrewd cunning and careful management of coin has made him as many friends. It is yet to be seen what legacy he leaves.