House Noretti

The history of the Noretti family is nothing more than the history of Dominic Noretti.

Dominic Noretti, known within many circles in Athkatla as "The Fox", is a relentlessly self improving man. His father Kethel, a minor shipping magnate came to Athkatla from Baldur¹s Gate when Dominic was a child. He was fleeing substantial gambling debts that he had incurred in Waterdeep and later in Baldur¹s Gate. He fared no better in Athkatla. It wasn¹t long before he was deep in debt with the Ravi family and looking to pick up and move again. Unfortunately, this is not something one does to the Ravi¹s. The Ravi family Mage placed a Geas on Kethel that he was to serve the Ravi¹s until his debt was paid or he was dead. Either was acceptable. What Kethel had not bargained on was how hard it was to get OUT of debt with the Ravi¹s. He never seemed to be able to do better than break even. Many nights Dominic witnessed the results of Kethel¹s poor decisions. At first the Ravi "soldiers"merely shook Kethel down for money. Later, they forced him to perform illegal acts to help settle his debts. He would falsify shipping documents to avoid taxation and harbor smugglers within the family¹s meager docking area. He attracted the foulest form of criminals. When Dominic was 14 Kethel sold Dominic¹s two sisters, ages 16 and 12, to a local brothel so that he might get out of debt with the Ravi¹s. Faced with no longer having Kethel as an unwilling servant, the Ravi family did the only thing that they could. They promoted him.

Dominic spent his teenage years enjoying the luxurys that being a member of the 7th most powerful house in Athkatla can bring. Suddenly he was no longer the son of a deadbeat. Within 6 months, Kethel had been promoted to the head of the Docker¹s Guild. A position that many people work their entire lifetime to achieve. Money became plentiful. More than that, it seemed that everyone knew Dominic and everyone liked him. It was good to be the son of Kethel Noretti. For the next three years Kethel thrived. Gifts and tributes were plentiful. Servants were purchased and Kethel rose to a station where he didn¹t have to work. He spent his days drinking and spending money on his expensive hobbies or his many mistresses.

Kethel's death is shrouded in mystery. Kethel was found dead in his office. The victim of a robbery gone bad. Rumor has it that Kethel was involved in a shady deal that went bad. Others suggest that his power was growing too fast and he was eliminated by a jealous rival. Regardless, Antonio Ravi was devastated by Kethel's death. He attempted to have his raised from the dead but the casting failed. He vowed that he would support Kethel's family for the rest of their lives.

With Kethel dead, the mantle of head of the Docker¹s Guild was passed to Dominic by Antonio. This alienated many members of the Guild and severely weakened it. It was seen by many as a critical mistake that would eventually lead to their downfall. Dominic saw it as an official endorcement by the Ravi¹s. In reality, Baal Ravi (Antonio's Brother) only endorsed the position hopeing that Dominic would be assassinated by one of his new captains and Baal could absorb the strengthening Noretti house without a fight. Unfortunately Baal had never counted on Dominic¹s charisma or drive. His first act as head of the Docker¹s Guild was to give all tributes for the next two months to his Captains in his service. He immediately became known as an "advocate of the common man" and he played up his humble beginnings. He spread the wealth of his new found position and garnered a devoted following of Captains and Lieutennants within the Docker's Guild. The members of his Guild became fanatically loyal in the hopes that he would grace them with the fruits of their labors. They were often rewarded. A shrewd man, Dominic was able to recoup most of the "gifts" that he gave out because of the drastic reduction in the amount of theft and double dealing within the Guild. No one wanted to ruin the good thing that Dominic had created so they were quick to root out anyone who would cause the Guild harm. Using the same tactics he was able to spread his influence within several of the Guilds that the Dockers were affiliated with. Most notably, he negotiated a relationship between the Merchant Seaman's Guild and the Mage's Guild. He enrolled his second son, Malachi, within the Mage's Guild as a sign of support. The Slaver's were furious. They had been courting Dominic's second son and saw his actions as directly in opposition. Tensions rose and culminated with an attempt on Dominic's life that was thwarted by the man who would later become High Magistrate Gareth. At the time, he was a Captain within the Docker's Guild. Dominic skillfully covered the fact that the Slaver Mages were responsible and allowed the Guild to save face. As a result, the Guild forgave past indiscretions and an uneasy truce has been reached.

Rumor has it that Dominic is looking to expand his influence outside of Athkatla.