Taldor--House Tarton

Part of the Taldor campaign

House Tarton

Overall House Alignment: Neutral Good

Common Classes: Expert, Aristocrat, Noble Scion

Rarer, but not unheard of: Warrior, Bard, Rogue, Adept

Extremely Uncommon: All others

Favored Deity: Given the family's focus on crafting and trade, they most highly revere Brigh. However, like most of Brigh's followers, they are not overly zealous in their worship of her. Abadar is also paid great respect,as his domains are of great interest to the House. Lastly, Nethys has one devout follower in Nivek, so is technically favored.

House Blazon: A gold coin being pulled from a fire

House Motto: Make Your Fortune

General Overview

House Tarton began in Taldor approximately six hundred years ago as a family of ambitious crafters and merchants. They quickly spread to nearby nations, and somehow ended up with a strong presence in Galt, where most of their wealth and status accumulated. When Galt was taken over by Cheliax, the bulk of the family remained, as they had too much to give up. Unfortunately, a large part of what they built up is now lost, as they were forced to flee back to Taldor about forty years ago. Now, despite their proud name, House Tarton is little more than an upjumped merchant family. They have remarkable wealth, especially compared to their minor status. The current lord, Rodrik, was the one to make the move, bringing his wife, son, and grandson with him. The three of them are among the unbearded, though none of their retainers are.

Notable Historical Tarton

None. While House Tarton has had many clever and talented members, none were historically significant. House Tarton has always existed and strengthened through good business. At one point, a Tarton even sat the throne in Galt, though his reign was not significant.

Notable Members of House Tarton

Lord Rodrik Tarton, The Caravan Lord (Aristocrat 5/Noble Scion 7/Expert 12)

His unimaginitive epithet is, of course, partly due to being new to Oppara, partly due to being old (his grandson could very well be a father), but largely due to being unextraordinary. Rodrik was among the cleverest merchants that House Tarton ever saw, and thanks to him, House Tarton is wealthier than ever, largely due to his personal overseeing of trades between his Houses in Oppara and Absalom. Still, the amazingly large caravan of goods that accompanied him to Oppara will remain what he is best known for.

Cedrik Tarton (Aristocrat 5/Noble Scion 3/Fighter 8)

The only son of Lord Tarton, he has, as such a son should, been very devoted to his House. He did not have quite the business aptitude as his father, though few in history have. He is able to handle most agreements, and has increased trade with Andoran, though his major contribution has been as commander of House Tarton's army. He learned fighting from caravan guards, and took to it well enough. While he is no great warrior, he is a capable enough fighter, enough for the men to genuinely respect him. Given that he understands both war and business well-enough, it is expected that he will make a competent, if uninteresting Lord Tarton one day.

His wife died in an attempted assault on the family caravan on the way to Oppara, and in recent times he has spent his time with a performer named Talietha, financing her larger performances and paying her for sex. Rumors abound as to the extent of their relationship, especially given that Tali is a known prostitute and a half-elf.

Nivek Tarton, The Little Apprentice (Aristocrat 4/Wizard 4)

Nivek, from childhood on, was an odd boy. While the constant political upheaval in Galt and the loss of his mother were likely factors, it is difficult to say why he turned out as differently (and disappointingly) as he did. He wandered from trade to trade, until a chance attempt as a guard-for-hire led him to Larsen. Witnessing his strength in person has transformed Nivek into a devout follower of Nethys, and he has begun studying the arcane, and demonstrating a rather fast mastery of the arcane arts.

Strengths of House Tarton

About as Much Money as God - Like House Varian, the Tartons are loaded, and while their vaults are nowhere near as large as that of Varian's, their House is so much smaller, requiring far less resources to continue. Plus, being of such lower status, they are free of certain financial obligations, which means that their money is continuing to build.

An Eye for Talent - Despite the rather unimpressive life of Cedrik, his sponsorship and minor claim to Talietha (Ginger's character) will only increase his own reputation, and bring in money from her performances. Likewise, Nivek has become a follower of Larsen Pike, and is backing his order, The Light of Nethys.

No One Out to Hurt Them - Being new and under the radar means that House Tarton has no standing enemies, giving them one less reason to spend gold needlessly.

Weaknesses of House Tarton

House Who? - They are, compared to the real major Houses, nothing more than bearded peasants. They face no challengers solely because no one sees them as a threat, and they are, for the moment, completely correct. They also have no real strings to pull, nor old alliances to call on.

Weakling - House Tarton is the second weakest House in Oppara in terms of pure might, with House Varian being the only one weaker. Unlike House Varian, though, House Tarton does not own contracts on huge merc companies to support them in the case of violence.

Foreign Relations Worth Noting

Nothing significant, though they trade heavily with Absalom and to some extent in Andoran.