Arlea Committee & 9 Great Houses

[GypsyComet]

Add to that list Zuan Kerr from TD #15.

So our possibilities are:

1. House Zhunastu - (Zhunastu Industries)
2. House Kerr - (?)
3. House Lentuli - (?)
4. House Ling - (Ling Standard Products)
5. House Tukera - (Tukera Lines)
6. House Shiishuginsa - (Zirunkariish)
7. House (?) - (GSbAG)
8. House (?) - (Baldang Arms)
9. House (?) - (InStarSpec)
10. House (Stern ?) - (Sternmetal)

That list should be trimmed by one, as M:0 Campaign p.60 says "the original nine great houses which signed the charter (including the head of the Zhunastu house, Emperor Cleon)". It isn't nine plus Zhunastu.

Looking at the tale of Zuan Kerr, he appears to be too young.

More digging leads me to retract my objections to GSbAG, but I still don't like the idea of linking them to House Lentuli.

 

[whulorigan]

That list should be trimmed by one, as M:0 Campaign p.60 says "the original nine great houses which signed the charter (including the head of the Zhunastu house, Emperor Cleon)". It isn't nine plus Zhunastu.

Understood. But my list is one of possible candidates for the nine. So choose 9 from the 10 (or possibly more) that are listed.

Looking at the tale of Zuan Kerr, he appears to be too young.

Yes, but the question is: Does he come from a House that is a signatory; Zuan does not have to necessarily be the leader of the House, perhaps just a member with connections (perhaps the heir presumptive ?).

 

[Maksim-Smelchak]

Hi Guys,

An interesting read to follow...

1. House Lentuli - (?)
2. House Ling - (Ling Standard Products)
3. House Shiishuginsa - (Zirunkariish)
4. House Stern ?) - (Sternmetal)
5. House Tukera - (Tukera Lines)
6. House Zhunastu - (Zhunastu Industries)
7. House (?) - (Baldang Arms)
8. House (?) - (GSbAG)
9. House (?) - (InStarSpec)

As an aside, it appears from a mix of fanfic and canon, that the guy who started LSP was actually named Meyers...

http://wiki.travellerrpg.com/Ling-Standard_Products

*** And what is the business associated with the Lentuli's? ***

Shalom,
Maksim-Smelchak.

 

[GypsyComet]

what is the business associated with the Lentuli's?

Given that they would become the dynasty that started most of the wars to expand the Imperium, the natural assumption is that the Family was part of the Sylean military industrial complex. The problem with that is that GSbAG was already a big Naval contractor, and there is at least one other arms manufacturer on the megacorporation list.

My guess is infrastructure such as starports.

 

[vegas]

So I don't think there is a canonical answer to either 1) what company the Lentuli's owned (if any) nor 2) whom GSbAG was owned by, but I'll give my rationale for why I put them together.

We know that:

* House Lentuli is closely associated with House Zhunastu -
Artemsus Lentuli is one Cleon I's "most senior advisors", and is Cleon II's chancellor and successor.
Djugashvili Lentuli is "Cleon's troubleshooter" with a full Imperial Warrant, and "effectively chief of intelligence and internal security".

* GSbAG is closely associated with House Zhunastu (despite being a competitor) -
It is one of only 2 companies that mfg ships for the Imperial family.
It is 29% owned by the Imperial family.

* House Lentuli is independently powerful -
After losing the crown in 244 when Martin II dies without issue, another Lentuli (Porfiria) restarts the dynasty in 245 rather than another noble taking control - that takes serious political pull.

I put all these facts together and say GSbAG is the source of Lentuli wealth and power. Lentulis would not have held onto the thrown, let alone regained it after losing it, if they were merely Cleon's advisors. And it is hard to see an Emperor not coming from one of the Big5 megacorps. The ties between both to Cleon seal it for me.

 

[vegas]

As an aside, it appears from a mix of fanfic and canon, that the guy who started LSP was actually named Meyers...

My money is on all just fanon with no canon in that mix. That can be safely ignored.

 

[GypsyComet]

My money is on all just fanon with no canon in that mix. That can be safely ignored.

The only fan source listed in the Wiki article leads me to agree.

That said, there was an "LSP.MEYERS" on GEnie back in the day. Context in my own archives suggests that it was GDW Editor John C. Meyers. Sounds like a tale to tell...

 

[vegas]

OK, doesn't seem like any more ideas/inputs are forthcoming, so I will put a stake in the ground with my personal conjecture/IMTU version and add a few alternatives.

canonical:

1 House Zhunastu - (Zhunastu Industries)

more confident conjecture:

2 House Lentuli - (GSbAG?)
3 House Ling - (Ling Standard Products)
4 House Shiishuginsa - (Zirunkariish)
5 House Tukera - (Tukera Lines)

more speculative conjecture:

6 House of Baldang Arms
7 House of InStarSpec
8 House of Sternmetal
9 House of Pharmocologique Fabrique

Obviously, don't have family names for the last 4, just the source of wealth/power identified. That is fine by me: make 'em up for YTU. #9 is the biggest reach on the list, as 6-8 are all M0 megacorps while Pharm. Fabrique is identified as a "smaller corporation" that is a "likely megacorps of the next hundred years."

I still give P.F. the last seat on the Arela Committee because of the 18 "smaller" companies listed in M0, only P.F. and Hortalez et Cie are identified as "based in Sylea", and Hortalez canonically is not founded until the third century so can't have been the source of wealth of one of the great houses. In addition, P.F. is "the primary pharmecutical manufacturer in the Imperium", a major industry that is otherwise not represented by the other 8 presumed members of the Arlea Committee. So even if not of "megacorp" status at M0, they must have been large and therefore powerful.

other possibilities in (my subjective) order of likelihood:

* House Aella - a pre-3I house with powerful connections. Could be one of the owners of an identified corporation.
* House of Standard General - LSP was formed "recently" in M0 by merging Ling & Standard General; ergo, there is another set of founders.
* House Kerr - political rival to Lentuli in the Moot.
* House Shigaka (or Shigaku) - an important advisor to Cleon. Don't know anything else about them though.
* House Tauribis - Archdukes of Vland. I see this as unlikely though as they seem more Vland- than Sylea-based

Any other possibilities, grognards?

Edited to add Shigaka to the other possibilities list.

 

[GypsyComet]

I'm generally in agreement with 1-5.

With Shiishuginsa on the list, another Vilani family seems unlikely, but I'm not against including Tauribis, if only because it doesn't immediately register as a Vilani name.

Shigaka could be Vilani or Japanese, and the name already has a place in events. As such I'm leaning toward including it.

No obviously Sylean names so far. I'll throw a few out (courtesy of Rob's generator), since we're in whole cloth territory at this point.

Khinmea
Keloka
Maakasben
Sanaamos
Daxanea
Sahzenua

 

[Madmax]

Slightly Off Topic

I'm confused.
Are Syleans a Human Minor Race, like Darrians, or are they just residents of the planet Sylea, with mixed Vilani/Solomani ancestry, like most Imperial Humaniti?
I ask because, if they are a minor human race, then I would expect most of the 9 families would have Sylean names.

 

[vegas]

Syleans are a minor human race, but Sylea (per T4:M0) as of Year 0 has fourteen billion inhabitents of which 80% are Vilani, 11% Solomani, 6% Sylean, and 3% mixes and other. Since Sylea had Vilani and Solomani influence for more than 2000 years before Year 0, I don't think we can count on the linguistic origin of names to be very meaningful. That is too long of time for mixing.

 

[Madmax]

Syleans are a minor human race, but Sylea (per T4:M0) as of Year 0 has fourteen billion inhabitents of which 80% are Vilani, 11% Solomani, 6% Sylean, and 3% mixes and other. Since Sylea had Vilani and Solomani influence for more than 2000 years before Year 0, I don't think we can count on the linguistic origin of names to be very meaningful. That is too long of time for mixing.

According to travellerrpg.com Sylea(world) Demographics: The population is 50% Native Sylean, 36% Vilani, 11% Solomani, and 3% all others.
I don't know what the source used for this was, or what date is used (I would guess 1105). Would the demography have changed that much in a thousand years? It certainly could have, especially if the Syleans were given preferential treatment by the Imperium, but is there any evidence that such change occurred, or at least why it occurred? Sorry for getting even further off topic, just trying to understand Sylean history.

 

[vegas]

Unfortunately, the traveller wiki is NOT a reliable source of canon. It is filled with fan fiction mixed in among the canon data. Makes the wiki much less useful than it could be.

As it is, if you don't find the source, you have to take the data with a huge helping of salt.

PS - you can find the ethnic breakdown I referenced on p 44. of M0.

 

[GypsyComet]

PS - you can find the ethnic breakdown I referenced on p 44. of M0.

Note that T4 can be a bit sketchy in general, due to the circumstances under which it was written.

Between the M0 materials and the GT writeup on the Syleans, the percentages are probably not pure groupings in most cases, but more a measure of the ingredients in the genetic soup of Sylea. Relatively pure pockets may exist, but the longevity rules in MT's Vilani & Vargr for purestrain Vilani make it pretty clear that pretty much everyone more than a few jumps from Vland is a mutt by the time of the Third Imperium.

Almost buried genetically by the Vilani, the Syleans apparently resurged both genetically and culturally during the 1500 years of the ("real") Long Night. Similar ethnic blenderizing happened all over the former Rule of Man. 1500 years is more than enough time for the beginning state of ethnic identity to be reset more than once, and a strong Sylean identity was part of their rise to become the Third Imperium.

 

[whulorigan]

Some notes from T5.10 Book 2 - Final release:

Zirunkariish was . . . founded by the noble Vilani family of Shiishuginsa in -425.

Delgado was . . . Founded in 997.

General is a major heavy industry company known for inexpensive products of fair to adequate quality. The company was formed by merger of a number of smaller manufacturing concerns shortly after the end of the Civil War, in the period 620 to 622.

Instellarms is a specialty supplier of military goods . . . Founded in 626, shortly after the end of the Civil War.

Hortalez is the dominant insurance and financial services company within the Imperium.. . . Founded in 221 by Lucienne Hortalez, and capitalized from family funds.

Sternmetal Horizons traces its origins to a merger (or hostile takeover) of Vilani starship construction companies by the Terran naval contractor Sternmetal in the early days of the post-First Empire occupation. The result survived the Long Night to become a major supplier to Imperial and planetary navies.

GSbAG is a major shipbuilder providing a range of services from construction to ship support, maintenance, and upgrades. The company manages starports through the Imperium. Founded in -2438 from a consortium of old Terran manufacturing firms (this history is disputed).

ImperialLines is a major interstellar shipping firm (and rival to Tukera Lines). Despite covering most of the entire Imperium, its assets are not large enough that it is considered a megacorporation. Formed in the decades after the Civil War with major investments from the Imperial family.

LSP Ling Standard Products pursues industrial production and natural resource exploitation with a series of vertically integrated channels which dominate the markets in specific systems and regions. Founded by the legendary Captain John Meyers during The Rule of Man.