House of Thoab

The House of Thoab was formerly one of Torrune's richest and most important mercantile clans. Its master, Alberic of the House of Thoab, was chosen as the fourth Lord of the City in 1115 CV. He immediately proceeded to abolish the election of the archons, making it a hereditary position instead and thereby winning himself everlasting notoriety and the cognomen "the Grasper". Notoriety notwithstanding, his strength relative to the city's other major merchant families, and his ruthless suppression of the the subsequent backlash, cemented this change in the laws of the city. Alberic's institution of hereditary succession has held until the present day. 
Alberic himself, however, only reigned for four years before dying in 1119 CV (by assassination, it is widely assumed). He was succeeded by his eldest son, Nyrrias of the House of Thoab, who ruled for thirteen years and made himself one of the city's most respected archons. He governed with a strong hand but was flexible when needed; he presided over years of great prosperity and made many improvements to the city, including personally financing the construction of the bridge which now bears his name. His effective rule and general popularity did much to prevent his father's abolition of archonal election from being undone by the jealous schemes of the other merchant clans. 
Nevertheless, Nyrrias was also likely assassinated in 1132 CV, and succeeded by his younger brother Gallen, whose unremarkable rule only lasted a year and a half before he died in a fall from his horse. Gallen was then succeeded on the archonal seat by his pubescent son Gessen in 1133 CV, who was deposed later that same year by a conspiracy of merchant clans lead by Thacco of the House of Lugaro. Thacco promptly took power for himself and ruled the city for over three decades. Thus the archonate of Torrune passed from the House of Thoab to the House of Lugaro, although Thacco's two successors (his two sons Ubertin and Jerrard) would hold it for only a few years each before their family was supplanted in turn by the House of Serekan.
After Gessen's overthrow, he and his whole household were driven out of Torrune, first seeking refuge with allies in Yenris and eventually migrating south to re-establish themselves in Alondrian lands. The descendants of the House of Thoab now mostly live in Sedoa, where they are minor merchants, far-fallen from the days when they controlled all of Torrune and reaped great riches from the Helvander river trade.