The Herman Brothers

"This is just a game. Everything in this city is one giant contest for power, one that we will win.”
-The Herman Brothers
== History ==
Former adventurers, the Herman Brothers are a story in courage, duplicity, and the careful manipulation of institutional frameworks. Peter and Andreas Herman were rare changeling identical twins who shared an unusually close bond; they were said to share the same soul. The brothers learned to make and use guns from their human uncle, who wished them to avenge his brother’s death at the hands of their hag mother. The brothers were cautious, and did not challenge the hag directly. They adventured through the city of Dragonsmouth, making allies and enemies along the way and getting their hands on magic, technology, and knowledge aplenty. When they challenged their mother at last, they did so from the shadows, determined and prepared. It did not bring them the triumph and solace they thought, for though they had avenged their father, those who knew them reviled them as matricides. Offended, Peter and Andreas retreated somewhat from society, founding a bank with the money they had amassed as adventurers. Each of them took turns serving as the public face of the bank, while the other would live out other lives in disguise. This they continued to do until their district or Korvosa was plunged into war when the Grey Maidens challenged the Dragonsmouth Army for control of the Waygate. The Herman Brothers arrived on the scene and defended the Korvosans from both sides, first by throwing their financial might behind the war effort, and then on the front lines with guns in hand. For this they became heroes overnight, and when the dust settled, they were quick to profit from the chaos, investing heavily in the rebuilding of ruined institutions. Their wealth ballooned, and soon everyone in their sliver of former Korvosa owed them respect and favors. Peter and Andreas were active in the struggle for control in the district, but they differed from their rivals in a few key respects. They did not seek to bite off more then they could chew, and they were more interested in creating lasting systems then in exerting force. Within a short time, the South Merchant District, as it came to be called, was indisputably theirs. Their newfound subjects appreciated the brothers’ focus on peace and prosperity, as well as their aversion of risky expansionism. Indeed, many merchants seeking to start a new life moved to the South Merchant District to get a loan from the brothers’ bank. It helped that behind their peaceful facade, the brothers were willing to get their hands dirty, discreetly, making use of their guns and disguises to keep their hand-won peace. 
== Personality ==
In the modern day, the Herman Brothers are the wealthiest family in all Dragonsmouth, and dedicated to preserving the city’s exchange rate. They are among those warlords with an interest in the status quo, and they must walk a fine line between keeping their debtors in line without making enemies, a line they walk by making sure that any enmity is annihilated, one way or another. 
Category:Warlord
Category:Dragonsmouth
Category:Changelings
Category:Lawful Evil