Noble Families of Lys

The Free City of Lys has long been famed as a beautiful and impressive city, and many of the population, noble and smallfolk alike, the blood of Old Valyria still runs strong.

The city is ruled by a Conclave of Magisters, chosen from the wealthiest and most powerful families.

## Main Families

### Lohar

A relatively newer noble house of Lys, Lohar traces their roots back to Slaver's Bay, specifically Yunkai. In Lys, House Lohar is most well known for participating in the slave trade from Slaver’s Bay, often bringing captured men to Slaver’s Bay to sell and bring back purchased female slaves destined for the Lysene pleasure houses.

### Maar

The Maar family is the newest of the noble families of Lys, tracing their descent from mere peasants who were able to pull themselves up into the upper class by hard work and good luck. House Maar is well known for their artisans, and they have in their service, both freemen and slaves who practice woodworking, jewellery making, tailoring, and many other services that may not be huge money makers, have kept this family firmly rooted among the nobility when others would see them cast back down. Because of this, House Maar often holds the goodwill of the smallfolk of Lys, who see them as an example of how one can ascend to wealth and power.

Despite these humble beginnings, House Maar owns a large manse within the city, boasting what is said to be the most expansive collection of vintages in all of the Free Cities. The cellar contains variants as well-known as fine Arbor Golds to more exotic beverages from the Far East.

They are not related to the Maar family of Astapori, although the story goes that the first member of the Lyseni family of the same name was once a slave sold by the family, and decided to take their name, seeking to grow more powerful with it than they had ever been.

### Nahohr

House Nahohr are the city’s preeminent shipbuilders. Whether military vessels or pleasure yachts, most ships in Lys were built in Nahohr shipyards. House Nahohr maintains friendly relationships with the natives on the northern coast of Sothoryos, where they harvest most of the timber for their ships. They are also known to pay off the corsairs that stalk ships near the Basilisk Isles in exchange for safe passage.

Most of the ships owned by the other Lyseni families are purchased from the Nahohrs, and all with be marked with the sigil of the family at the base of the mast. The Storm King of Storm's End and the Prince of the Principality of Dorne have both approached the Nahohrs of Lys seeking to purchase flagships for their own fleets.

### Ormollen

House Ormollen is well regarded as the creators of Lys’ first pillowhouse, and even today leads the city in the training and offering of the finest bedslaves the world has ever known. While several other families have established pillowhouses in Lys, it is well known that the most beautiful and skilled girls are found at Ormollen establishments.

### Rogare

Once the most wealthy of all the noble families of Lys and the historical owners of both the Rogare Bank and the Sathmantes Mint, the Rogares have fallen onto harder times as of late. During the attempted coup of the city by the Ostyris family, the Rogare Bank was heavily damaged, and the head of House Rogare slain. Despite this, the favour of House Rogare is often sought, both by those in Essos, as well as across the Narrow Sea in Westeros. The prospect of getting their hands on some Rogare gold has driven many a king into making a trip to Lys, although it is now with House Sathmantes they will find themselves treating.

### Sathmantes

The oldest noble family of Lys has experienced an upturn in their fortunes as of late. Once the owners of the Sathmantes’ Mint that bears their name, a slew of bad financial investments and unfortunate disasters had cost the family most of their money, eventually forcing them to sell the Mint to House Rogare. However, following the attempted coup of the city by House Ortyris, Sathmantes was one of the few families largely unaffected and thus used this to their advantage. The Sathmantes Mint has returned to them, and with it the power of economic control within the city.

### Vhassyl

The most militaristic of the noble families, House Vhassyl has a Valyrian steel longsword called Bloodmoon that they have carried since before the Fall of Valyria. House Vhassyl maintains a large standing militia force and often call themselves “the Protectors of Lys”. They own the fishing village of Canahs to the west of the Free City, and have been heavily involved in the trade of both spice and silk for many generations.