Howell Holdings

Howell Holdings is a major faction operating within the continent of Ahlus.

## Description

A nation and conglomerate of business franchises that sprung from the wishes of Fonteyne Howell to mark a legacy upon the continent, Howell Holdings represents a wide range of groups working in unison. Ignoring Howell Town and its surrounding settlements, it is undeniably the Fonteyne's Fountain taverns that the organisation is best known to many residents of the continent, with franchise buildings a common sight at several sites in all major settlements, as well as being scattered roadside along important and lesser-travelled through routes alike. While some besmirch their lack of character, others instead flock to their nearest Fountain, revelling in their standardised menus, reliable services and fixed prices. Howell Holdings however represents much more than just winehouses and inns.

Fonteyne's Forces provides mercenary contracts for interested parties, banking services are managed by the Counted Coin, itself part of the Fonteyne's Finances group whereas the subsidiaries of Howell's Handling and Fonteyne's Freight deal with the logistics of cross-country and seabound transport alike. At Caterwaul, military training creates the White Coats, the most skilled of these ritually-marred and granted the title of Scarred. From these ranks the Tytox are chosen to serve as the Lord of Howell Town's elite guard alongside the wizards of the Avneclave.

## Goals

The ultimate aim of each and every subsidiary of Howell Holdings is to increase the personal wealth of its proprietor Fonteyne Howell. To this end, domination of all manners of commerce from trade goods to professional services are sought, relying on both aggressive acts of expansion and acquisition and more insidious and gradual takeovers.

Mimicry of competitors products are a common tactic, flooding the local market with cheaper versions of their mainstay to steal away their profits and drive them out of business to allow Howell Holdings to take hold a monopoly over that particular niche, and then increase the price once again.

## Tenets of Howell Holdings

* Quantity should take precedence over quality. A consumer flush with coin rarely pays mind to the difference, but one more precious with their capital should feel they are getting a good deal.
* Expansion in all directions is paramount. Growth of capital facilitates further growth, with each step strengthening the foundations of the preceding expansion.
* Diversify and distinguish. No sooner does one branch wither and fall do two more rise in its place. Each and every market is an invitation for monopoly, an invitation that should never be ignored or declined.

## Relationships

For most, Howell Holdings represents a consistent and reliable source of all manner of goods and services, acting as an ever present entity in cities and towns across the continent. The extent of the organisation's reach allows it to supply for even the most niche of markets, but in doing so it has found itself in ongoing corporate conflict with other merchant guilds large and small. Of particular antagonism is that of Curious Couatls Caravans, who see the business practices of Howell Holdings as immoral and that of the Arken Den, who are frequently accused of stealing away business from Howell Holdings with their own underhanded operating methods.

For some, Howell Holdings has become a steady source of income on the local scale. Notable amongst these are a few savvy entrepreneurs that make a living setting up businesses, harbouring goodwill and fostering them until they deliberately start to encroach on Howell Holdings efforts, only then to sell their assets to the group for profit.

## Characters

Like many of the continent-wide organisations of Ahlus, individuals linked to Howell Holdings represent a diverse selection of people with myriad stories to tell. Do you live in one of the settlements of the Hoarfrost Expanse, or do you visit them only infrequently? Are you a small business owner recently bought out by Howell Holdings, or do you owe your success to training facilitated by the group?

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