Outterridge House
Summary
The Outterridges are recognized as the most powerful House in Ecumene. Their primary business is the metal industry. They smelt and forge. They were the prime mover largest investor in the creation of the Ashen River. They are very good at politicking, due in part to a very strong central family driven by loyalty. They are fierce and sly. They are not known so much for culture, but for ingenuity and cunning.Business
- Mining
- Machining and Metalworking
- Engineering (Rail, Ship, Infrastructure)
- Shipping
- Assorted Trade and Manufacturing
Cultural Presence
- Members of Objectivist Society
- Patron of Aglican Church
British House
Primary Family Members
Cecil Outterridge Jr. - patriarchDora Outterridge - matriarch
Stetson Outterridge - son of Cecil, president of industry
Cecil Outterridge III - son of Cecil
Key Staff
Beatrice Howland - seneschal
Type
Political, Family
Loose Allies
Given that the Weekes and the Outterridges have very complementary industries, a lot of effort has gone in on both sides to make sure that the Houses remain in unison on most things. This was potentially jeopardized in the last House war, as they ended up on opposite sides, but both Houses were careful not to cross the other directly, and that meant they could come out of it letting bygones be bygones. Given the recent uptick in military operations on Umbra, the Weekes in particular want to make sure they have allies in the other Houses to protect their operations, and so they are very cordial with the Outtrridges at the moment.
Mutual Respect
The Outterridges and the LaPointes are the two biggest Houses on the island, but their industries are almost entirely separate, and they have good relations on the one thing (the Canal) that would cause conflict. They both recognize the other's power, and they were both targets of upstarts in the last House conflict, so they have a healthy respect for each other that makes them friendly on the surface. As the top dogs, they aren't stupid enough to trust each other, but at least as they see it right now, they have no reason not to be civil when everyone wants to take both of them down.
Mutual Tolerance
The Foracks and Outterridges are competing, but it's all civil. They have largely staked out their turfs for the time being. As the top House, the Outterridges are always watching the Foracks to make sure they don't come for the king, but the actions of the Guerre de la Lamproie have passed and while the Foracks were aggressive against the Outterridges in that conflict, everyone is letting that lie and warily going about their current business. Everyone expects it to escalate again, but everyone is trying to keep it from happening as long as possible.
Grudging Co-Existence
The Foulds and the Outterridges were the key partners on the Canal and have a long history together. Objective observers could argue that the Outterridge House only got its current status with Fould support. This perspective makes the Outterridges annoyed. While the two sides still do business regularly, and the Foulds for their part have no opinion of the Outterridges beyond their current business associations, the Outterridges have an inclination to act against the Foulds in minor ways when they can. Nothing here is escalating, and no one expects it to -- the two Houses are way too intwined to have relations get much worse without a major issue. Of course, none of this is helped by the Outterridge family's pretty overt anti-semitism.
Wary Concern
The Outterridges see the Harrimans for what they are: a threat. The Harrimans' railroad bypasses the Canal, and the Harrimans do much of the same heavy industry the Outterridges do. At this point, the Outterridges are even acknowledging the threat -- to do that would be to elevate Harriman status -- but from a business perspective they are acting aggressively to keep the Americans down. The Harrimans are not responding in kind, partly from a lack of leverage and partly in an attempt to de-escalate things, but they also aren't suckers and defend themselves where they can. The Houses are not at war yet and it hasn't even risen to the level of a conflict at this point. They just really don't like each other.
Increasing Annoyance
The Outterridges agree with the LaPointe appraisal of the Baudins from the last House war; they are a lamprey trying to attach themselves to bigger fish. The Guerre was just hopeless and stupid in the Outterridge perspective, and the current lawsuit is even stupider. To the Outterridges, the Baudins are the recklessly dumb player at the poker table, making stupid bets and screwing up everyone else's game. If it keeps up, the Outterridges will need to flex their muscles, but for now, they are just hoping that the Baudins either flame out or are hit by someone else first. For their part, the Baudins see the Outterridges as crude bullies who deserve to be taken down, but they don't have any particular hostility to them.
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