CISLUNAR DHASANT: THE CITY OF GARGOYLES

Halken Corhas is the eldest son of Dubo Corhas, a rich merchant and member of the Surveyor's Map and Chartmaker's Guild. Dubo is aged 60, married to Mora Fralain, another guild family, not close. He is an ambitious and strict father who is trying to gain noble status through his daughter, Lyra. He wants to become the guildmaster in the Council of Guildmasters. He has an empire of trade from caravan, warehouse, ship, to exploration of new trade routes on the latest get-rich items: spices, silk, moneylending, etc. He has the most ties to the noble families of Dezlentyr and Adarbrent. He also has an edge on his competition...he is a secret mage! (about 9th level).
Dubo has two other sons. Jaime, the middle son after the daughter, has done a better job than Halkem in following in his father's footsteps. Zen, the youngest son, is the captain and sailor of the family merchant ship. The family's insignia is the raven.
Halkem, after learning the trade of a merchant, daydreams of the exciting life of the mercenary. As a child he befriended one of the lieutenants, Tas Lanco, on one of his father's business trips outside the city.
One night, Halkem runs off to join the mercenaries. There he is trained in the skills of fighting, horseback riding, wenching, drinking, and gambling for a number of his teenage adult years. It is at this time he meets and loses his first true love, Deerdra Salean, to a hadjjin raid. Heartbroken, he is eventually kicked out for being too good,throwing away his money, and not having enough profit sense. Having nowhere to turn, he decides to return home to his family.
Meanwhile, his father, at first worried, calls the city guards to look for his lost son. Then he is angered in a scuffle with the mercenary guild over the legality of his son's enlistment. Dubo goes home, practically disowning Halkem in favor of the second son.
Halkem, now the prodigal son and disappointment to Dubo, is given a second chance, at the imposition of his sister, to form a private guard for his father's caravans. Jaime, the second son, will be in charge of the business agreement. The guards prove to be a success for a while, until it is discovered by Jaime that Halkem has become a priest and is practicing in secret. Halkem is sent home before he can become an embarrassment to the family.
Dubo has given up on Halkem, making him a virtual prisoner in his home, forbidding him to practice religion, ready to turn Halkem in himself if need be. Dubo has his servants spying on Halkem until he can find a clean way to get rid of Halkem.
Life is now a drudgery of paperwork, making maps, inspecting buildings, etc. for Halkem, trying to escape his father's clutches until he gets enough to build a church to practice his religion in peace. His father has allowed him to stay alive in the house, treating him as a servant with no money until he can prove to be a success.

Mora Fralain (Halkem's Mother): Whereas Dubo is age 60, Mora has just turned 40. She is in her prime. Dubo had married her when he was 37 and she was 17, already turning into an old maid. She was just starting to enjoy the adventure of life when she was forced into a hostile arranged marriage between two trading families.
Mora's father ordered her to marry Dubo to appease him and hopefully end a takeover of the Fralain business. Mora came to the marriage with the suitable dowry÷40% share of the company. Mora said goodbye to her family and silently promised to get back at Dubo and her father.
The marriage was a quick, small, but solemn and elegant affair held at the Corhas family estate. Dubo wasted no time in getting Mora pregnant and locked away, safe and sound.
After a stillbirth and suspicious miscarriage, Mora gave in and had four children. This after all the omens were checked for the right time to have a successful birth÷one procedure after another. (Mora simply got tired out).
Dubo was busy building his empire. He considered getting rid of Mora for another mistress if Mora didn't produce a child soon. Mora couldn't stand Dubo and his fat, sweaty old body with a bald head, but she shared his greed for more and more power and money.
Mora decided to change tack and play the dutiful, supportive wife. She even learned to love the children when they were small. The children were her only pride and joy. She secretly tried to learn Dubo's business, but as she became more wealthy, her relationship with the children changed, also. Mora spent less time with the children, giving them to nursemaids to take care of. She spent more time being the hostess of the house. She arranged parties and bought beautiful dresses and jewelry.
Halkem can see no wrong in his mother. She is the one who understood him the best and protected him. Halkem became Mora's favorite. Dubo hit Mora for interfering and took care of the boys after that, favoring Jaime.
When Dubo became a rich merchant, he spent all his time on the road and inside his office. Mora is bored and looks back on her life÷the waste of it all. She decides to experiment again. She takes first a servant, then another merchant÷a childhood sweetheart÷as lovers.
Mora plots with the merchant on a way to use Dubo's money to get back at Dubo. She also wants to get her family company back. Dubo had taken it right after the marriage.
There are some questions after the servant disappears. Mora had dismissed the servant could become suspicious when he came home. She has to be careful now when seeing her lover. She is a little worried about Dubo's uncanny watchfulness and the missing servant.

Mora's Family Relations: Jaime: Mora despises Jaime as a miniature of Dubo.
Lyra: She at first sympathizes with Lyra's predicament but then Mora becomes a whore, taking drugs and wine, the consequences of being rich and famous. Mora starts to take it out on Lyra, who is beautiful, as she used to be. She make's Lyra's life hard for her.
Zen: She hardly knows him at all nor does she care anymore.
Halkem: She may still feel something about Halkem. She tries to keep her false image of the loving mother around him.
Conclusion: Mora's mind is a little warped after years of seclusion and abuse. But this can be seen distinctly when she gains her confidence...she killed her father with her own bloody hands and a dagger to his heart. Dubo is a suspect but has an alibi.

Lyra (Halkem's Sister): Typical beautiful, petite girl. Hobbies include dancing, musical instruments, and poetry. She has the family knack (blood on both sides) for business and does the bookkeeping better than her brothers. She has only seen Dubo's official books, not his secret, dirty one. She has too much of an honest streak for Dubo's tastes. This may be another reason Dubo stops her from looking at the books anymore.
Lyra tries to play the tomboy, growing up with three boys, learning to fight and ride, etc. She believes she can do anything they can do.
Lyra's Family Relations: Lyra is pretty neutral with all three brothers, maybe having a closer relationship with Zen as the baby brother. Halkem is the black sheep of the family and Jaime is older, spending time away with Father.
Dubo is at first the patron÷silent and distant. He is someone to be feared, if he starts to say something and brings the belt for whipping. On the other hand, Dubo also brings wonderful presents: dolls, dresses, etc. for forgiveness and buying her love, possibly spoiling her. There is the strange father/daughter relationship when she is very young, maybe too much touching, bathing, etc., but that is thankfully forgotten when Lyra grows up.
Dubo is rarely seen after that until Lyra becomes the marrying age. Life changes for the worst. Lyra is to become the proper lady. No running around with boys or bookkeeping. She is forced to take all the proper etiquette classes, boarding school, dance, music, walk, posture, women's work, sewing, cooking, maybe even a nunnery if she rebels. Lyra begins to hate her father the tyrant and wonders why her mother doesn't do anything.
Mora and Lyra used to be so close. Lyra is soon disgusted by her mother's behavior: drugs, wine, and men. Like a common whore off the street! Lyra tries to warn Halkem about their mother when Mora slaps her, etc. Halkem's relationship is strained when he doesn't believe Lyra's accusations.
Lyra knows something of sex from seeing her brothers' bodies, then flirting in school and finally seeing her mother with another man. Although Lyra hasn't tried sex with a man herself, she has with other women.
Lyra is by herself when Zen sails away. She doesn't want to become like her mother. She is worried if her mother is going to try to pimp her off. Sh elikes the idea of marrying a noble's son, so she puts up with Dubo's strict rules. But Lyra wants to choose who the right man will be. She doesn't want to be in her mother's situation.

(Zen might be the only sane person in the family.)