“Ombarrian?” Dain asked again, making sure that he was hearing it correctly. “I’ve not heard that particular name before, but I do know of the Joseth family. Can you describe the man?”
Kre shrugged, “I mean, pretty much like the darker version of Beleg, hair, eyes, tan… all of it just darker.” He paused a moment and thought back, “Maybe a few more scars on his arms, but that’s about it. He’s loud and brash, and Beleg didn’t seem to want to see him at all.”
He paused for a moment, as if considering something that had just occurred to him. “Could they be related? I mean, I know they have different family names, but could it be that Beleg changed his name because something caused him to leave his family behind? Is that why Barry wanted him to say the family name aloud? As a reminder?”
Dain shook his head, “Beleg is no Joseth. They’re one of the original Ranger families and maybe the only one still in power to this day.” He rubbed at his chin and frowned, “Though why this Barry person seems to be more rogue than regulator if he’s of that family… that’s the real mystery.”
Though it seemed like a trifling bit of trivia for Dain, the thought that the Rangers were founded by a handful of powerful families that continued to run the entirety of the corps seemed incredible to Kre. Already his mind was whirling and twirling with ideas about how they maintained their power, making deals and trading favors with the politicians and the military leaders in order to keep their authorities firmly affixed, if not growing over time.
“One day,” Dain said firmly, his mouth set in a neutral line, “I’m going to find a way to read that little mind of yours when it wanders as it does. I’m sure the stories it could tell me and the fantastical things that I could share in… they’d be more than worth the expense of the power and components needed to do so.”
Kre shrugged, “I was just thinking that it’s pretty strange that one family can be so powerful.”
Dain cocked his head to the side and tried to figure if Kre was mocking him or not. Finally, a short laugh erupted out of his mouth, and he shook his head incredulously, “I forget that you have so very little experience outside of your tiny little hamlet.
“There are a great number of organizations that operate within Tehynshin society. Some, like the Rangers and the military, were founded in the earliest days by families that sought to conquer these lands and her native peoples. Others, such as the Adventurers’ Union, came soon after by families that sought to explore and find their own place in these wild lands.” Dain glanced over to ensure his charge was still paying attention and then continued, “Once the families and these organizations realized how much influence they had and how nice it was to be important… well, they sought to consolidate that power and control it tightly.”
“How would they do that?” Kre asked naively.
Waving his hand, Dain replied casually, “Alliances, marriages, partnerships, trade deals, straight up bribery. You name it and it’s probably been done.”
“What about murder?”
Dain nodded. “Most certainly.”