Lofwyr Brackhaus Karr-zu is a noble of Temma and the head of his family.He has a younger sister, Perianwyr, who is married and has two children. He himself is unmarried, and it is well-known in the noble circles of Temma that he has no intention of marrying anyone. He has also exhibited a very strong aversion to alliances and cooperation with other nobles.
Brackhaus Family[]
The Brackhaus family was a junior member of the Karr-zu branch of Karr House. The men wed well and kept the family's fortune, but had a tendency for smaller families, with 2 or 3 children at the most. They were also private people, the Brack Estate was built relatively far from Temma, well hidden behind tall trees and thick hedges. A richer family, or one more involves in politics, might have attracted gossip and rumors, but the Brackhaus family was never big enough for anyone to care about it.
It is possible to view the days of Lofwyr's grandfather, Hans Brackhaus, as the time this started to shift. Hans Brackhaus was immensely interested in Wizard Works and Gemcraft, and he even studied and manufactured his own works. During his time, the family secured mining rights to several promising properties, and during his son's time as head of the house, Albrecht Brackhaus, Lowfyr's father, the family significantly extended its mining operation.
Over Albrecht's 35 years as head of the Brackhaus family, the family became the largest manufacturer of large Wizard Works machines in Temma. Note that these Works are not the type of machines that are sold to the common man in the street, or the average aficionado in the shops, but rather machines used in factories and workshops around the city. In fact, it is very rare to find a high end or successful workshop in the city, and not city the family's golden crest on the machines used.
During this time, the company motto became the family's official motto: One Step Ahead.
This success brought the family more notice, and it was Dastwyr who was the main recipient of that notice. Charming and handsome, he was the lucrative prize of his year. He married Beatrice Britz Karr-un, and had a very respectable position within the City government. Sadly, Dastwyr, his wife, and both their children died in a tragic fire. After their death, Lofwyr became the head of the family.
Early Life[]
Very little is known of Lofwyr's childhood. Like his brother and sister, he was tutored in the Brack, and it seems his mother was very strict and religious. He studied Wizard Works and Gemcraft, and spent several years has the head of the engineering department and the R&D department in the Brackhaus factory. From his time there, it is known that he was somewhat of a genius of Wizard Works, and significantly contributed to the company's success. However, today he handles very little of that aspect of the company, and it seems he does no Work at all.
30 years ago, when he was 25, he left Temma for a few years, over his family's objection. It is not known where he went, but he came back only 7 years later, a few months after his older brother's death. He took over the family business, and within 3 years he buried both his parents. Since Perianwyr, his sister, was already married, after his parents' death he lives in the Brack alone for a few years before buying a residential building in Oldgate.
Expanding Brackhaus[]
Once he took over the family business, Lofwyr started aggressively expanding it. He used the profits from the company's main business, and his personal connections and leverage on craftsmen and tradesmen throughout the city to buy controlling interests in different businesses, mostly infrastructure and construction. His main motivation seemed to be profit and stability. He seemed to prefer "boring" businesses, like importing building materials into the city, to those that would give him more visibility or political power. He also invested time and effort in lowering his family's profile, distancing himself from his sister and social activities and events. It is not known exactly how large or successful Brackhaus is, but many consider him to be among the ten richest people in the city (not counting the Tidemaster or the Lord Mayor, of course).
It is known that Brackhaus owned Hermes, the largest gemcraft store in Temma, and Ruhr Company, the largest manufacturer of security and offense Wizard Works in Temma. In both cases, Lofwyr engaged in very aggressive business practices to force the owners to sell him the companies, and once they were owned by him, he leveraged his assets to expend their business and increase their profits.
Connections and Obligation[]
Perianwyr Brackhaus married Ross Seville, a prominent Iron Moon family, and is estranged from her brother. There are no known political connections between the Seville and Brackhaus families.
Lofwyr seems to have no friends or allies among the nobility. He rarely socializes, and made his intention to avoid marriage clear. He has no known lovers or paramours.
Lofwyr seems to be connected to the Tidemaster, at least as far as business stability is a concern. It is known that the Tidemaster made sure Lofwyr is aware that there should be limits to his business practices, and what those limits are, so as to not cause harm to Temma's long range interests. It seems that Lofwyr respects those limits.
Lofwyr is connected with the Bone-mashers Chapter.
Lofwyr is a member of the Guild of Wizard Works.