As I explained to the GM of the Rogue Trader game I'm playing in, I've long term plans for my seneschal. Namely, marrying as well as he possibly can.

The current situation

The Paterborne dynasty is an ancient dynasty with a fine flagship (a Conquest-class star galleon) but little wealth remaining after centuries of decline. We set out to sort this out and have done rather well! Profit factor began at 21 and is now 98.

The rogue trader Tavius Paterborne married Lady Charlabelle Armarillian and we legally merged the houses and warrants for a nice boost to Profit. She had claims, she had wealth and she was competent. A solid match and no regrets. But that does take Tavius off the table for future marriage (without assassination).

So on to my seneschal, Marquis Jarvaine Slinnicus (or "Jarvo"). He's Tavius' third cousin, from a branch of the family who settled in the Calixis Sector to run industrial interests. He's also one of the few remaining close relatives. So far Jarvo has focused on gathering insane amounts of wealth. But there is a place for more wealth and influence and a well chosen marriage could provide both.

Options

A few ideas have come to mind, to be pursued once the dynasty is richer. As around the 130 PF mark. Individuals and families. Bearing in mind that nobles are fertile far longer than commoners and can have eggs stored anyway, age isn't much of an issue. Money and influence are.

1. Sector Governor Marius Hax

2. Lord Militant Tetrarchus

3. House Krin

4. An Admiral of the Imperial Navy

5. A full Inquisitor Lord

6. An Inquisitor ordinary - who gets a sudden boost to her career

If anyone has more ideas or comments, I'm all ears.

It's a good, well-thought out list but I think you've missed important realpolitik. A third cousin of the Rogue Trader should obviously be the super-scandalous one who lives on the wild side. Marry him off to a shadier or less reputable element inside of the Koronus Expanse that grants you power on the other side of the law.

7. A high-ranking official inside the Kasballica Syndicate. The marriage proposal could be running a dangerous xenotech excavation and bringing back a specific Eldar Soulstone as a present.

8. Lady Elizabeth Orleans from the Frozen Reaches - An almost open-seccessionist, she could provide you insight into the areas of the Expanse that still shun the Imperium, and open doors for you that would be closed to an established and entrenched Imperial nobility.

9. Sirissa Consorvana from The Soul Reaver - As someone who trades with Dark Eldar, she almost certainly has connections and markets that would take you decades to cultivate.

10. Yanveb Drallat from Stars of Inequity - First mate to Corsair-Captain Jalthas Mettiere, she serves on a pirate fleet that is apparently regarded as charming rogues by most in the Koronus Expanse rather than outright heretics. Could provide a useful cover if you needed to undertake a few more questionable missions.

Very nice, Thank you Erathia, I'm less familiar with the newer supplements and the underworld is an area worth considering! Especially since Jarvo's alternate ranks include a reflavoured Drusian Charlatan and Acquisitionist.

You are indeed somewhat limited in opportunities. Because while your senechal may have great wealth to offer, at a certain level, wealth is no longer an issue. Families with eligble daughters are looking for more. And all your senechal has to offer them is a connection to a rogue trader, not the rogue trader himself.

A good way of visionalizing this is the 'marriage markt' of the regency period. Amongst the upper crust, women have family wealth, family connections and beauty to offer, in that order of importance. Eligible men have a title, wealth and family connections to offer, again in that order.

Those outside this magical circle can gain entry if they have great wealth (usually merchants or merchant's daughters) and can secure a marriage with a poor noble but they will never be fully accepted and only later generations will have gotten away from their background of 'being in trade'.

Your senechal thus scores on wealth and family connections but lacks the position of titular head of a family of rogue traders. Thus making him less than attractive for the top tier of eligible females who can set their sights on a rogue trader instead of his third cousin.

So his likely bride will be either a female version of a third cousin or someone not quite acceptable in the best circles.....

Which makes your list somewhat....silly?

For example, Lord Sector Hax marrying some nameless third cousin grubbing a living as a senechal? Preposterous!

You have to keep in mind what your senechal is bringing to the table: a bit of wealth and a connection to a two joined minor Rogue Trader families who have just managed to stop a long period of decline. Do you really think a sector lord would ally himself to such a prospect? When there are hundreds of rogue traders available, all with more wealth and influence? And a more permanent record of success?

Getting an advantageous marriage is a nice idea for a PC and I applaud your audacity but perhaps a more realistic appreciation of your attractiveness would be in order.

Fair points ranoncles and it is good to have plausible goals. I'll pose a few in return.

1. The seneschal is becoming reknowned for his insane skill at making deals. He's not merely competent at it, he's approaching as good as can be theoretically achieved. Wealth comes and goes, skill at making money is another thing entirely and not something to be dismissed lightly. And it's not like we're short of wealth either. The profit factor makes us one of the richest dynasties in the Expanse.

2. The dynasty is both soaring in wealth and has few strong ties to other organisations. Some alliances with ecclesiarchy (to help purge Vaporious), decent terms with the Imperial Navy and Adeptus Mechanicus but no fixed alliances of the likes of Orthack-Hax. Getting a toehold into the dynasty before your rivals do is worth considering. A right-hand man of the Rogue Trader who is also quite close in succession thanks to a dearth of closer relatives? Definitely worth considering.

3. Not all of the prospects I listed were nobility. Inquisitors may have the backing of a noble house if they were born to it, but they usually end up distancing themselves somewhat thanks to the nature of their duty. Inquisitors have great influence but not necessarily wealth. Rogue Trader dynasties tend to have wealth but not necessarily influence. Even a possible alliance between those two parties tend to attract attention precisely because of how powerful they can become (see p110 of Edge of the Abyss about Aoife Armengarde and her mysterious partner).

Something you might want to consider is the reaction from other rogue traders. After all, this is not a love match or even the joining of families, you are looking into forging a link to the authorities. Those who regulate and oversee the rogue traders....

This is not something other rogue traders will overlook IMO as that would tilt the playing field too much in your favour. All rogue traders lie, steal and cheat but having the authorities in your pocket elevates it to a whole different ball game...one the other rogue traders don't want to play....

Which brings wonderful opportunities for devious plots and role-playing....

Perhaps your senechal's fiancees keep on dying....

Perhaps the object of your affection is lured away by a rival. Or kidnapped.

Perhaps the wedding ceremony is interrupted by lance strikes from an orbital void ship linked to your fiercest rival.

Perhaps rumours of your deviant taste in sex is leaked to your fiancee who then calls off the wedding. Who leaked and is it even true?

Perhaps a few rogue traders band together to oppose your matchmaking?

Perhaps you need to read Shakespeare and Machiavelli to appreciate the intricacies of high level wooing?

Oh, the list is endless....

1. The seneschal is becoming reknowned for his insane skill at making deals. He's not merely competent at it, he's approaching as good as can be theoretically achieved. Wealth comes and goes, skill at making money is another thing entirely and not something to be dismissed lightly. And it's not like we're short of wealth either. The profit factor makes us one of the richest dynasties in the Expanse.

Interestingly, if we assume a situation similar to the one ranocles describes, this will be a detriment to marrying into nobility.