Editing House Malthus

{{Update Needed|[[Tamar Rising]]}}
{{InfoBoxHouse
| image               = 
| name                = House Malthus
| titles              = [[Graf (noble title)|Graf]]<ref name=HSTLCp144>''House Steiner (The Lyran Commonwealth)'', p. 144: "Other Major Commonwealth Industries"</ref>
| founded             = 
| died out            = 
| affiliation         = [[Lyran Commonwealth]]
| cadet lines         = 
}}
'''House Malthus''' are an ancient and wealthy family from the [[Lyran Commonwealth]], founders of the [[Malthus Syndicate]].

==History==
===Origins===
'''House Malthus''' settled on [[Romulus]] in the 2100s. By the time of the Commonwealth's founding, they were already a powerful family, successful in the shipping and mining enterprises, enough that Brandon Malthus could secure the post of Archon Treasurer in [[The Nine Archons]]. Brandon brazenly abused his position to enrich himself and the rest of House Malthus. By the time they brought [[Malthus Gambling Unlimited]] to [[Dustball]], the family had already grown to control the largest criminal syndicate in the Tamar Pact, the ''Malthus Syndicate''.<ref name=S8TMC>''Shrapnel (magazine)'', Issue 8 - The Malthus Confederation. Kindle edition.</ref>

===Clan Invasion===
While Dustball had been considered safely out of reach during the [[Succession Wars]], it was not so safe from [[Clan Jade Falcon]]. When the Falcons discovered that [[Koji Malthus|one of their founding members]] was related to the leaders of the Malthus crime family, they swore to avenge the insult by wiping Dustball out entirely. Malthus family leaders attempted to deny the blood ties, but genetic testing later confirmed the relation. Rather than following through on their threats, though, the Falcons purged everyone with ties to the Malthus Syndicate. However, not only they failed to erradicate the criminal Malthgus: their relocation to the Syndicate's former members to the [[Free Guilds]] allowed the Syndicate to infiltrate into the Guilds and to extend their activities through Clan space, finding natural allies into the [[Dark Caste]].<ref name=S8TMC/><ref>''The Malthus Confederation'', p. 132-133</ref>

===Dark Age Era===
The Falcons never ceased to raid Dustball, but the Malthus survived until [[Malvina Hazen]] conquest of the planet. However, the -apparent-destruction of Malthus Gambling Unlimited didn't destroy the Malthus; instead, they were welcomed by their allies into the Guilds.<ref>''The Malthus Confederation'', p. 134</ref>

===IlClan Era===
The arrival of [[IlClan Era]] brought great prosperity to the Malthus. Not only it removed the Falcon's Damocles sword pending over them: also allowed them to abandon the shadows, reclaiming Dustball and founding the [[Malthus Confederation]]. After willingly joining the reborn [[Tamar Pact]] in exchange for protection, they easily extended their activities through the chaotic [[Hinterlands]], resurrecting Malthus Gambling Unlimited, and despite the apparition of new enemies to them, as the [[Arc-Royal Liberty Coalition]] and [[Clan Hell's Horses]], after the Malthus' mutilation of Khan Mirault prized hell's horse mare, their business flourished, even competing at some marketsw with [[Clan Sea Fox]]' merchants.<ref>''The Malthus Confederation'', p. 134-135</ref>


==Known members of the family==
* [[Brandon Malthus]], [[Archon Treasurer]] of the [[Lyran Commonwealth]] in [[2365]].<ref name=HBHSp15>''Handbook: House Steiner'' p. 15</ref>
* [[Koji Malthus]]<ref name=HOKp36>''Historical: Operation Klondike'', p. 36: "Clan Jade Falcon"</ref>
* [[Graf (noble title)|Graf]] [[Mitch Malthus|Mitch "The Dean" Malthus]]<ref name=HSTLCp144/><ref name="HB:HSp139">''Handbook: House Steiner'', p. 139</ref>
* [[Vander Malthus]]<ref name=1SSp14>''1st Somerset Strikers'', p. 14: "Episode 2: Well Bargained and Done - Coded Transmission 1 of 11"</ref>
* [[Donal Malthus]],<ref name=TRp31>''Tamar Rising'', p. 31</ref>
* [[Romita Malthus]], head of the Orange Wind Free Guild and then the Malthus Confederation.<ref name=TMC/>

===Other Malthus's===
* The prestigious Clan [[Malthus (Bloodname)|Malthus Bloodhouse]] shares a common ancestor with the modern family.<ref name=TMC/>

==Family Heirlooms and Holdings==
The Malthus family are the legitimate owners of [[Malthus Gambling Unlimited]], and are notorious for controlling an extensive series of illegal operations.<ref name=TMC>''The Malthus Confederation'' (fiction), Shrapnel 8 Kindle Edition</ref>

By the 3130s, descendants of bondsmen taken from House Malthus had become guildmasters in the [[Black Rose Free Guild]], [[Blue Narcissus Free Guild]], [[Crimson Hellebore Free Guild]], [[Golden Snapdragon Free Guild]], [[Indigo Summit Free Guild]], and [[Orange Wind Free Guild]] organizations.  When [[Clan Jade Falcon]] left to join the invasion of [[Terra]], House Malthus and the Malthus-controlled [[Free Guilds]] joined together and created the [[Malthus Confederation]] under [[Romita Malthus]].<ref name=TMC/>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[1st Somerset Strikers (sourcebook)|1st Somerset Strikers]]''
* ''[[BattleTech: The Animated Series]]'', (Episode 3)
* ''[[Handbook: House Steiner]]'' (sourcebook)
* ''[[Historical: Operation Klondike]]'' (sourcebook)
* ''[[The Malthus Confederation]] in [[Shrapnel Issue 8]]'' (fiction)
* ''[[Tamar Rising]]'' (sourcebook)


[[Category:Noble Houses|Malthus]]
[[Category:Noble Houses with Undetermined Landholds]]