By Helena Vex, Senior Correspondent, Neo-Europa Bulletin
“There is no state. Only stewardship. And the Seven sit highest in the tower.”
In the sprawling vertical maze of Neo-Europa—once Brussels—seven dynasties hold the city in a careful, often ruthless balance. These are not democracies or brands. They are the Seven Families—ancient lineages turned mega-corporations, ruling through steel, networks, and legacy. At their helm sits the enigmatic Council of Nobles.
The Seven Families
🧠 Codenberg Corp
- Domain: Brain Interfaces, Neural Technologies
- Aesthetic: Cold, Clinical, Surgical
- Council Representative: Quinty Codenberg – 90% machine, retaining only her brain and face. Respected and feared, her expression rarely changes—except for the subtle eye twitch when she hides something, a tell no one has yet uncovered.
Codenberg is the cornerstone of neural integration. Their implants and interfaces are used by nearly everyone in Neo-Europa, whether they like it or not.
---
🏙️ Serhugh Group
- Domain: Architecture, Skyscraper Engineering
- Aesthetic: Glass, Steel, Hyper-commercial
- Council Representative: Julia Clutine – Urban Icon, composed, charismatic. Represents the company publicly while her father, Orelian Clutine, commands it from the shadows.
Famed for constructing Neo-Europa’s tallest towers—especially the iconic Serhugh Spire—they define the city’s skyline and sell every surface to advertisers.
---
🌐 Sleus Dynatek
- Domain: Digital Infrastructure, Network Systems
- Aesthetic: Utility Monoliths, Infrastructure Core
- Council Representative: Severus Sleus – Aged, sharp-minded, but not respected. He trusts no one but one man: his Dagger.
That Dagger is Pierre Papillon, a towering, ruthless operative who now breaks tradition by serving as both Banner and Dagger. Known for his heavy French accent and his peculiar greeting: “Guten Tag.”
---
🧾 Swert Systems
- Domain: Cybersecurity, Digital Defense
- Aesthetic: Corporate Samurai
- Council Representative: Arata Swert – Calm, principled, and bound to traditional honor. Maintains a strict Banner-Dagger hierarchy.
His Banner, Sota Tanaka, is a descendant of 15th-century samurai and wields a katana-wakizashi pair. Considered dangerously old-fashioned, but widely feared for his discipline and skill.
---
🎭 Stenweg Cyber
- Domain: Entertainment, VR Experiences
- Aesthetic: Hedonistic, Chaotic, Lurid
- Council Representative: Ray Stenweg – A playboy-visionary entangled in multiple scandals.
Notably:
- Council Simulation Leaks – Secret VR scenarios of Council members being manipulated or killed.
- AI Sex Worker Rights Protests – Sparked by Ray’s release of AI companions with questionable consent coding. He responded with a gala titled “Love Without Limits.”
---
🛣️ Serolov Conglomerate
- Domain: Urban Planning, Road Networks
- Aesthetic: Brutalist, Efficient
- Council Representative: Oleg Serolov – Stoic, direct, and mercilessly pragmatic. His Banner and Dagger match his precision and severity.
The public whispers of bodies buried in concrete beneath Serolov-built highways. No confirmation. No denial.
---
🏨 Rodenbex Industries
- Domain: Luxury Hospitality, Urban Real Estate
- Aesthetic: Opulent, Controlled, Immaculate
- Council Representative: Gérard Rodenbex – Quietly influential and ever-smiling. A master of comfort masking control.
His daughter, Sahira Rodenbex, serves as his Dagger—graceful, lethal, and always watching. Rodenbex hotels are palaces above and surveillance states beneath.
---
The Council of Nobles
The Seven rule through the Council of Nobles. Unlike democratic bodies, there is no voting. Decisions are made through deliberation and consensus, guided by the current First Scaper—a title won via secret ballot (and even more secret deals).
Each noble is supported by:
- The Banner – Their public-facing representative, bound to chivalry and honor.
- The Dagger – Their covert Hand, dealing in shadows, threats, and silent enforcement.
Together, they form a brutal trinity: The Noble, the Banner, and the Dagger.
Closing Words
To live in Neo-Europa is to live beneath seven shadows. Towers rise, networks hum, and VR dreams shimmer. But behind it all, the Seven watch, guide, and rule.
Choose your alliances carefully, citizen.