Reputation
Dunamis used to be the leading noble House, owning as they did the most fertile southern lands. That all changed when Istria abandoned its southern region. There was no alternative, but the people of Dunamis remain bitter at their loss. The loss of everything — status, power, income. Some wealth, the House still possesses; unlike most of the fallen, Dunamis does not waste its remaining money on the luxuries and frivolities nobles are accustomed to. All of those were discarded; all vices save ambition, all pastimes save the pursuit of restoring the House's power. Lord Gabriel especially has no scruples; whatever is necessary to regain status, he will see done. Any alliance; any betrayal, so long as it furthers his purpose. So do all retainers of the House believe as well; they pledged themselves to Dunamis, after all… and, well, Dunamis never was a very principled sort of House, truth be told.
Needless to say, House Dunamis is not much loved by the nobility — although Gabriel has taken care not to offend the general populace of Istria. Not even nobility are immune to the scorn of the mob, after all. But still some Houses are willing to deal with the devil; they seem to believe they can walk through fire and not get burned.
