What's in this section?
This section contains details of the Noble Houses who govern the planets of the Empire in the name of the Imperial House, House Lystra. Each House consists of around 200 Nobles who are each Preserved and have individual wealth and status. Of those, a few dozen are important enough to be allowed to govern one or more of the 40 or so planets of various types controlled by the House. Nobles are expected to be the pinnacle of Honour but often eschew the religious beliefs of the commoners they live with.
In most Houses, Nobility is a virtue of a person's birth and as such there are often a few important families within a House. House Truniss is the most extreme example of this with only the one bloodline preserved, whilst in Karpeer the ties are much looser with members of a Noble's family not necessarily Noble themselves.
House Vinka are a new House, created after the Forlox Incident to replace the dissolved House Ditix. House Vinka is still consciously aware of its newness and there is much of the blame for the Forlox disaster still attached to the House. They are constantly searching for new ways to prove their worth and are considered one of the most bold of the Houses.
House Truniss still exists as a somewhat insular House. They are dedicated to keeping their bloodline strong and pure. Since the creation of House Vinka, Truniss have become more active, perhaps after the reminder that no House is unquestionably safe in its position. House Truniss currently boasts the largest number of psychics of any House.
The most radically changed since the foundation of the Empire is House Karpeer. Unlike the other Houses, they operate as a meritocracy. Capable people from the lower echelons of society being adopted into the High House, which became necessary as past weak rulers needed support. The House is now one of the most open minded, giving its people the chance to choose who will rule over the planet from a list of vetted nominations.
Conversely House Machello is the most traditional of the Houses. Their strong belief in the concept of honour leads them to follow the rules in spirit as well as in letter. Their honour earns them a great position of respect among the other Houses. They are highly intolerant of any who loses their honour.
House Omar stands on the opposite pole to House Machello. The most results driven of the Houses, Omar are often seen as untrustworthy by the other Houses. Although they will never be caught dishonourably lying or cheating, many of their business partners have been caught out by seemingly innocent wording in a contract forcing them into disadvantageous situations.