Noble Houses

These are the major noble houses in the Empire of Lethe.

### House Polaris

House Polaris is named for the North Star, that has guided humanity in their travels throughout history. Now that man travels the stars, it is the Empress who guides them from her palace on Earth. For the public, the Empress is the only known member of the Imperial Family. In the interests of safety, all details of members of House Polaris are considered state secrets.

### House Astallac

Considered to be a minor noble house, it has served the Imperial family for generations in a more immediate capacity as household staff. The Empress elected to make them nobility so that the other houses would stop trying to pull rank when they attempted to enact the Imperial Will.

### House Bessier

House Bessier is the oldest and most traditional of the Houses. Founded in the immediate wake of the Decree of Galactic Expansion, they served as the Empress's boot on many early colonies, enforcing Imperial Law in her name. Eventually they formed a standing army that served the Empress faithfully for thousands of years until Lord Bracas Bessier attempted to use the armies to seize the Imperial Throne.

### House Castelli

Originally one of the largest houses, both in number of members and planets. They rose to major house status not with wars or money, but with a number of marriages that brought one or two planets into the fold at a time as part of someone's dowry or bride price, and each generation had more and more children that married to bring in more and more planets, until the Castelli laid claim to nearly 1/4th of the galaxy. After Olivia Castelli's arrest however, Castelli space was segmented off into smaller sectors given to newly-raised Houses, leaving them a fraction of their former size.

### House Châtifort

House Chatifort specializes in food production and luxury items, such as saffron and cashmere. There are a number of museums throughout the system that focus on food production, a boon to visitors looking to establish contracts with the house for ingredients.

### House Corbeau

Although a relatively minor house, it is among the most wealthy owing to the luxurious vacation resorts across many of their planets. The entire planet is a single city, traversed by an expansive rail system. As such, the few natural environments that remain are small gardens and terraces owned by the wealthy.

### House Dumoux

House Dumoux was a relatively **minor house** until the discovery of a new mineral resource that helped further their status -- and their wealth. Following the discovery of this new mineral, House Dumoux was able to determine the ideal conditions for creating it and discovered myriad uses for it -- including the common party drug known as *maa kheru.*

### House Eder

Known for its work with prosthetics and mechanical upgrades, this House's sector owes its odd shape to a political marriage years earlier involving last surviving member of House Penerrel – before House Castelli could pressure them into marriage.

### House Estielle

House Estielle is known for being practically perfect in every way: everything and everyone is beautiful, happy, and prosperous. Though their perfection has drawn the curiosity of other houses, no one has been able to uncover what mysteries (if any) the House is hiding.

### House Feist

House Feist is renown for nothing except being aggressively mediocre. It's rumored that any iteration of their flag will end up wrinkled in some manner.

### House Finnson

House Finnson is one of several newer Noble Houses in the Empire. It was recently established following the break-up of the Castelli sector. The House does not yet have an official language of its own, but its founding members speak Illiakan, the common language of their home sector.

### House Frisk

**House Frisk** is one of the newer Houses in the Empire. It was formally established following the break-up of the Castelli sector. Due to its recent rise to power, it currently only has one official member of the House.

### House Goss

House Goss is known for its thriving night-life and its lax legal policies, willing to turn a blind eye to crime as long as money continues finding its way into their coffers. The sector is currently run by the Heir's younger sibling, with quality of life improving across numerous metrics; however, details as to how or why are sparse.

### House Hirinia

House Hirinia is a wealthy house whose residents live in luxury, rivalling the splendor of Houses such as Corbeau and Vizac. The Hirinia Estate is surrounded by an expansive botanical garden that is infamous throughout the galaxy.

### House Isline

House Isline is known for manufacturing jump gates and spaceships ranging from personal vessels to warships. The sector's few habitable planets exist primarily as housing blocks for their workers.

### House Karna

Recently established, House Karna was raised up from the ruins of House Ghilia after they refused the Empress's latest decree. It currently faces unrest within its sector from traditionalists who believe the House to be made up of "commoners" and do not yet believe the House worthy of following.

### House Mevouillon

House Mevouillon is a moderately wealthy house a few millenia old, most famous for their silver tongues and rumored degeneracy. Though they have been known to flout rank and custom, their skill at talking circles around other nobles has allowed them to keep their small sliver of space, despite being a prime candidate for annexation by their larger neighbors.

### House Novilliers

House Novilliers is a new house, raised up from the ruins of House Aguefort after they tried to refuse the Empress's latest decree. They must fight to find their place among the older, far more established houses. Some houses accept them for their longstanding devotion to the Empress, and are pleased to see them finally rewarded for their service; others see them as upjumped commoners, vulturing in on the death of an ancient and storied house that dared to stand up for itself.

### House Penthia

House Penthia is renowned for its research into synthetic and not-yet known plants, life-forms, and animals. Most of the House's wealth comes from Imperial Grants generated from their research, and they have numerous private scientists in their employ.

### House Ralte

House Ralte is one of the newer Houses in the Empire. It was recently established following the break-up of the Castelli sector.

### House Ravtha

A small House on the outskirts of the Empire, it is one of the more recently-added sectors to the Empire--though not as recent as the new Houses elevated due to the Castelli sector's dismantling. Due to its location and history, Ravtha has a reputation for being "backwater" or "uncivilized."

### House Rhydderch

House Rhydderch is one of the newer Houses in the Empire. It was recently established following the break-up of the Castelli sector.

### House Risal

Originally owning a larger section of the galaxy, this House was broken up after House Sauzin seceded and a significant portion of citizens expatriated to House Châtifort due to high taxes and tyrant-like behavior from its previous Lord.

### House Sauzin

Once part of House Risal, this House succeeded and gained Imperial recognition as a private sector. Due to the density of the materials that comprise its world, the planet is largely unstable for growing crops.

### House Vizac

House Vizac is a rather wealthy house, having focused on trade rather than gathering a large number of planets in their demesne, but through a series of advantageous marriages they have managed to secure planets nearby nearly every major jump gate.

### House Weitz

House Weitz is one of the newer Houses in the Empire. It was recently established following the break-up of the Castelli sector.

## Values of Noble Houses

This is a snapshot of how each house is viewed from the Empire's perspective at the start of the game.