Great House

The Great Houses are the most powerful Houses in the Realm. They have immense control over their vassals and only answer to the King of Aqoris. There are only five Great Houses at any given time, representing the five Regions of the Kingdom (including the Domainlands). Several of the current Great Houses ruled over their territory as independent Kings/Queens prior to the Foundation War by King Barden Boyce, however several Great Houses went extinct during this.

## The Great Houses

### Current Great Houses

* House Boyce- the royal house of the Kingdom of Aqoris since the Foundation War. The House is ruled by the King of Aqoris, Warren I Boyce. The heir is Prince Ronan Boyce, younger brother of the King.
* House Ross- rulers of the Southlands from the city of Sunderly. House Ross became a Great House sometime during the Age of Warriors or the Foundation Age after a stagnation of House Durham who became a major noble house instead. It's current head is Lord Ruban Ross, Adviser to The King.
* House Carlisle- rulers of the North from Carlisle. House Carlisle was instated as Wardens of the North after the extinction of House Syder during the Foundation War. It's current head is Lord Daltas Carlisle.
* House Rocke- rulers of the Lakelands from Ravenglass. House Rocke were former Kings of the Lake and fought the Battle of the Lake against King Barden Boyce, the Lakelanders lost but House Rocke was granted the title of Wardens of the Lake for their determination and courage displayed in the Battle. It's current head is Lord Kayl Rocke.
* House Slait- rulers of the Borderlands from Greycrest. House Slait was originally an Alba Clan as the Borderlands were once apart of Alba Territory but with the conquest during the Age of Warriors, Clan Slait surrendered to House Boyce and were given control over the borderlands in respect and formed an alliance between the two. House Slait has become more like the Houses of the North but still retain much of their Heritage. It's current head is Lord Randar Slait.

### Former Great Houses

* House Durham- former rulers of the Southlands from Durham. House Durham used to be a Great House and became the first Wardens of the South after allying with King Barden's House against House Highhard. They would rule over the Southlands until some point during the Age of Warriors or the late-Foundation Age, House Durham would stagnate and fall from power, causing House Ross to surpass them and be named as Wardens of the South. House Durham has seen a rise and since The War of the Bears where they briefly became a de-facto Great House again, the House has become very powerful once again under Lord Lorgan Durham.

### Extinct Great Houses

Two Great Houses have gone extinct, as a result of the Foundation War:

* House Syder- rulers of the North until they were defeated by the Boyce Army during the Foundation War. All of the men of House Syder died during the Siege of Carlisle and a leading officer in the Boyce Army was granted the seat of Carlisle.
* House Highhand - rulers of the Kingdom of Field (present-day Southlands) until they were defeated by King Barden Boyce and Southland Rebels (led by House Durham, House Tarbor and House Perle). The Noble Stewards of Sunderly, House Ross was given Sunderly by Barden but would not be elevated to Great House until the decline of House Durham.

## Heads of the Great Houses

### Royalist Aligned during the War of the Bears (337 AF - 338 AF)

During the Great Civil War, known as the War of The Bears, the Great Houses split into two separate factions; The Royalists under King Dannis I Boyce and the Rebels under Prince Keagan Boyce. Due to the allegiances of the Great Houses, both leaders chose their own Great Houses on the basis of who supported them. House Durham rebelled against King Dannis and House Ross so they were considered a Great House under Prince Keagan. Due to House Rocke's rebellion, King Dannis revoked their title as Wardens of the Lakelands and gave it to the only Royalist in the Lakelands, Lord Hugar of House Pyke; therefore had Dannis won House Pyke would have become a Great House, but are not considered as one.

King Dannis I Boyce
(head of House Boyce)Lord Rodrick Ross
(head of House Ross)Lord Tobin Slait
(head of House Slait)Lord Ethon Carlisle
(head of House Carlisle, after the Massacre of Newcastle)
### Rebel Aligned during the War of the Bears (337 AF - 338 AF)

Rebel Aligned Houses. Until the Massacre of Newcastle, there was only 3 as House Carlisle was aligned to the Royalists. House Durham is considered a de-facto Great House during the war but House Ross would once again become the Great House and Warden of the South after their surrender at the end of the war. No Borderlands Houses were aligned to Keagan so this was left vacant, House Slait became the Great House at the wars end like House Ross.

Prince Keagan Boyce
(head of House Boyce Rebels)Lord Wyllam Rocke
(head of House Rocke)Lord Daltas Carlisle
(head of House Carlisle, after the Massacre of Newcastle)
### In the reign of Harlow I Boyce (375 AF - 380 AF)

King Harlow Boyce
(head of House Boyce)Lord Ross
(head of House Ross)Lord Daltas Carlisle
(head of House Carlisle)Lord Anron Rocke
(head of House Rocke)Lord Martyn Slait
(head of House Slait)
### Current In the reign of Warren I Boyce (402 AF)

King Warren Boyce
(head of House Boyce)Lord Ruban Ross
(head of House Ross)Lord Daltas Carlisle
(head of House Carlisle)Lord Kayl Rocke
(head of House Rocke)Lord Randar Slait
(head of House Slait)