Imperial House

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An Imperial House is a collection of powerful Imperial Noble Families, often from several intermarried and interconnected groups of powerful sophonts.

  • All almost all houses possess multiple members of the Moot

Description (Specifications)[edit]

Houses form over generations as fortunes and wealth are concentrated into a single interlinked family spread over a number of worlds.

The leader of such an Imperial House is known as the Archon

History & Background (Dossier)[edit]

Houses almost all are founded on previous wealth, often from World-State Nobility or megacorporation leaders.

Noble Houses[edit]

Articles describing the families of the Imperial Nobility within the Third Imperium.

Typical Noble Hierarchy & Sequence[edit]

Typical Noble Elevation Sequence: The elevation and promotion of a noble and his or her family typically takes the following sequence and may take generations:

Noble Institutions[edit]

Noble Institutions
Institution Rank (SOC) Remarks
World-State Nobility
"Planetary Nobility"
"Local Nobility" 		C6/Nob:
9 - 10(A) 		World-State and/or Local Nobility (i.e. "Planetary Nobility") possess a bewildering variety of titles and power bases. These nobles often predate Imperial contact and they do not possess Imperial sanction, title, or recognition even if the Imperium negotiates with them. According to Imperial law, they have no official standings or, more to the point, they possess the official recognition of a foreign power and not an indigenous, friendly ally. Some are later elevated to greater recognition and status.

Most of the Imperial Gentry are considered to be equivalent to this level.

Imperial Clans
"Local Nobility" 		C6/Nob:
9 - 12(c) 		Imperial Clans hold an intermediate position between Imperial Noble Families and local world-state nobles. Many of these clans aspire to Imperial recognition and earn it through service or other means, thus acquiring Imperial title, but not always direct Imperial Sanction. Sometimes, organized multi-systemic interstellar powers have been known to acquire Imperial title and be recognized as Imperial clans, but not proper Imperial houses.

Most members of the Baronages and Hereditary Untitled Nobility fall within the upper strata of this level.

Imperial Noble Families C6/Nob:
12(C) - 15(f) 		Noble Families occupy a tier below the Landed Nobility proper and are recognized by the Emperor and the Third Imperium. They hold Imperial title and sanction. While having both Noble lands and properties, these lands are not granted in conjunction with associated regional administrative responsibilities as are the lands of proper "fiefs" in the sense that the lands of the Landed Nobility are. A Noble Family is created any time a hereditary Imperial title is granted as an Honour Title or Ceremonial Title to a non-Noble Imperial Citizen or member of the Imperial Gentry or Untitled Imperial Nobility and becoming a member of the Imperial Baronage or Peerage, but not Landed Nobility proper.

Most members of the Imperial Baronage and many of the Imperial Peerage occupy this level.

Landed Nobility
- "The Peerage" - 		C6/Nob:
12(C) - 16(G) 		Landed nobles are recognized by the Emperor and the Third Imperium. They hold Imperial title and sanction. Being a landed noble (peer) is practically a prerequisite to joining a Noble House although exceptions have been made. Landed Nobles are Imperial Noble Families whose landholdings are "fiefs" in the proper sense of the word, as they oversee and administer Imperial interests in these territories at the subsector and sector levels, as well as representing the associated fief-worlds before the Imperial Moot.

The Landed Nobility includes both the Imperial Landed Baronage and Imperial Peerage of Landed Marquises and higher.

Imperial Houses
- Noble Houses - 		C6/Nob:
13(D) - 16(G) 		Many Imperial Noble Families eventually seek to consolidate and increase their power and prestige through concerted efforts of intermarriage or other social institutions of obligation. These families eventually form Noble Houses, which pool the assets of many families into greater accumulations of power, ability, and resources.
  • Some have compared the machinations of the Noble Houses, Families, and Clans to the dance of Imperial corporations and megacorporations. Perhaps more accurately, the two are massively intertwined to the point where the political aspirations of nobles and the economic aspirations of corporations and megacorporations are practically one.
High Nobility C6/Nob:
15(f) - 16(G) 		The Third Imperium has been called a government of, by, and for Dukes. Even the lowest Ducal title is an enormous sign of Distinction. The elevation and promotion of a Duke typically follows the below sequence and often takes many, many generations:

Ducal Elevation Sequence:

Imperial Family
- Emperor - 		C6/Nob:
16(G) - 17(h/H) 		At the peak of the range of noble ranks is the Emperor (or "Karun") and the Imperial Family. The noble family may include princes, princesses, dowagers, and other noble titles. The spouse of an Emperor or Empress is technically the "Empress Consort" or "Emperor Consort" or "Prince Consort", but in common everyday usage the females are simply referred to as "Empress" but the males have an issue should their title be shortened; as to claim to be "Emperor" is treason!
Within the Imperial Family:
» The Heir Apparent will be bestowed the title of Grand Prince/Princess, or Karand.
» Other lesser Princes and Princesses use the title Saarpu or Galinir (or "Lin" for short).
  • The Emperor is the ultimate object of thousands upon thousands of oaths of loyalty and fealty from the nobility. All of the Emperor's subjects number in the quadrillions...

Library Data Referral Tree[edit]

Third Imperium

§ == ( Please refer to the following AAB Library Data for more information: ) == §

Third Imperium


References & Contributors (Sources)[edit]

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Mongoose Publishing or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.
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