Noble Houses  Of the many noble houses throughout the Known
Worlds, five have achieved prominence and effectively rule most
of Human Space — under their new Emperor, of course. The Emperor
Wars took a toll on many of these houses: the losers now
struggle to regain lost lands or power, while the victors fight
to ensure that their rivals stay down.  The life of a noble is
not the leisurely idyll one might expect: there are fiefs to
manage, rivals to crush and wars to wage. While there is much
power to be gained, there is always the risk of humiliation or
loss of holdings and position. It is no wonder that they know
how to party: their gala affairs are lavish and awe-inspiring —
but also rife with intrigue, innuendo, back-stabbing and even
sword dueling. To escape such pressures, noble sons and
daughters often take to the stars with only a small entourage of
friends and retainers, to better know the worlds they wish to
one day rule.  The five major houses (called the Royal Houses)
are:  Istakrian Nights  Noble H