This is a SHORT summary of the five preeminent noble houses of Ardania, in highest to lowest rank.

St Clair - The byword is "Honor" and the St Clairs live and die by it. They are both royalists (which annoys the Church) and pious (which annoys the Crown). Founded by Samuel St Clair, a Paladin who slew a Demon Prince. Because they are so Lawful-Good, they are quite hard to emmesh in the political games which the other houses use to establish pecking order. It is generally believed that if the St Clairs were to get off their high horse and make use of the magical resources their forefathers cached following the Wizard Wars, they would be able to pretty much bend the other houses in knots.

Fox - Descendents of the Ranger Vallyn Fox, who was a great general in the war to defeat the Necromancer Benden and his undead legions. The Foxes have many ties to the Royal family, and are stauch supporters of the Crown. The Fox family and the Church are often at odds... after the Wizard Wars the Foxes refused to hand over their magical assets to the Church for destruction, and this started several hundred years of arguments. As long as they enjoy the friendship of the King, they can get away with mild abuses of the clergy without fear of retaliation.

Harville - Descendents of Thomas Harville, a priest who was instrumental in defeating several wizards in the Wizard Wars. VERY tight with the Church, and anyone who crosses the Harvilles risks attack by the Inquisitors of the Church. And vice-versa... the Harvilles make sure that heretics and practioners of magic can receive no comfort from civil authorities. The Harvilles have several feuds going with the Fox clan.

Thorpe - Descendents of a great warrior -- Edgar Thorpe -- another hero of the War. The Thorpes have many ties to the growing commercial (middle) class, and their first priority remains the health of business and trade. They support the status quo, and often ally themselves with the St Clairs -- their wealth and the St Clairs power can put an incredible amount of pressure on either Crown or Church -- if they feel the need to apply it.

De Grey - It is rumored that changeling blood runs thick in the De Grey veins. Highly charismatic, and with a history of decadance, they fascinate and repel the other Houses. Founded by Princess Caitlin de Grey of the Western Kingdom, who married a Bard from the Royal Family. Their descendents' stock-in-trade is Secrets, and no one can touch them in affairs of secrecy. It is generally held that going up against a De Grey is social suicide -- the only people who seem to have much success are the St Clairs, who can attack the De Greys without fearing that their secrets will be made public and ruin them (since there are quite a few St Clairs who lead absolutely pure and blameless (boring) lives). The De Grey Clan dabbles in everything the Church dislikes, and several times a generation loses family members to the Inquisitors bonfires. The Church never goes after the leaders, though.... the Church, after all, has its secrets too.