The Great Houses of the Imperium are the most powerful forces within the government. Together they are stronger then the Imperial House, which ensures their position. Individually they are not, however, overly powerful. The Great Houses have the power to meet and contest dicisions of the Imperial House and the Council of Jinn. Even the Imperial House does not have the power to contest the Council. The intricate system of checks and balances created by the individual interests of each house is staggering. If even one of the powers gained an upper hand there would be a complete upheaval. The Great Houses are instrumental in keeping this balance, but only when they are capable of working together. There are hundreds of Great Houses situated througout the Fraal Imperium.
The Minor Houses of the Imperial make up the backbone of Fraal civilization. They do all of the work, fight the wars, and worship in temples. They are the general populace. There are hundreds of thousands of Minor Houses within the Imperium. Each House is a seperate family, along with any extended family that might pledge themselves to a certain House. There are many Minor Houses who pledge themselves to the Great Houses for the benefits of their protection, resources, and hope of advancing on the social ladder.
