Great Houses

The Meridian of Stars' Eternal is home to dozens of Houses, many of which are steeped in tradition and history and have existed for hundreds of rotations or longer. The combined strength and influence that the Houses wield is awe inspiring, but cooperation between them is not always an easy prospect. The Houses are the gears of the Meridian, they form the guilds, the markets, the military, and it is they who give the citizens of the empire their purpose.
But it is the Great Houses that rise above the rest, the elite of the Meridian. A Great House is made when the goddess Astralshaper recognizes the House's substantial contributions to the Meridian and blesses it with ascension and the right to operate within the Imperial City. In past rotations, this also meant that the House would be permitted to gather their wisest, cleverest, or powerful individuals to join the Celestial Assemblies within the Astropolis, to advise Astralshaper on matters of state or that Great House's particular expertise if she wanted it.
In modern nights, the Great Houses technically fall under the domain of the Regent Vicarvoyancy Assembly, but the Vicarvoyancy has proved unable to fully control the actions of the unruly Great Houses.
Such prestige is rarely gone unexploited by the Great Houses, who would regularly impress their wealth and status upon minor Houses - mostly to the benefit of the Great House - and take them under their figurative wing as a subsidiary House. Indeed, this is largely the case, as when a new minor House is formed, it is pressured into aligning with a Great House. The benefits of alliance simply cannot be overlooked, and the consequences of neutrality or independence are an unspoken, but dire truth for any House. Without the protection of a Great House, those same Great Houses will descend upon them - and especially their assets - like ravenous vultures.
While the Great Houses were designed to be an efficient method for Astralshaper to control the vast and byzantine Meridian, within the last fifty rotations, due to Her isolation and seeming lack of interest in the operations of the Meridian, the Great Houses have mobilized, searching for any opportunity to seize more power and influence within the Meridian. Some of them believe that when their goddess returns, it is they who should be her right claw; others wish to maintain the stability and peace they've enjoyed for hundreds of rotations; and others still wish to topple the Meridian and rule it for themselves.

Public Agenda

The Great Houses possess many resources at their disposal and their agendas vary greatly, some public and well understood, others unknowable.

Founding Date

0.0R

Type

Geopolitical, Great house