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In the Final Empire, or at least the Luthadel we see in the books, named classifications of houses seem to only come in two varieties: the Great Houses, and everyone else. That's fine for the books, but here in the RP, it's helpful to have a few more specific categories into which we can sort our houses so that it's easier for everyone to know who stands where. The categories in the House Classification System have been designed to do just that. Please note the minimum socioeconomic rating for each category when classifying your house.
Great House – The pinnacle of wealth and success, Great Houses have amassed massive enough fortunes to build and maintain keeps in the Imperial capital of Luthadel. The single greatest political and economic entities in the entire nobility, the Great Houses control much of the Empire's trade and political climate. The minimum socioeconomic rating for a Great House is a 7.
High House – The pseudo-equivalent of each Dominance's own Great Houses. These do not exist in the Central Dominance. In terms of wealth and power, they rank equal to or slightly above Luthadel's Major Houses. The minimum socioeconomic rating for a High House is a 6. *NOTE: As no High Houses exist in the Central Dominance, the only way to play one is if the character's house is still based in another Dominance.
Major House – While not rich or powerful enough to achieve Great House status (or in other Dominances, High House status), Major Houses are by no means poor. They live in comfort, run successful trades, and wield a respectable amount of political power. The minimum socioeconomic rating for a Major House is a 5.
Minor House – The vast majority of noble families in the Final Empire are Minor Houses. Some have to work for every clip they own, while the most successful are able to live in some level of comfort, but they hold little true political power.
Vassal House – Vassal Houses have either been bought out by a larger house, or else have been working for that house so long that the larger house practically owns them (in some cases, where a contract is involved, the larger house actually does). This, however, can be a relatively good position for a Minor House: while normally weak and vulnerable on its own, becoming a vassal to a Great House offers a significant amount of security and stability. There is, however, the small price of sacrificing its autonomy entirely. When classifying a Vassal House, the player must specify to which larger house their house is a vassal. The player must also first get permission from the player in charge of the larger house.
Niche House – These houses fill a specific need, or niche, that is too specialized to propel them to Great House status. Depending on the niche, though, many houses of this classification can be quite successful, and if they expand their trade, could potentially stand a good chance of climbing upwards. This, however, is quite a gamble, and thus is not done very often.
