(Words or phrases marked in bold have their own entries in the Auxiliary Volume.)
Throughout the Galaxy, among the five planetary settlements imposed by humanity so far, several factions, great and small, have tried to gain control over the economies available. Hundreds of years' worth of wars later, only seventeen have remained victorious; the remainder have all either collapsed into the fate of being forgotten forever or merged into the common class of citizens - never to rise again.
Within the seventeen champions, each House keeps the other sixteen at bay, ensuring both their own safety as well as a foothold on the thrones of power to continue retaining their ranks and reputation. Half the houses have never revealed their family titles, so that they can continue their operations anonymously. The named and known ones are as follows, arranged alphabetically: House Crest, House Faux, House Hull, House Theta, House Soy, House Tann, House Tron, House Will.
While some of the houses are slightly more superior than the others, they all have the same level of resources, knowledge and motivation - otherwise they'd be toppled over and eliminated, shrinking the numbers down to sixteen or fewer.
Some houses also have signed pacts with each other to remain allies in the case of conflicts from an opponent faction. Houses Crest-Hull-Tann form up the Reinen's Garden faction. Houses Faux-Theta-Soy have united as Pulsera's Wedding. Lastly, but only with the knowledge unveiled so far, Houses Tron-Will identify as the Whispering Dream. Who knows what sort of treaties and groups the faceless houses have banded as?