Despite the all-ecompassing control of the God-Empress Sloane, there are a number of Noble Families within the Empire: those who have, over the generations of her reign, elevated themselves -- and in some cases, those who are descended from original followers.
Of these, there are three Divisions in the families:
The Royals, or -- those who are considered to be so closely-aligned with the Empress’ Might that She has made them Divine Royalty. They are not Godlings as Sloane, her wives, and her children are. Instead, they are as close as a mortal being can get to such power. They may do as they please; their wills may only be surpassed by those of the actual Divinities.
There are the High Nobles next, and these are the families who are, well. Of high nobility. They are useful, they are loyal, and they have proven themselves. This is where many political plays take place, as Royals are only made from the ranks of the High Nobles. Of course, very few of them seem to realize that this was a deliberate mechanism to start infighting -- to see the sparks burn out before they can ignite into wildfires.
Then there are the lowest of the Noble Families, those who are Lesser Nobles. They may not be as rich or powerful as those above them, and in some cases they are barely more than citizens who have been given a new position in exchange for some favor. Notably, however, Lesser Nobles are those elevated from the lower classes; it is well known, for example, that the Brandei family of nobility extends from a particularly smart-thinking hunter of anomalies.
In order, the Families themselves, with theme songs (that I can elaborate on if someone wants but i could ramble about themes forever):
-> The Bessompierres, of course. ( Their theme in my brain is Shiver by San Fermin).
The Royals:
- Rightknife Family ( headed by Kaine. Their song is Come Join The Murder by White Buffalo. This is the smallest of all the families; it literally only consists of Kaine and her wife Shizuna Sano, as their daughter Requiem has been accepted as Isra’s bride.)
- Ireno Family ( headed by Oerinnys & her husband, Archmage Pthonus. Their song is Carrion Comfort by aeseaes.)
- Salve Family ( headed by Candy. Their theme is Song For A Siren by The Jane Austen Argument.)
- Carpo Family ( headed by ... Carpo. Their theme is Wires by The Neighborhood -- which might tell you a little bit about how the family got to where it is.)
The High Nobility:
- The Gavendets (headed by Teague, which is all kinds of scandalous because Teague technically may have committed a minor bit of treason when she plotted against the Empress. The family’s theme is Feed The Machine by Poor Man’s Poison).
- The Wulfeyes ( headed by Rhysande. Very mysterious family. Nobody knows much about these people. This is likely by design. Their theme is Inside Of You In Spite Of You by thoushaltnot. )
- The Brightwells (headed by Antonia Brightwell. Magical scions. Inventors of many things, including much of the strange biotech that runs in the empire. Their theme song is Todos pasan por mi rancho by El Cuarteto De Nos. Much like the Carpo theme, the Brightwell theme gives a bit of the game away with the family’s oddities.)
- The Silgarrio family (Headed by Mishka. Old blood. Mishka’s ancestors were present when the Empire was formed, or so they believe. Their theme is Fly On The Windscreen by Depeche Mode.)
The Low Nobility:
- The Zathaii ( headed by Mirielle, who inherited after the death of her husband. Their theme is One Day The Only Butterflies Left ... by Bring Me The Horizon.)
- The Wyghts ( headed by the painted assassin duo of Deathknell and Grimdark. What they actually do is unknown, because it’s generally agreed that their assassin getup is too conspicuous. Their theme is Mr. Crowley by Ozzy Osbourne! )
And finally ...
- the Coranthians (headed by Cora, who inherited the name “cora” upon taking over the family when her parents died. They’re oddly diplomatic, and tend to be peaceful, not wanting to engage in the same nonsense as the other families. Their theme is Small Blue Thing by Suzanne Vega.)
... if you made it to the bottom of this post, bless you lmfao. as a result the first person to note me with their favorite song off this list will get a free little scribble, either anthro, gijinka or regular.