Ishgardian Nobility.

[Kauthryn]

Hi, I'm aware of the fact there are four great houses that are extant, but does this mean that the four great houses equate the upper peerage with lesser houses serving beneath them?

In other words, to put it in a kind of A Song of Ice and Fire terminology, are the Fortemps like the Starks and then do they have Boltons, Karstarks, Umbers, Manderlys, etc beneath them? Or is Ishgardian nobility only defined by the major houses?

[WyrahFhurrst]

It certainly does! We know that the Aesthetician is from an off-shoot family from Dzemael, so it's probable to think that others exist and are in service to the greater houses.

[Atoli]

Yes, there are lower houses as referenced in several side quests (although I didn't keep a list of names or anything, so sorry about that).
Many of them, actually. Not so sure about the serving part, but they definitely try to impress members of the 4 higher families and kiss their noble behinds to gain more influence and stuff like that.
From what I get, each of the higher families is in charge of a certain 'organisation' or area, so for example, Dzemael and Durendaire lead the rebuilt of Falconnest, the house of Dzemael is responsible for law-keeping inside Ishgard, and so on.
And appearently, the lower houses serve as knights under the leadership of the higher houses.

[Kauthryn]

Yes, there are lower houses as referenced in several side quests (although I didn't keep a list of names or anything, so sorry about that).
Many of them, actually. Not so sure about the serving part, but they definitely try to impress members of the 4 higher families and kiss their noble behinds to gain more influence and stuff like that.
From what I get, each of the higher families is in charge of a certain 'organisation' or area, so for example, Dzemael and Durendaire lead the rebuilt of Falconnest, the house of Dzemael is responsible for law-keeping inside Ishgard, and so on.
And appearently, the lower houses serve as knights under the leadership of the higher houses.

Alright, thank both of you. I was fairly certain it worked that way but a lot of the side quests blurred together for me. I'll be sure to pay more attention the second time through.