For many generations the Su'ndi followed a hereditary system of nobility. Nobles were those who had membership in a House and membership in a House was strictly limited to those who had one of the recognised bloodlines. Traditionally nobility required that you could claim descent from one of the tribesmen or women who worked alongside either Sessina or Tullian during the early history of the Su'ndi peoples. There was a tradition of establishing new houses around a particularly worthy man or woman but such practices became fewer and fewer as the years continued.
The nobility were almost completely seperated from the rest of Su'ndi society. The common folk were little more than slaves and labourers who could be used and abused in whatever way the nobility saw fit. The only law was the law of the Noble counsel - any crime committed by a noble man or woman would be brought before the council and the heads of the Noble Houses would vote on how to proceed. For common men and women justice was delivered by a Justice nominated by this same council. The Nobility were in turn ruled by the House of the Exalted Line (the most directly related to Sessina). The Emporers and Empresses that led this House eventually became so powerful that even the nobility could be considered to be their servants. With no reins to hold them back the Exulted Bloodline became increasingly depraved.
At some point during these years a group of nobles banded together to form the Blue Finch party. These nobles worked tirelessly behind the scenes with "common supporters" to change the structure of the empire for the betterment of the individual.
It was during the rule of an Empress named Sirita that the Blue Finch Party finally managed to change the deeply corrupt rulership of the noble classes. Sirita signed a document that would allow those without noble bloodlines to form Houses of their own as long as an expensive and difficult House forming process was followed. She felt confident that few commoners could afford the transition and put little thought into any possible repercussions.
At this point the Blue Finch Party showed its full strength to the world. Party members are said to have bankrupted themselves to assist families in their move from commoner to Citizen. "Commoner" Houses popped up in numbers that Sirita never imagined and when she finally died the nobility was dangerously weakened.
It was during the rule of her grandson Emporer Ronat that nobility finally drew its final gasp. Ronat raped and killed a popular entertainer. When the Blue Finch Party Governor called for a vote whilst her death was still fresh in the minds o the people the council (now more common than noble) voted for the abolishment of Imperial power. The title of Emporer and Empress, Lord and Lady struck from the Su'ndi records and the true age of civilisation began.
When the council tried to force Emporer Ronat, the House of the Imperial line and all Nobles to accept the same status as any other House the Su'ndari realms saw a level of upheaval unknown since the great civil war that originally resulted in the founding of a noble class. Full war threatened for several years before the supporters of the Blue Finch party walked away triumphant.
Ever since that day status in the Council has been based upon personal popularity and success rather than the virtues of bloodline and noble title. Everyone gets an equal vote and the Governor's powers were severely limited. The Su'ndarians still call themselves an Empire but it has been a long time since someone with noble bloodlines held power simply by the virtue of his blood.
