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The Noble Game—or simply the Game, as it's known—is Waterdeep's incarnation of the ages-old game of social power, political maneuvering, and societal machinations.

All nobles play the Game, whether they intend to or not. Indeed, the actions of those most contemptuous or abjuration of the Game can often influence it all the more. In simplest terms, the Game is about which House has the most social standing, relative to the other Houses. It is social currency, and those at the Crown of the Game are wealthy in it no matter their worldly coin.

The board upon which this Game is played is the Waterdhavian Social Season, a series of parties and other social events intended to permit the Houses opportunities to show off, show up their rivals, and in general make an impression.

Tiers Within The Game

The Throne

Houses who "sit the Throne" are the current winners of the Game. They are esteemed, mimicked, and courted in all things, and they have social currency to spare. Since it takes social currency to get there, there are some Houses that rise to the Throne over and over again. Generally speaking, no more than five Houses ever occupy this place, and there are never fewer than two who do so.


The Court

Houses that "bide the Court" are well-regarded, even if they're not on the very top of everything. These Houses are the most dangerous to those that sit the Throne, for they are hungry to take that position for themselves. There are usually anywhere from ten to twenty or so Houses that occupy this spot.


The Body

Most Houses occupy this position in the Game - they fail to stand out in any way, blending into the seething morass that is the population of little nobles in Waterdhavian society.


The Dregs

These Houses are the true misfortunates within the game. They are at the very bottom of the heap: ridiculed, scorned, and ignored. Those Houses that occupy this place are often those who have either earned the continued vehement scorn of one of the Throne Houses, or they are a House that actively ridicules the notion or has made enemies of the other Houses in some way.