The Great Houses are the ruling powers of the fictional BattleTech universe. They lead and govern each of the five Successor States, huge inter-planetary nations that are perpetually at war with one another. Their bloodlines extend back several hundred years, prior to the formation of the Star League in 2571. The Great Houses are: * House Davion (Federated Suns) * House Kurita (Draconis Combine) * House Liao (Capellan Confederation) * House Marik (Free Worlds Alliance) * House Steiner (Lyran Commonwealth/Lyran Alliance)