[quote=@Ellri]
The one thing our system doesn't cover too well is branched families. i.e. When does a side branch "come into its own" and become its own house?

Thoughts?

Naturally this system also doesn't take into account the actual power of any family compared to others. we can quite probably end up having families firmly belonging in lesser nobility (or side branches thereof) yet having the same or greater power than a family in high nobility.
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I would likely say when a higher up acknowledges them as such in my mind. That's usually when it's official and actually matters the most, because when one higher up recognizes that then others begin to. However, that's just my vague thinking.