Chapter
The Chapters of Gallifrey — often called ruling Houses, colleges, or occasionally Chapterhouses — were the Great Houses closest to the Lord President.
The original Chapters =
A representative from each of the original six ruling Houses was present at the anchoring of the thread. (PROSE: The Book of the War) Each college was founded by one of the six legendary founders of Time Lord society: [source needed] Rassilon, Omega, Pandak, the Other, Apeiron, and one other, possibly Eutenoyar. (PROSE: The Infinity Doctors, The Ancestor Cell)
The most prominent of the original Chapters was the Prydonian Chapter, whose members included more Lord Presidents than any other Chapter. Its significance was closely followed by the Arcalian and Patrex Chapters. The Dromeian, Cerulean, and Scendeles Chapters were overshadowed by the others. (TV: The Deadly Assassin) These original ruling Houses were almost indistinguishable; The Book of the War said the members of all six were "equally pale and complacent". (PROSE: The Book of the War)
The heads of the Chapters were the Lord Cardinals, and the chief of these in a chapter was known as the Cardinal Prime. (PROSE: Lungbarrow) Both Lenadi and Borusa served as Cardinal Prime of the Prydonian Chapter. (TV: The Deadly Assassin, PROSE: Lungbarrow)
According to Commander Hallan, marriage was a way of strengthening the bonds between Houses and Chapters. (AUDIO: Spirit)
Ceremonial colours
Each Chapter had its own dominant colour and wore robes of that colour during ceremonial occasions, such as the inauguration of a new Lord President. Prydonians used scarlet and orange. Arcalians used green. Patrexes used heliotrope. (TV: The Deadly Assassin) Dromeians used silver-grey and Ceruleans, as the name would indicate, used blue. (PROSE: Lungbarrow) The Scendeles ceremonial robes ranged from a light pink to a darker shade of red. (PROSE: The Ancestor Cell) The colour gold was reserved for the Gold Usher. (TV: The Deadly Assassin)
During the War
During the War, political upheavals and social reforms on the Homeworld led to almost continual replacement of the ruling Houses as Newblood Houses were founded and other Houses rose and fell in importance. By the War's fifieth year, the six ruling Houses were the three traditional, political Houses Dvora, Tracolix, and Lineacrux, along with the three military Houses Arpexia, Xianthellipse, and Mirraflex. (PROSE: The Book of the War)
