Chapter
The Chapterhouses — often called Ruling Houses or simply Chapters — were the six political affiliations of the various Great Houses of Gallifrey. (PROSE: The Ancestor Cell)
Each of the original six Chapters was founded at the anchoring of the thread (PROSE: The Book of the War) by one of the six legendary founders of Time Lord society: Rassilon, Omega, Pandak, the Other, Apeiron, and one other, possible Eutenoyar. (PROSE: The Infinity Doctors, The Ancestor Cell) The most prominent of the six was the Prydonian Chapter, whose members included more Lord Presidents (including the Doctor) 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, with the members of all six equally pale and complacent. (PROSE: The Book of the War)
During the War, political upheavals and social reforms on the Homeworld led to the six Ruling Houses' almost continual replacement as Newblood Houses were founded and other Ruling Houses rose and fell in importance. In 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)
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. (TV: The Deadly Assassin) 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 change 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)
