Exultants are the highest nobility in the social class structure of the Commonwealth. Female exultants are addressed as "chatelaine".
This is the only class which is not only a social construct; exultants are physically taller than other people, with women averaging around 6'11" and men 7'3". This might be due to genetic enhancements; however, Jonas suggests that they are the most recent to arrive on Urth, perhaps implying that they are descendants of invaders from space.
At any rate, exultants place much pride in their ancient lineage, and a list of all exultant family names can be found in the Book of Exulted Families. This books is 746 pages long, with an average of two names per page, so there are around 1492 exultant families.
The exultant class holds many high offices in the Commonwealth, and it is in direct conflict with the Phoenix Throne for power of the land; because of this, exultants cannot become autarch, and the autarch keeps a concubine from each exultant family in his Well of Orchids in the House Absolute to keep the families under control.
Known members[]
- Thecla
- Thea
- Abdiesus
- Barbea
- Erblon
- Domnina
- Egino
- Gracia
- Guibert
- Lelia
- Leocadia
- Lollian
- Mannea
- Nympha
- Talarican
- Ultan
- Vodalus
- Catherine (possibly)