The Comyn are a type of hereditary aristocracy, whose social structure strongly resembles that of the feudal system in Europe during the Middle Ages. The core of the Comyn is made up of the ruling families of the Seven Domains.

It is entirely possible for the illegitimate child of a Comyn lord to sit in Council, provided that he is recognized by the Council. This recognition is one of the many powers of the Comyn Council. The definition of Comyn is broad enough that a distant relative of one of the seven principal families can be admitted to the Council. In fact, possession of laran is the real determining factor. A Comyn carries the mark of Comyn, a sort of tattoo made somewhere on the wrist burned on with a matrix at the time of their laran testing.

Ordinarily a Comyn has laran. However, the telepathic capacities of some Comyn are very limited, or seemingly nonexistent. Many of the Comyn do have a high and noble vision of their purpose. They believe that they do not deserve their privileges unless they serve the people of Darkover.

Comyn ladies do not travel in public without an escort, and no Comyn lady with exception of the Keeper of Arilinn rides alone on the trails.

Hastur of Elhalyn: It is said that the Hastur family, ruling the smallest of the Domains by the sea, united the Comyn even before the influence of Varzil the Good brought about the Compact. Once known as the Kings of Hali they shared the thrown with the line of Hastur of Hastur. Heavily inbreed, for the last several centuries the Elhalyns have had a reputation for being slightly insane, or worse. The King of Darkover, or in the case of the current ruler the Princess Regent, of the Elhalyn Dominion, is rightly said to be "warming the thrown with his royal behind, which is about all he is good for."

Hastur of Hastur: The most powerful of the Domains, seated in the south, is Hastur of Hastur. The most powerful leroni come from there, and the most politically savvy rulers. By tradition the Regent of the Comyn Council is the head of the Hastur Domain. Often thought of as arrogant, they do not take well to having their authority questioned. The puppet masters behind the Elhalyns.

Ardais of Ardais: At the knees of the Hellers, straddling the mountains and the Kilghards is the Ardais Domain. Home to the oldest of Darkover's cities, Neskaya, it is also thought of as one of the most conservative. The Ardais have the highest percentage of Cristoforo among their people because of it's proximity to Nevarsin. The men of Ardais have a long standing hatred of the Aldarans.

Aillard of Valeron: On the banks of the River Valeron and the shores of the Sea of Dalereuth rests the Aillard Domain. An enigma in Darkovan history, it is the only place where women truly hold sway, the Aillard Domain passes through the female line, and a man marrying an Aillard women knows that his children will get her name, not his, and they will inherit in her name, not his. Strangely, one of the more conservative domains next to Ardais, many a Lady of Valeron feels the need to be supportive of every tradition lest someone decide her tradition should be the next to go.

Alton of Armida: One of the most powerful Dominions, and geographically the largest is the Alton Dominion of the Kilghard Hills. Known for their strong wills and fowl tempers, the Altons are a force to be dealt with. One of the more liberal families, there has been a backlash recently among some of them because of the sandal caused by the Forbidden Tower and the sexual freedom they held at Armida. Lord Alton or one of his close kin is always Commander of the Thendara Guard.

Ridenow of Serrais: The Ridenows were not Comyn, but invaders that took over Serrais and intermarried with the other great families. They have a lot of Dry Town blood and many of this family are blonde and fair. They tend to keep their women more secluded than other Domains, but they do not chain them as they do in the Dry Towns. Many Ridenows feel the need to be "more Comyn than the Comyn".

Aldaran of Aldaran: No one really knows why the seventh great Comyn house was thrown out of the Comyn Council, but one reason might have been that they never signed the Compact.

Hellers folk are more forward than those in the Valley and many of the mountain noble families exercise more independence from their Aldaran Lords than most Kilghards or Valley minor houses.

The spare settlements north of Serrais and west of the Hellers are perhaps the most alien to both the Terrans and the rest of Darkover. The ill tempered inhabitants chain their women together in great harems. A man's wealth is gauged by how many wives he can support.

A woman's value to her husband is judged by how short her chains are, the more value, the shorter they are.