I'm not sure if "less" is a term I would use, not knowing how they are for you. It's a dance. One could be born of a lower caste, but have a deeper, darker resevoir of power to draw upon, which could make them more dominant than someone of a higher caste, or at least more of a threat should they choose to exercise that power. Who is dominant and who is submissive can change fluidly, dependant on the situation.

For instance, I am just a witch, the next to lowest caste of Blood females. But I wear a Jewel that only a handful of Blood, male or female, can match or beat for strength. That gives me power my social status and caste do not. I have a friend who is a Warlord Prince, the highest caste a male may be in. However, his Jewel strength is less than mine. Who leads? Who has dominance between us?

It's a constant dance. For sheer strength, I could win a fight, but the Blood respect social status and caste as well. If he chose to assert that caste status, it would be expected of me to give it consideration. But then the balance also sways in my favor in that we are a matriarchal society, so being female gives me more power. But he is an aristocrat and I am a former whore. So his social status trumps mine.

Who had power would depend utterly on the situation.

But for my Graysfang, he is young. He is only a Warlord. He wears a light Jewel. For him to challenge his Alpha would be foolish in the extreme and likely get him killed. Another Warlord Prince or a Warlord with a darker Jewel than the Alpha's, however, could, and I would assume that there are battles of that sort on as regular a basis as anywhere else.

ooc: *wry grin* No one's asked her this many questions before. She's practically glowing. And clearly chatty.