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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Greybar" data-source="post: 803106" data-attributes="member: 4938">House and ClanHousesThe Sunborn nobility is organized into Houses. The Houses are the most powerful social and cultural organizations within the Cities, and arguably in Haraivan culture. These Houses have precise structural boundaries that define where any sunborn stands in the social order, from the Matriarch to the newest daughter in the caste. It is quite possible for a Sunborn to rise in station by her deeds, but much expectation is made based upon her bloodline.There are generally several Houses in a given City. Of these, the Great Houses are those who rule the City, while the Lesser Houses can merely dream and scheme to rule. Traditionally, Houses claim descendance from one of the Eight Daughters, and most of the Great Houses claim elder descendance. A House that was a Great House in one city may have "sister houses" in other cities from their own lineage, which fulfill some ambassadorial purposes. There also are "splinter houses", where a division in a House has expelled a group to another city.Houses are physically represented by the buildings that occupy space in the tightly-built cities. A defilement of the buildings of the House is an attack on that House, and their design and beautification demonstrates their power and influence.In each House, below the lineage proper are the servants. Both Moonborn and Sunborn servants do much of the work that keeps both the personages and the physical structure of the Houses in the manner to which they are accustomed. Slaves rarely work in the Houses proper, unless a particularly choice high-born or high-skill slave was taken or condemned.Sunborn often have little understanding of the raucous and chaotic Clans of the Moonborn, though the wise treat them with respect. The lack of a clear and persistent leader of the Moonborn often frustrates them.ClansThe Moonborn organize themselves in much more chaotic a fashion than their Sunborn counterparts. While lineage is a matter of great pride for a Moonborn, what sets a great man apart is his confidence, his skills, and his deeds. Such a man calls to him a band, first usually from his kin, who share then in his glory. Particularly in his youth, he is expected to have martial skills and gain stature in the Kuriltai. (Those whose glory comes from bardic or artisan roots generally do not gain a following until late in a renowned career.) As his band grows, it eventually becomes recognized as a Clan by others, and its leader as a Clanhead. This is not at any defined boundary, but a matter of social respect. Many an arrogant young moonborn has tried to lay claim as a Clanhead, only to be laughed at in disrespect. A bard of sharp wit has been known to be the foil of many such a presumptuous man.Together, these Moonborn leaders convene a Council of Clans, before the Kuriltai and at any other time of great need. Bards travel over the lands surrounding the city, calling men to join with those they call Clanhead to come. Decisions are made by this council by a rough form of representative democracy, where a consensus is reached when Clanheads create a plurality, even if the measure of such is that of loud voices and demands.By contrast, Moonborn see the Sunborn as cold and ordered, caring only for lineage. But for centuries the Sunborn have effectively dominated the Moonborn. Thus there is a respect for the power of the Matriarch that may be more powerful than respect for the greatest of the Clanheads, but a respect that comes more from fear than love.Noble vs. CommonThe noble (or traditional) members of each society follow these archetypes most strongly.  There are certainly males within the cities, subservient to the Sunborn who control it.  There are also common-born women outside of the cities, under the political control of the Clanheads.  The farther you move from power, the less the distinction between Sunborn and Moonborn has real meaning.  Some women in far-flung villages may only speak the sun-tongue with their daughters in private "girl talk" and in ceremonies for Hara or the Daughters.  Some men working menial jobs in the city only speak the moon-tongue amongst themselves, and prejudice against its flowing accent might disadvantage them with their Sunborn bosses.</blockquote>

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