Editing EternalEmpire:Arqualan (section)

== Family ==


=== Structure ===

	Most Arqi belong to two families, the first composed of their immediate relatives; husband, wife, children, and not infrequently aunts, uncles, and grandparents, the second a much larger element that may encompass thousands of distant relatives and span huge geographical distances. 

	The first family, known as the '''lanto''', operates independently of the larger group. A lanto typically lives in the same home or immediate geographical area, and membership is more or less unconditional, barring extreme breaches of mores. Upon reaching marriage age, young men (approximately 22-25 years) are expected to take their wives (16-19 years) and immediately tend to the business of having children. If such matters are not already secure, they also are expected to quickly secure financial independence and property and homes of their own. Marriages are usually planned in advance by the parents. While love is expected to blossom, it is rarely a first consideration as economic interests, breeding (relations between wildly divergent parahumans, i.e, Crudag and Slees, are cause for scandal), and the forging of ties between families take precedence. The average number of children is about 5 per couple, although it is a regular occurrence to marry twice - almost always after the death of the spouse, as divorces are frowned upon.

	Increasingly, these norms are being challenged by the most recent generation, owing particularly to the dynamics of technological change and the transmission of foreign values brought about by the movements of peoples in trade and recent wars, but Arqi society is highly traditional and major changes are stenuously resisted.
	
	The larger family, or clade, is a more disparate social group called the '''comido'''. Clades have their own names representing an original genetic line (either historic or mytho-symbolic) from which many lanti have sprung. These have their roots back in Lenjic times and the earliest days of the Empire where large tribe-like social groups, usually based around important cities, were the source of considerable political and economic power. As the Empire has expanded and the number of clades increased, their power has diminished somewhat, although they remain a source of great pride and utility to their members. 

	Membership in a comido is not inviolable, however. On the frontiers of the empire, the effect of the clades is weak, as more reliance is placed on the individual and one’s immediate family and neighbors. Especially in isolated regions of the empire, many people have abandoned or forgotten the clades their families once belonged to. Occasionally, an individual or an entire family may be “evicted” from a clade because of some great disgrace or nefarious deed. Similarly, certain families and individuals may view their clades as degenerate or otherwise undesirable and abandon their membership entirely. 

Previously, it was tradition for husbands and wives to maintain their pre-marriage Clade names (if distinct), and while this is still the case in more traditional circles,  many people change their Clade affiliation upon marriage. Generally, the married couple decides the issue jointly, although the clade in question is under no obligation to allow new members. A few rare instances exist where a family has membership in two (or more) clades, but this situation is exceedingly rare and most clades do not allow dual membership. 


=== Societal Role ===

	The family is the most important institution in Arqi society, far more influential in everyday life than voluntary social organizations, the government, and even the church. 
In addition to the intangible benefits of historical roots in the strongly traditionalist Arqi society, clades provide material benefits to their members, including financial support, housing, and medical care in times of crisis; preferential treatment and discounts in business; support for political aspirations and legal disputes; and a network of contacts. As a result, the influence of clades remain strong throughout most of the Empire, and individuals feel strong bonds of obligation and loyalty to their clades, both in supporting their aforementioned activities and coming to the defense of fellow kinsmen. As the history of Arqualan witnesses, individuals are often more likely to stand by their comido than either the government or the church, and rival clades vying for power within the state remains an important factor in Arqi politics.