Kinship Patterns
Human
Humans in the Second Realm generally use an ambilineal kinship system in which a person belongs to their father's and/or mother's descent group.
□ | = subject of chart |
△ | = male |
〇 | = female |
GF | = grandfather |
GM | = grandmother |
Un | = uncle |
Au | = aunt |
Fa | = father |
Mo | = mother |
Br | = brother |
Si | = sister |
Co | = cousin |
△ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | |||||||||||||||
GF | | | GM | GF | | | GM | |||||||||||||||
┌ | ─ | ┼ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ┐ | ┌ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ┼ | ─ | ┐ | |||||
△ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | ||||||
Un | | | Au | Un | | | Au | Fr | | | Mo | Un | | | Au | Un | | | Au | ||||||
┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ┌ | ─ | ┼ | ─ | ┐ | ┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ||||
△ | 〇 | △ | 〇 | △ | □ | 〇 | △ | 〇 | △ | 〇 | ||||||||||
Co | Co | Co | Co | Br | X | Si | Co | Co | Co | Co |
For marriage purposes, an individual must select a partner from outside of both of their parents' lineages.
Upon becoming an adult (usualy at the age of 16), an individual chooses to be part of either their father's or mother's lineage. This choice is irrevocable and determines inheritance.
Upon the death of a parent, that parent's half of the property passes to any children who have claimed that parent's lineage. If no child has claimed a deceased parent's lineage then the property passes to the nearest relative in that parent's lineage.
Shi
The Shi have a strong matrilineal descent system with minimal recognition of the father's role. The Shen language does not even have a word for "father". The male parent is referred to as "uncle" along with any of the mother's male siblings (though often the biological father is referred to as "best uncle"). A person is not considered to be related to any of their biological father's relatives.
□ | = subject of chart |
△ | = male |
〇 | = female |
Un | = uncle |
GM | = grandmother |
Au | = aunt |
Mo | = mother |
Br | = brother |
Si | = sister |
Ne | = nephew |
Ni | = niece |
△ | ╤ | 〇 | ||||||||
Un | | | GM | ||||||||
┌ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ┼ | ─ | ─ | ┐ | ||
△ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ||||
Un | | | Au | Un | | | Mo | Un | ||||
┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ┌ | ─ | ┼ | ─ | ┐ | |||
△ | 〇 | △ | □ | 〇 | ╤ | △ | ||||
Co | Co | Br | X | Si | | | |||||
┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ||||||||
△ | 〇 | |||||||||
Ne | Ni |
Upon a mother's death all of her property is divided up equally among her daughters. It is generally expected that the daughters will provide care for a widowed "best uncle"
Aityan
The Aityan have a kinship system which makes a distinction between cross and parallel cousins. Parallel cousins (the children of father's brother or mother's sister) are considered to be siblings, whereas cross cousins (the children of father's sister or mother's brother) are considered cousins.
Similarly, the children of a man's brother are considered to be his children as well, and the children of a woman's sister are considered to be her children.
□ | = subject of chart |
△ | = male |
〇 | = female |
GF | = grandfather |
GM | = grandmother |
Un | = uncle |
Au | = aunt |
Fa | = father |
Mo | = mother |
Br | = brother |
Si | = sister |
Co | = cousin |
△ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | |||||||||||||||
GF | | | GM | GF | | | GM | |||||||||||||||
┌ | ─ | ┼ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ┐ | ┌ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ─ | ┼ | ─ | ┐ | |||||
△ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | △ | ╤ | 〇 | ||||||
Un | | | Au | Fr | | | Au | Fr | | | Mo | Un | | | Mo | Un | | | Au | ||||||
┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ┌ | ─ | ┼ | ─ | ┐ | ┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ┌ | ┴ | ┐ | ||||
△ | 〇 | △ | 〇 | △ | □ | 〇 | △ | 〇 | △ | 〇 | ||||||||||
Co | Co | Br | Si | Br | ego | Si | Br | Si | Co | Co |
Siluan
Because of the near total lack of cohesive family life, the Siluan have a very limited concept of kinship. That being said, they do memorize their lineage from both parental lines and avoid having children when there are known common ancestors. The Siluan also have no consistent pattern of inheritance.
□ | = subject of chart |
△ | = male |
〇 | = female |
Fa | = parent |
Mo | = parent |
△ | ╤ | 〇 | ||||
Fa | | | Mo | ||||
□ | ||||||
X |
When living among other races in less lethal environments, the Siluan tend to take on the kinship and inheritance patterns of those cultures.