The Mods (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} mysteria_mods) wrote,@ 2007-12-09 18:40:00 |
 |
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Life in a Noble House
The family unit is an important part of fey life. While some fey choose to set out on their own, breaking ties to families and becoming wanderers without a place to belong, most remain vital members of their house or kelir, enjoying the prestige and support that only family can offer.
In the seelie and unseelie courts, family name and lineage are important. Genealogy adds another layer of structure and hierarchy to the self-concerned courtiers, from orphans to the queen herself. Like the court's own ruling system, the structure of the family is generally matriarchal. While a gentle noblewoman mounted on horseback and protected by male escorts may seem like a delicate vision, in reality she could be a cold and ruthless matron, riding in command of her familial forces.
Within each family, the matriarch leads the kelir, making or approving all decisions regarding alliances, marriages, and court announcements. In addition to possessing high levels of magic, the matriarch also controls the many magical treasures belonging to the family. Family members who try to undermine the matriarch's rules will find themselves disciplined most unpleasantly.
In addition to the matriarch, there are two other positions of importance in the family: the co'matri and the kelir heir. The co'matri is generally around the same age as the matriarch, and is perhaps a sister or cousin. The co'matri concerns herself with the daily running of the families estates. She is a steward of sorts, who reports regularly to the matriarch on the state of the kelir's holdings.
The kelir heir is appointed by the matriarch when she is within a century of stepping down for her position. The heir, who must already be a courtier, is then expected to devote her time to learning the finer points of courtly intrigue and increasing her magical abilities. A matriarch must be strong to keep a family of self-involved fey bound into a cohesive unit, and it falls to the heir to prove herself during the time of training. If the heir proves weak, another female may challenge her.
In seelie kelirs, most families accept their matriarch and allow her to guide them as long as she chooses. An unseelie matriarch, on the other hand, can be challenged every hundred years to a quest of skill, cunning, and strength. The victor usually banishes the rival or imprisons her. In some cases, ambitious family members choose not to wait until the next quest time; they instead take care of the matriarch permanently and claim the matriarchy for themselves. Of course, informal challenges and threats from within and without the kelir are not uncommon. Attempted assassinations typically take the form of poisonings, arranged "accidents," or direct attacks by hired killers.
Because of numerous feuds and fallings out with past queens, only several dozen houses remain that can claim noble kelir status. Once a queen has declared a kelir disgraced, the family must wait for either a new matriarch to become head of the family, or for a new queen to ascend the throne before seeking a boon to change the status of the house. Since both options can take thousands of years, many fey of the family simply leave to seek their fortunes in other realms.
The matriarch of a noble house will generally concern herself with the many intrigues of the court. The prestige of the family falls to her to maintain and increase. The running of the estate is left to the co'matri, a title bestowed by the matriarch on the second most powerful female in the family. By, in effect, banishing the co'matri to the estate, the matriarch places the family's holdings in competent hands while ensuring her closest family rival is kept away from the queen and other important court dignitaries.
For fey families who are not a part of the Seelie or Unseelie courts, life is filled with the activities of a country life. Wild hunts, celebrations and balls held on the family estate are opportunities to impress neighbors or visitors from other realms. There are castles to grow, lands to create and miniature realms to rule.
The family unit is an important part of fey life. While some fey choose to set out on their own, breaking ties to families and becoming wanderers without a place to belong, most remain vital members of their house or kelir, enjoying the prestige and support that only family can offer.
In the seelie and unseelie courts, family name and lineage are important. Genealogy adds another layer of structure and hierarchy to the self-concerned courtiers, from orphans to the queen herself. Like the court's own ruling system, the structure of the family is generally matriarchal. While a gentle noblewoman mounted on horseback and protected by male escorts may seem like a delicate vision, in reality she could be a cold and ruthless matron, riding in command of her familial forces.
Within each family, the matriarch leads the kelir, making or approving all decisions regarding alliances, marriages, and court announcements. In addition to possessing high levels of magic, the matriarch also controls the many magical treasures belonging to the family. Family members who try to undermine the matriarch's rules will find themselves disciplined most unpleasantly.
In addition to the matriarch, there are two other positions of importance in the family: the co'matri and the kelir heir. The co'matri is generally around the same age as the matriarch, and is perhaps a sister or cousin. The co'matri concerns herself with the daily running of the families estates. She is a steward of sorts, who reports regularly to the matriarch on the state of the kelir's holdings.
The kelir heir is appointed by the matriarch when she is within a century of stepping down for her position. The heir, who must already be a courtier, is then expected to devote her time to learning the finer points of courtly intrigue and increasing her magical abilities. A matriarch must be strong to keep a family of self-involved fey bound into a cohesive unit, and it falls to the heir to prove herself during the time of training. If the heir proves weak, another female may challenge her.
In seelie kelirs, most families accept their matriarch and allow her to guide them as long as she chooses. An unseelie matriarch, on the other hand, can be challenged every hundred years to a quest of skill, cunning, and strength. The victor usually banishes the rival or imprisons her. In some cases, ambitious family members choose not to wait until the next quest time; they instead take care of the matriarch permanently and claim the matriarchy for themselves. Of course, informal challenges and threats from within and without the kelir are not uncommon. Attempted assassinations typically take the form of poisonings, arranged "accidents," or direct attacks by hired killers.
Because of numerous feuds and fallings out with past queens, only several dozen houses remain that can claim noble kelir status. Once a queen has declared a kelir disgraced, the family must wait for either a new matriarch to become head of the family, or for a new queen to ascend the throne before seeking a boon to change the status of the house. Since both options can take thousands of years, many fey of the family simply leave to seek their fortunes in other realms.
The matriarch of a noble house will generally concern herself with the many intrigues of the court. The prestige of the family falls to her to maintain and increase. The running of the estate is left to the co'matri, a title bestowed by the matriarch on the second most powerful female in the family. By, in effect, banishing the co'matri to the estate, the matriarch places the family's holdings in competent hands while ensuring her closest family rival is kept away from the queen and other important court dignitaries.
For fey families who are not a part of the Seelie or Unseelie courts, life is filled with the activities of a country life. Wild hunts, celebrations and balls held on the family estate are opportunities to impress neighbors or visitors from other realms. There are castles to grow, lands to create and miniature realms to rule.
|
|