The Bloodless Kin
Posted: Sun Jul 14, 2019 6:22 pm
The Bloodless Kin
Within Atinaw, Kinships are just about everything. Those without Kinships are seen as disgraceful. They've either lost them for some reason or never had one in the first place. To be a true citizen of Atinaw one must either belong to a Kinship, an Order, or be the King/Queen. Those without Kinships are seen unfavorably and exist at the bottom of Atinaw's social ladder. However, the people of Atinaw understand that children who aren't old enough to make their own choices shouldn't be blamed for a lack of a Kinship. Sometimes accidents happen that are none the fault of the child. War can take entire families, and sometimes children are abandoned for one reason or another. These children who have yet to make an educated choice that's entirely their own shouldn't be judged harshly for the failings or misfortunes of a parent.
The Bloodless Kin were founded with this very thought in mind. The Bloodless Kin is most well known as an orphan faction. A Kinship entirely dedicated to the children abandoned by their own. Children found without Kinships for whatever reason are brought to The Bloodless Kin. There's a branch in each major city and they essentially function as an orphanage but better. The Bloodless Kin is supported by a number of resources. Donations, taxes, and the adult members of the Kin who decided not to leave are the largest three contributors.
Only orphans may join The Bloodless Kin. For players looking to join, it's advised that the player either be an orphan that's young enough to join or be a member who has grown up and opted not to leave.
Leaving
After a child has been brought to the Kinship they are officially a member of the Bloodless Kin until one of two things happen. On occasion Kinships who can't keep their line going for one reason or another may go to the Bloodless Kin in any city and adopt one of the children. This is the less likely of the two options to happen. The second option is for the child to wait things out until they turn 16. Children, while not legal adults, are legally allowed to leave the Bloodless Kin at this age and attempt to strike out on their own.
A child who leaves the Bloodless Kin is making the conscious decision to not be part of a Kinship. As such they will be treated as Kinless until proven otherwise, either joining or starting their own Kinship. While many are willing to be more lenient with a Kinless who just left the Bloodless Kin, for all intents and purpose they are now Kinless by their own choice and will often be treated as such. After leaving the Bloodless Kin there is no way in which someone can rejoin, so the choice is not to be taken lightly by someone looking to leave. It's recommended a plan is made ahead of time. Often for those looking to leave, the Bloodless Kin is willing to help them think up a plan to get themselves up on their feet without too much pain.
Staying Bloodless
For those who don't really want to leave the Bloodless Kin there is an option to stay. These people will continue to receive resources and care for as long as the desire to stay within the Bloodless Kin, making it a great way for young adults to get on their feet and think about how to start their own Kinship before being thrown out into the world. It is expected, however, that those who decide to remain a member will help contribute to the Bloodless Kin. They must either get a job and add some of their earnings to the pool of funds or take care of the new children who join the Bloodless. Failing to do so will cause normal Kinship rules to apply and the person who's essentially freeloading can be kicked out.
It is possible to stay with the Bloodless Kin for someone's entire life. There are, however, a couple of restrictions caused by this. Since the Bloodless Kin isn't a proper Kinship it isn't all that high on the social ladder. Meaning that climbing higher in society is an impossibility. Gaining so much as the rank of Host would require starting your own Kinship. It is, however, possible to be chosen for King or Queen while a member of the Bloodless because it isn't a proper Kinship. The Bloodless Kin makes up a decent portion of the Kings and Queens chosen through history thanks to a general distrust of those who are truly Kinless. The second restriction is that members of the Bloodless Kin cannot have and care for children before leaving. This is again due in part to the Bloodless not being a proper Kinship. If someone is to get pregnant as a member of the Bloodless the child by default will go to the other parent's Kinship. If this is not an option for one reason or another, the child will default to joining the Bloodless, however, the parent will not be allowed to interact with a child as it is considered orphaned unless the parent is willing to leave the Kinship and start their own.