Galactic clans

The clan is one of the most basic institutions of Galactic socio-politics.  A Galactic clan would more properly be called a "lineage" since membership is ordinarily based on real patron-client relationships rather than mythical relationships to totemic patrons.  Unfortunately, early translations from Galactic Seven to Anglic opted to translate the word meaning "a political grouping of multiple races based on relationships of uplift traceable to a common patron" as "clan" rather than "lineage," and the term stuck.

Most scholars of Galactic O-2 politics have regarded the (mature) species as the basic unit of O-2 macro-politics.  Other than bilateral species-to-species relationships, the clan is the next largest unit of Galactic politics.  In terms of realpolitik in O-2 civilization, the multi-race clan is the fundamental institution for inter-species power-politics --playing a role in some ways analogous to that played by nation-states on Earth from the rise of France as a nation-state starting roughly 768 (that is, 2⁹ + 2⁸) hab-years before contact, until the rise of the Bureaucracy about 192 (that is, 2⁷ + 2⁶) hab-years before Contact.  The reader should, however, note the limits of the analogy between nation-states and clans when thinking about Galactic politics, since the Clan, per se, is rarely the locus of sovereignty, nor is it a tightly controlled polity, nor is a monopoly on internal force ordinarily vested in the clan itself --or even in the clan's elder or predominant race.  In O-2 Galactic civilization, these functions --and the instruments of government that accompany them --are normally vested in (mature) species.

Clans vary greatly in both size and cohesiveness.  Wealth also varies considerably from one clan to another.  These three factors are crucial determinants of any given clan's power.  Another factor affecting a clan's power is the length of its lineage.  A long surviving lineage is not only a source of prestige, but is usually a resource akin to wealth and direct ownership of advanced O-2 technology.  Clan Soro combines all four and is one of the most powerful --if not the most powerful --O-2 clan in the Four Galaxies.  The same is true of Clan Thennanin.  The Thennanin, their clients and grand-clients offset slightly less wealth and technology with a very long, supportive lineage, longevity of the Thennanin as a race, and close relationships with several collateral lineages.  In contrast, the Synthians, who have a short lineage, whose Patrons are extinct, are quite wealthy, but lack any other tools of power, and are only a modest O-2 power.
        But no socio-political rules work perfectly.  The Tandu are clearly a Galactic power of the first order, but have none of the assets mentioned above in large measure.  Tandu power is largely a function of intensity.  Relatively limited per-capita production and technology are heavily committed to military production.  The Tandu are also willing to live in cramped quarters on the most odious class 'A' worlds, and even on barren rocks when necessary; thus, the Tandu avoid many restrictions on species population.  This offsets a lack of viable client races, to a degree.  The Tandu are also not shy about taking risks and leveraging any galacto-strategic advantage they might have.

There are also numerous exceptions to the rule that clans consist of living descendant races of a living patron.  The Soro Clan exhibits what may be one of the most common variations on the theme.  In this scenario one of the erstwhile clan members opts out.   Kisa ab-Soro ab-Hul ab-Puber ul-Pila are officially members of Clan Soro, but are conspicuous in their active non-participation in clan affairs, and can be expected to "emancipate" given any opportunity.
        Another common variation is continuity of the Clan after the founding member passes on.  This extension of a Patron-Client lineage can be quite stable in some cases.  This sort of extended lineage is often called a "supra-clan."  At least two distinct supra-clans --both belonging to the Abdicator alliance --trace their origins to the Tarseuh.  Clan Tothtoon is a member of one of the Abdicator supra-clans.
        Fictive adoption is also practiced, and can have many different origins.  One hypothetical example having a distinctly non-zero probability would be the mature Tytlal joining Clan Terragen as full members after the extermination of the Tymbrimi⁽¹⁾.  This is often called a "merged clan."
        It is also possible --if rare --for a clan to emerge de novo entirely through the merger of unrelated races.  In this case, the clan may even find a convoluted rationale linking all members to some common ancestral "Patron."  It is in this rare case that a Galactic clan fits the ethnographer's technical use of the word "clan" more closely than it fits the term "lineage."

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