Barkan
Anthropologist

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Tales of Terror Trinkets A dusty moth-eaten tome pocked with glowing eyes. It's pretty safe to judge this book by its cover, though it might be a good idea to wait until it's not looking right at you. 47 Dire Wooden Toy Trinkets A horse-shaped toy, reeking of smoldering ash. It might make for better tinder than hatchling entertainment. 47

Social structures, hierarchies, and the intricate signifiers of rank fascinate Barkan to no end. He himself was born into nobility, and wears a filigree crown signifying as much. Yet his true passion is the machinations of the powerful, and how their social delineations are maintained. Barkan bills himself as someone to educate a newly wealthy clan on how to behave in high society, and that is indeed what Luteus hired him for, to train the poorly mannered of the clan to improve its social standing and reputation. He spends his spare time instead studying how the gentry of the clan, of which he is a member, interact with their "lower classes."

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[1 / 51 unexalted, 1 / 138 total]

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The Mercurial Hierarchy of Clan Pelagittore
as elucidated by his Grace Barkan Bright Flame Illuminates the Wise and Foolish

1. Clan Leader: Kilararen.
2. Parliament and Council: A mixed structure, with both parts having equal status and some dragons being members of both. Parliament makes major decisions; the Council members serve as day-to-day advisors and run the bureaucracy.
3. Appointed Positions: A scattering of dragons appointed by Kilararen with decision-making powers. Includes the militia, sorcerer's guild, and some scientists.
4. Cultural Leaders: Soft power, but very respected. Includes (but is not limited to) such dragons as Ember, a mystic; Misancor and his brother Akain, a mage and his liaison;
   Itacaya, the clan oracle; Eulhae, a witch; Gjalna, a grave guide; and Lonechedon, a cleric.
5. Wealthy Merchants, Nobility: Myself, and some others.
6. Citizens, Non-Wealthy Merchants, and Unimportant Scientists: Here, here, and here.
7. The Temporarily Disgraced, Poorly Regarded, and Itinerant: A variable category, loosely regarded and having no formal definition.
8. Children and Trainees: Here.
9. Non-Citizens: Various traveling or permanent dragons which are not full clan members, consisting of the majority of the clan's servants and laborers and having no residence in the lair.

The Categories in Greater Detail
explanations of my rationale and discussion of each category

Compared to some clans, this hierarchy is informal. Many citizens are members of multiple categories, and which status takes precedence is largely a case-by-case decision, depending on the dragon's charisma, with whom the dragon is interacting in any given social interaction, age, wealth, friendships and influences, and seniority of each position. Pay and stipends is likewise variable, and only clan members whose work cannot otherwise support themselves receive full pay (this may include scientists, engineers or artists constructing public works, or laborers and artisans working directly for the clan, and excludes most nobility and wealthy merchants). This pay creates one's visible status through clothing and other physical indicators, such as familiars or lodgings.

1. Kilararen's status as a widely accepted leader, as well as considerable family influence and ownership of personal debts of many clan members, gives her great power over all clan members, having final say over decisions of the council, presiding powers over Parliament, and judicial power over the court system.
   
2. Council and Parliament both wield a structural power, having the power of the purse, over assignments of new clan citizens, and of management of the citizenry. Additionally, their individual high status gives them great social power, extending through their mates and children.
   
3. Appointed Positions: This highly loose category of generally-respected dragons brings our first serious contradiction, discussed below under "Case Studies, 1." These positions include some miscellaneous advisors and bureaucrats who implement Kilararen's policies and judgements. While ultimately beholden to and subject to the inspection of Kilararen, dragons like Zayathinae, an economist, can exert a great, but hidden, influence over financial policy. Theyrngar, as the Leviathan Defense Coordinator, factors in the extent of the clan's territory, or its physical safety in uncertain times. Additionally, the militia and Sorcerer's Guild provide protection and law enforcement.
   
4. Cultural Leaders: Religious leaders, oracles, and various dragons of various import. As not all dragons are of the same element and may not care to participate in all festivals and cults of worship, this category has different meanings for different individuals. All dragons of the water element respect their oracles and mages, but those of the lightning may care little for magic-workers. One exception is Gjalna, who, as grave guide, is widely respected.
   
5. Wealthy Merchants, Nobility: A definitive sign of this category is the employ of one or more servants, or any kind of hereditary title. Public opinion of these dragons may vary, depending on one's politics and personal experiences. Generally, they lack official status in government (excluding Parliament members), instead wielding a social and financial power.
   
6. Citizens, Non-Wealthy Merchants, Unimportant Scientists: These artisans, artists, and non-vital scientists comprise a sizeable portion of citizens. Some only enjoy clan status as pet projects of Kilararen's, and some are entirely useless, only clan members by an accident of birth.
   
7. The Temporarily Disgraced, Poorly Regarded, and Itinerant: This category, as defined above, is generally only temporary, as most of those in danger of losing their pay regain their status and successfully smooth over whatever social misstep or grave error caused their demotion. Some others have the misfortune to remain in ill regard by way of lack of charisma or unfortunate position, or both. See case studies below. The itinerant generally only lack status due to a dearth of interaction with others, and indeed their classification in this low tier may be inaccurate simply due to a lack of data.
   
8. Children and Trainees: The young who have not yet been called forth into service. A majority of these go to serve the Tidelord later in life, suffering much attrition there, yet sending remittances regularly. As a matter of simple demographics, many of them are guardians and may go elsewhere to seek their charge. Some others may renounce their clan citizenship and join other clans, or may return for familial visits. Children are not highly regarded in the clan, generally being collectively relegated to the care of several educators.
   
9. Non-Citizens: Often poorly regarded in the general sense by full citizens, these individuals nevertheless enjoy protection under the law and military defense. In the individual sense, they act as servants, laborers, and low-level workers, doing such tasks as retail, construction, farm work, secretarial work (I myself have several secretaries funded by my own pay), or maintenance of the clan's infrastructure, such as lamp-lighting or toll gate management, and thus may earn respect and stability from relationships with full citizens. A sizeable portion of these individuals consist of members of the Tidelord's military force, either retired or seeking extra funds on the side.
   

Case Studies
in-depth analysis of individuals and what may be divined from them

Palok occupies an unusual place in the clan's hierarchy as keeper of the vault. As a guardian, I am given to understand that she finds any sort of withdrawal difficult to bear, resulting in the fact that despite her safeguarding many citizens' treasures, she is something of a pariah, especially to the council and Parliament, who find her badgering about savings and retirement plans irritating at best. This illustrates that all the positioning in the world may fail to save a determined dragon from damaging their status.

Suka, a colonialist of the ice flight, owns a great deal of valuable property in the Southern Icefields, giving her great financial support for her northerly endeavors. Yet her dubious politics earn her much suspicion among the politically literate, and despite her close relationship with Luteus, most of the up-and-up types of the clan avoid her for fear of her inevitable downfall. My personal opinion is that she is far too keen on maintaining her valuable strategic position to provoke any drastic reactions from Kilararen.

In a more positive example, Danno has both a high hereditary rank, inheriting many traditional cultural positions in several undersea temples, and great cultural influence, due to her habit of funding large parties for the monthly festivals, which all may attend. She is also a trendsetter among fashions in attire. Thus, it is possible to obtain far reach through both innate factors and skill in the social graces.

In my classification, Mana'o is a dragon of the lower classes. He holds no authority and receives only a small stipend for his employment of ferrying various non-flying dragons across the swamps and bayous near the Driftwood Drag. Despite this, his passengers view him as a leader, swiftly obeying his directions and quoting his maxims amongst each other.

Korurican is one of the eldest members of the clan not related to Kilararen or Kirwithal by blood. By this measure she is well respected despite her position performing simple manual labor in the fisheries. Yet I believe there is a note of perfunctory performance to this respect, as despite their better ideals many of the clan hold little esteem for manual labor, placing much greater import on art and science.

Hadasonine's habit of wayward mural-painting gives him a special place in the hierarchy. While those of the fire element, or those simply politically disinclined not to support water flight propaganda, often hold him in high regard, others fully supportive of Kilararen regard him with annoyance or outright hate. Regardless of one's personal position, still others prefer to think of this polarizing artist as an important element of the political landscape, on the grounds that free expression of dissent offers much value to the intellectuals of Clan Pelagittore.

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