Coterie

A **coterie** is the basic social unit of Mikaean civilization, a counterpart to the human family. Coteries are made up of creche-born Mikaeans who live and work together as a permanent unit. Whereas all Mikaeans within a household are directly related as brothers and sisters, and therefore constitute what humans would recognize as a "family" more or less, coteries are a step closer to that term, with members of the coterie sharing a bond more akin to that of a traditional family. Those outside of the coterie are more akin to friends and acquaintances, while those within the coterie are united on a level found only within the immediate circle of relatives and kinsmen of human families.

Within Mikaean society, the coterie is established in the creches of Xyon, where children are born, raised, and educated as a unit, due specifically to the method of Mikaean reproduction and the manner in which resources must be managed to collectively raise millions of children at once. Within the coterie, there exists the keeper, the "elder sister" who heads the coterie and handles its finances and internal affairs. Because of the unique nature in which coteries are formed and lead, coteries are by nature "single-parent" households, but with more of an emphasize on collective child-rearing and elder sibling mentoring. Another unique aspect of coteries is the lack of an incest taboo, where in fact incest and sexual petting are respected methods of bringing the coterie closer together as a unit.

## Role

* **Matron** – Head of the coterie
* **Guardian** – Assistant to the matron
* **Keeper** – Caretaker of the wards
* **Ward** – Member of the coterie

The Mikaean system of kinship is vastly different from that known to humans, in that the biological relationship between individuals is not viewed as the base relationship for coteries. By default, all Mikaeans – especially those within a household – are biologically related to one another, with tens of millions of Mikaeans within a given household related to the high patron through one of his sons. Between households, Mikaeans are all biological cousins and separated by only four or five generations based on location; Mikaeans thus hold the record for largest biological families. Because of the massive size of households, coteries serve as the actual cornerstone for kinship in Mikaean culture and society. Mikaeans typically refer to one another as "brother" or "sister" within the same household, and "cousin" when speaking to a member of another household. Those who have been expelled from a household or disowned by a high patron are generally referred to as "kinsmen" or "kinswomen", or just "kin, and almost never referenced to as a sibling or cousin thereafter.

Coteries were traditionally formed by groups of Mikaeans on an *ad doc* basis, with a Mikaean of high regard typically selected to serve as the head of the new coterie, while those she found to be responsible individuals were appointed as the keepers of her wards, the youngest members of the coterie. However, following the formation of a more centralized government in Xyon, coteries are formed on a state-sanctioned basis, with government officials determining individuals capable of looking after youth. Often, a Mikaean may apply to become a matron of a coterie, which is looked into by the government after performing a thorough background check along with several interviews. The entire process can best be likened to adopting a child or starting a foster home, though with a mixture of elements from both. Because of the needs of the state, coteries are more and more formed by matrons either paid by the state, or as contracted employees by a third-party organization. As a whole, coteries can be best likened to a single-parent household, though with individuals such as the guardian and keepers assisting the matron in her tasks and responsibilities.

## Size and formation

The process of forming a new coterie is strictly governed and regulated by the state, so as to ensure that all coteries are created in line with a set of laws and procedures preventing waste, abuse, and bureaucratic confusion. By federal law, no coterie may exceed fifteen members in size, with the standard organization of a coterie consisting of a matron, a guardian, three keepers, and nine wards. By limiting the size of all coteries to a single set, this likewise maintains what the government, and more importantly the patriarchs, consider a balance between having too few sisters and having too many within a single coterie for a matron to manage. In the past, coteries had a flexible number of members, as all new wards were assigned by the respective authorities of the various nations that covered Xyon, meaning that one coterie could have several dozens of members, while another far-flung and remote coterie by have no more than five or six members, leaving them easy prey for their larger contemporaries in the urban regions. The majority of the laws related to the size of a coterie were and still are managed by the patriarchs of the Mikaeans, who have the final say on all matters pertaining to the organization and upbringing of their offspring. They felt that the number of individuals a single Mikaean female could manage for a prolonged period of time on an individual basis was three or four people, while anymore would require an assistant, necessitating the need for the role of guardian to the matron within a coterie. Under these circumstances, the system set up by the patriarchs has helped to ensure that all coteries are sufficiently organized in such a way that they are stable social units that allow for Mikaean civilization to exist as it does.

As to the process of forming a coterie, a Mikaean female seeking to form a coterie must have reached the age of fifty and saved at least five years of taxable income as a sign of her ability to plan ahead and make sound fiscal decisions. She must be in good legal standing within her district, and not have a criminal mark recently written against her in the last five years as well. If a mature ward, keeper, or guardian within her coterie, she must have attained written approval from her matron permitting her to leave the coterie to form her own. Furthermore, if she is a keeper, all of her ward must either have attained mature status in the eyes of the state, her coterie must have attained the permission of another coterie to provide a new keeper, or her wards must have expressed their desire to leave the coterie with their keeper as she forms her own. After written permission from her matron is received and her replacement is found if she is a keeper or a guardian, the Mikaean woman must submit herself to a criminal background check, extensive drug test, and provide a letter of intent, expressing her reasons for wanting to establish her own coterie. The submission fee to initiate the government process is approximately ∇1,500 ($2,988) regardless of the sector or district she hails from. The fee serves mainly to pay for the expensive files the state keeps on all Mikaeans as required by law, to ensure that all demographic data transmitted to the patriarchs is accurate and concise. The coterie must consist of Mikaeans belonging to the same household as the aspiring matron, who in turn, must have maintained a permanent residence in her district for the last seven years, so as to ensure that she has a record within the area the Xyon Security Forces in the area can pull up to cross-check for the government.

The Bureau of Coterie Management will begin the process of going through the Mikaean's background information, work history, criminal record, and psychological profile as provided by the state to determine her mental fitness as a matron. She will also be scheduled for two separate interviews with a three-member panel with the BCM to cross-examine her and submit her to interrogation to determine her emotional state and how she responds under pressure. Once all of this has been performed, and her record deemed satisfactory by the BCM, she will be scheduled to meet with her father or the archon of the district she resides in. Upon meeting with the archon, the Mikaean must explain in detail why he should entrust her with his children to be cared for in a manner that would allow them to become productive members of society under her protection. Though the setting is formal and more for appearances to determine how far she is willing to go to set a good example, the overall interactions with the archon - especially if he is her father - is generally relaxed and comfortable. Overall, as far as the archon is concerned, if the system the aspiring matron went through determined that she was fit enough to meet with him in person, that is enough to prove her worthiness as a matron. However, the meeting is also something of a tradition, where the matron is invited by her father or uncle to effectively express his genuine hope and expectation that she will be a good example to his children, and understand the weighty responsibilities he is willingly providing to her in-spite of her status compared to his. Once the meeting has ended, the archon personally signs a "certificate of paternity" authorizing the Mikaean female to become a matron.

Once the certificate has been signed, dated, and stamped, the newly-minted matron is given a timeline of when she is expected to have a residence for herself and her coterie prepared, her guardian and keepers assigned, and all other affairs with her previous coterie settled. Likewise, she will be given a list of approved surnames from her household to choose from for her own coterie. She may either keep her existing surname or select a new one for herself and her sisters. She must have found a sister either within her own coterie or another one willing to serve as a guardian, and another to serve as a keeper, so as to ensure that the basic structure of a coterie has been established prior to receiving her wards. Once all affairs have been settled and the residence for the coterie clearly established, the Bureau of Creches and Neophytes will invite the new matron to the district creche to receive her new wards. Some well-connected matrons may be allowed to pick their own wards, though it is standard practice to send off wards in order of their spawning, which is extensively documented by the state and the caretakers residing there. Once the wards have been named, and their records established as members of the new coterie, they are escorted to the matron's residence and introduced to her as their new caretaker. The matron is placed within a one-year probationary period, in which officials from the Bureau of Coterie Management will visit her and her coterie twice a month for a year, to check up on her and her wards, as well as to offer any advice if needed, as well as to document the health, safety, and upbringing of the wards. After the probationary period has ended, and the matron found to be in good standing as a caretaker, she will be authorized to establish a complete coterie of fifteen members rather than her existing five.