Imperial families (different from blood kin) are organized into concentric circles around a single person, the leader of that line. The inner circle family is composed of the most trusted and closest people who share intense trust and loyalty to each other but especially to the head of their line. The outer family is usually a larger and more diverse collection of people who are no less trusted but from whom the same intense devotion is not expected.
Traditionally an individual cannot be part of more than two families or begin a new line without Imperial permission but there are exceptions amongst common citizens of the Empire. Families which are part of the governing structures of the Empires are more strictly and formally governed.
While this structure of chosen family is one that elves have long used, it has become a cultural tradition within the Empire. Nowadays it can be hard to differentiate between elvish culture and Imperial culture - one main difference is that the Empire includes Carthians, who can be part of Imperial families. Carthians have their own familial traditions arranged around blood relatives within tribes and they generally feel a stronger connection to their tribe than their Imperial family. It is widely accepted that one must never put a Carthian in the position to choose between their tribe and their Imperial family (if they have one).
The Will of the Empress
Families of the Imperial Court often run interwoven with their blood kin. To be born into a court family is to automatically be part of that line's outer circle but only the most promising and ambitious members are invited into the line's inner family.
Court families also diverge frequently and without need for permission from the Empress. If a member of a court family's inner circle begins their own line (without leaving their original family's circle) the new line's inner circle also exist as part of the original line's outer circle, though the new line's outer circle will have no relation to the original family. Furthermore, if yet another branch were to diverge from the new line, its inner circle would also have no relation to the original family, including the originator despite them remaining a part of the middle line's inner circle.
Simply put, a person can only be part of two lines and in a situation where one might have ties to more (for example, outer family to a high-ranking line, inner family of an individual who branched from the high-ranking line, and now leader of your own line), the closest concentric circles take precedence over others. In this case the individual would leave the outer circle of the high-ranking line by creating their own line.
The Sword and Staff of the Empress
Families which serve in the defence and protection of the Empire follow the most formal traditions of family bonds. These lines are rarely composed of blood kin and each inclusion of a new member is a deliberate choice.
Rules of the court families apply here as well but beginning a new line requires the explicit blessing of the Empress.
Comments