Vhara (Vʰay-RAY)

A Vhara plural Vharaco, plural word Vharas used by non-Lexiconians, is a Lexiconian clan. The word 'Vhara' in Lehkcia translates to family, clan. They are the main building block of Lexicon and the most important social unit in Lexiconian society. Non-Lexiconians call the Vharaco houses or simply just clans.
Due the heavy and firm matriarchical and matrilineal nature of Lexiconian society and culture despite the strong emphasis on merit and equality, Vharaco are descended and traced through the female line and are led by women. Children legally belong to their mother's Vhara and take their mother's surname. When a man marries, he does not change his Vhara and does not change his surname, but his children take on their mother's.
Vharaco are strictly exogamic which is taken extremely seriously. The reason they are taken so seriously is due to science. Lexiconians figured out very early on that if they married within their Vhara and their Vhara married within only a small number of Vharaco only and still kept on marrying the same Vharaco for generations, it would lead to inbreeding and incest which would result in a lack of genetic diversity and genetic and health problems (cousin marriage of any form and no matter how far apart they are related is absolutely forbidden, prohibited, and is thought of as disgusting). But since the Vharaco tend to be rather suspicious of each other they have one firm rule: don't marry people belonging to rival Vharaco. That rule is only broken in special circumstances.
Within the Vhara, identity, inheritance, wealth, and politics are all decided. Vharaco are composed of large extended families.

Structure

Vharaco are led by Vhara Heads, or Vharat'ono in Lehkcia, who is almost always a woman, who are the absolute heads. It is extremely uncommon to see a man be the head of a Vhara because politics are dominated by women as they are and still are traditionally the Vhara heads and leaders of society, but it can happen.
The next important person in the Vhara after the Vharat'on is the Vharakaierit. In each and every Vhara, especially in the ones on Losenxagabe, the Vharat'ono traditionally choose an apprentice, called a Vhara-kaierit in Lehkcia, to pass all their knowledge and secrets and to be their successor and heir. Usually it's chosen though skill, willingness, and education due to the high emphasis and value placed on merit and knowledge, and also due to their matriarchal culture, it is out that one of the women in the Vhara are chosen for the position. Being the Vhara-kaierit is considered to be one of the esteemed positions, as it signifies the that they will be next Vhara Head and thus the next leader of their Vhara, but also increases the target on their backs as rival Vharaco will try to snipe out any information from them.

Culture

Lexiconians are extremely and fiercely loyal to their Vharaco because they had to band together just to survive on the harsh planet of Lexicon. Family thus becomes a larger group of people that includes all relatives, friends and neighbors, all of which play an important role in their Vhara. However their strong loyalty and unity only extends to their own Vhara and they tend to be rather suspicious and cautious of others, and the Vharaco tend to be quite independant and look out for themselves first despite the whole planet and cultural unity.
All of the Vharas hold very firm and strict to Lexiconian society and culture, and have a vast variety of and hold many diverse livelihoods and professions, but still many of the Vharaco are well known for their specialties or better known for certain trades, as well as having and possessing certain attributes, traits, and individual customs and traditions that other Vharaco wouldn't have or do.

Type

Family

Alternative Names

Lexiconian Family, Clan, House, Dynasty