The Sky House

Overview

Though the Sky House is the largest of the Eight Houses, able to claim almost 27% of the females of Arth, they are widely agreed to be in the minority through their abstention from the common practice of artificial reproduction known as Breeding.
As a consequence of the Treatise of the Council of Eight their House alone may hold six members of an Elder Council in any Area. And if, under any circumstances, there is somehow a tie in the 27-member Elder Council, the Matriarch of the Sky House will hold the deciding vote. These privileges have led them to become commonly called "The Most Powerful House." However, though members of the House of Tian are usually spoken of with respect, the truth is that many in the other Seven Houses fear them.
Their embracing of sexual reproduction, which is considered by many of the other Houses to be a primitive practice, has left many in the Eight Houses certain that the House of White is not entirely sane nor perhaps wise. Therefore, much political attention is given to swaying this particular House towards the cause of another.

More than any of the Houses, members of the Sky House will wear other non-House colors, stating that "all colors belong to white light."

Pre-Cursors to the Sky House: The Post-War Years

After the Detranx Catastrophe of 2234 left the human population of Arth to be 99.994% female, the few males that remained had to be detained for their own protection. To ensure that that the species did not dwindle, the outlawed but perfected practices of Human Cloning and Double-X Chromosome Melding became legal. These options only became feasible for the upper classes, and the lower were left with the harvested sperm cells of the remaining males. Since only females could be reproduced artificially, upper classes began to see that the sons of the lower class women might try to retake power from the female population who had worked so hard to save mankind. As a result, the Second World Council passed the Reproduction Act of 2316 that would require that women gain permits to be allowed to sexually reproduce. This led to the Baby Boycott of 2316, where all women who could not afford artificial Breeding stopped working, bringing construction, waste management, and even emergency medical services to a halt. This led to the downfall of the Second World Council, and a compromise between those for and against sexual reproduction by ensuring that males had set limitations. The Male Registration Act of 2319 was passed by the Third World Council, to ensure that men could not hold office, must be registered with the central government, and must spend the ages of 14-24 harvesting sperm cells to be used for fertilization.

Forming of the Sky House

Over the following centuries, several disparate families who favored genetic splicing and artificial reproduction of specific talents led to several of what were called "Branches" by the early Breeders (pre-cursors of the Water House). These Branches came to disagree more and more in the Third World Council, and things finally came to a head when one Branch - known as the Violet Branch - was able to predict several circumstances that led to them holding 90% of the world's wealth. This, of course, led to much resentment, but in 2887 the Violet Branch, known now as the Mountain House, was able to propose a truce through the Treatise of the Council of Eight. The seven disparate Branches would be established and recognized as Houses, and the Violet Branch would give up 95% of their own wealth. However, part of their agreement was that an Eighth House be recognized and formed of those women who never sought specific Breeding or genetic talents, and that this House would hold twice the members of every other House in a Council of Elders, as well hold the ability to break any tie vote. The remaining Branches, wanting peace and the wealth that was denied them, agreed.

The Sky House Today

The Sky House is still mainly comprised of less-wealthy women, with 59% in the bottom 10% of wealth-holders. However, they have protected reforms to see that all women may have a child if they wish, in any way they wish, even opening up their own doors to allow members to utilize Breeding, though 89% do not. Members are soften ought out and adopted or married to offset generational anomalies in other Houses, such as the prevalence of distended eyes in the Thunder House and severe autoimmune disorders in the Fire House.
More than any other House, the Sky House values and even favors sons, as male offspring ensures the perpetuation of their way of life. Having multiple sons usually leads to great wealth, as these can be dowered off to the more wealthier Houses. The males born of the Sky House are known for their relatively good health, and only males of the Earth House have a greater life expectancy.
Members of the Sky House are found in all Regions and in 67% of all Areas. Of course a large majority are Sarites, and most families are comprised of a single mother and one child, or two mothers with two children. Members of the Sky House have been known to marry males, but this rarely ever occurs outside of the very wealthy.

The Sky House

Other Names: Tian, Heaven's House, White Women
Trigram: Heaven
Color: White
Location: All Continents
Breeding Talents: Not applicable

Current Tian Elders of the High Council:
Gwenivere Whitley (Matriarch), Dove Iolani, Kalani Irem, Calliope Wytske, Vanora Reem, Rowena Fionn

Current Regional Elders of other Houses who were born of the Sky House:
Selina Mamata (Wind House, Sruska Region), Mahasveta Hezer (Earth House, Fric Region), Bianca Holder (Thunder House, Merick Region)