Pride System
The Pride System is a formalised traditional family structure used in the middle and upper classes of Leona City and several other places within the Kingdom of Leona.
Traditional Structure
The basic unit of Leonid society, analogous to the concept of a "family" in other regions, is the pride or house. Traditionally, a pride would consist of one to three adult men, up to a dozen women, and their children.
Boys would leave their birth pride upon reaching adulthood, and would periodically move between prides during their lifetime, often sticking with brothers or cousins. As such, the men of a pride would change frequently, and would not be considered a core part of the Pride's identity. While the transition of men was often violent, it could also be amiable --- a man might welcome his brother or cousin into his pride if that brother or cousin were having a hard time.
Girls would remain in their birth pride for their whole life. As such, matrilineal descent is much easier to reckon, and is usually considered more important than fatherhood. A man will refer to all children in his pride as nieces or nephews, whereas a woman will take special care towards her own children.
There would also exist a class of individuals who did not belong to any pride at all, but would instead pledge allegiance to a pride as retainers and servants, and would be called "constituents" of a pride. Except in instances of slavery, this status is voluntary, and earns the constituent food, lodging, and protection. Constituency differs from fealty, in which a lesser house paid dues to higher one in return for land or protection. Another phenomena is that of "coalitions", groups of men who do not occupy a pride. In most cases, these would be men who were recently replaced in a pride and would be looking for a new one. However, more permanent coalitions could also form for institutional purposes, such as with The Consulate, or in cases of homosexuality.
Modern Variations
The pride system was largely abandoned among the lower classes in Leonid Society over the course of The Turf Wars, with the institution of marriage becoming predominant in its place. Commoners would not consider themselves a part of any pride, and even if they paid dues to a certain house (which continues to become less common with the rise of Consulate government), they would not usually consider themselves constituents. That is, fealty applies to the family, not to the pride.
In another trend, it is becoming increasingly popular for men to not belong to any pride. The highest status position a man can hold is either as a senior constituent or a member of a political coalition. Many of the highest prides, such as House Areli, have no adult men, with all children being had in affairs with retainers or men from outside the pride. Some larger coalitions now also accept female members.