Overview
This is a placeholder for the similarity of moieties compared with the disparity of pack structures.
Society within the Ark has become organized around moieties: groups typically comprised of multiple bloodlines, whose members are all considered relatives regardless of actual blood kinship. All children born to a moiety in a given generation are counted siblings; all members of the prior generation, except one's parents, are aunts and uncles; and so on. There is no distinction made between nuclear families or bloodlines within a moiety; rather, the entire group is considered one unit, similar to a clan or tribe.
Moieties have broken apart in the past, but it happens rarely; more often, a failing moiety is absorbed into another, either by alliance or usurpation. All present moieties can trace their history back for generations; no new moieties have been founded in a very long time.
Moiety Politics
Leadership and Authority
Moieties are usually commanded by a single individual, but with advice from senior members and other adults. Leadership is not authoritarian, but based upon respect, acumen, and the willingness of the rest to go along; a leader can be ousted by the equivalent of a "no confidence" vote from other adult members, and another elevated in his place. As with any large family, internal politics and "horsetrading" can be just as difficult to navigate as interactions with other moieties — but when faced with an outside threat, the moiety stands together.
Elder members of the moiety are the keepers of history and records; independent of the chief, they generally have authority over all resources belonging to the moiety. Elders determine what goods are available for trade,
This is a placeholder for info completing the authority section.
Marriage and Alliance
This is a placeholder for info on alliances.
Competition
This is a placeholder for info on competition and rivalry.