Xukuthite Social Order
The Xukuthites claim to have had personal attention from an insane goddess who claims the race as her own and blesses them in a number of ways. The tale however is that she has not done so through generosity and the spirit of sharing. Her "gifts" are an extension of herself - cruel, potentially lethal, and utterly unsparing, but with the potential to be immensely satisfying. And her favor is never equally distributed or given in the sense of fairness.
Xukuthite society is an extension of the goddess and the social order follows the pattern of her character. Tyng Sudran is the fickle mother at the heart of everything, the center of a vast civilization of Xukuthites that feed her bloody thirst with belief and sacrifices. She makes no secret that her favorite children are female and that the males will never quite measure up, but she plays all of her children against each other. And despite her hard ways, many Xukuthites yearn for her approval.
The cruelty and injustice of Xukuthite society are utterly familiar because they are constants, from the womb onward. Xukuthite mothers punish and manipulate from the start, and Xukuthite women rule each household. Typically, nobles are divided up into houses which jockey for position in the city, and each noble house is headed by a cleric of great skill. A wise matron mother will have several cleric daughters to ensure that her line and influence continues, but she will watch them carefully. Inheritance is passed through daughters, with children ranked in importance by gender, and then by age. A matron will guard against her eldest daughters and pit all of her children against each other to ensure her own survival.
The Xukuthite train soldiers of frightening efficiency. The longer a soldier lives and the greater his kills are, the more respect he is given. Both genders are trained as soldiers, but a male must be great indeed to be afforded any respect. Male soldiers are often sent out in packs for weeks at a time to patrol the Dominion's territories, while the women can at least petition for better posts.
Below the nobility are the Xukuthites of means. The merchant class is strong, but it pays homage to Tyng Sudran as much as any other class. Merchants will often pay great sums to have a cleric call on Tyng Sudran's favor. The rich of Xukuthite cities rule over the lower classes and, of course, the slaves.
While slaves are plentiful in any respectable Xukuthite city, the noble, the rich and the government control the bulk of them. The resources to feed, house and control slaves are not small sacrifices. The prices for slaves depend on their age and abilities. While large organizations can afford to work slaves to death, smaller businesses have to make their slaves last.
A guild of slave-masters exists in nearly every city to train (read as: mentally break) slaves for their owners. Xukuthites involved in commerce do not usually have the time to waste on training, so they will hand their slaves over in lots for conditioning. Slave-masters have been known to charge less for particularly stubborn slaves, as training them is their pleasure. Anyone skilled at torture may be a slave-master, and slave-masters are respected by the merchant class most of all. Slavemasters are not generally sexual taskmasters, they have too many slaves to deal with, and time is money.
The lower classes of Xukuthites are herded into the general toil of a city or the military. They produce the items sold and the services the upper classes enjoy. Advancement is possible for lower-caste Xukuthites; indeed, it is commended if a dredge of society overcomes her betters. Some poor Xukuthites enter into military service in order to better their station. Motherhood is revered at all levels of Xukuthite society, and even poor women with many children are praised.
Courtesans of both genders are often seen in the possession of upper-level Xukuthites. Courtesans are far more than slaves or prostitutes. They are trained in a multitude of subjects, from music to history to fatal poisons. They serve as entertainment, release, servants and more. They are bought, sold and given as gifts. Sometimes, the most rare slaves are trained as courtesans. Some beings are stolen as children to be raised in such a way. Other courtesans are comprised of particularly attractive Xukuthites. Female Xukuthites are sometimes made to serve as courtesans as a punishment for falling out of Tyng Sudran's favor. To possess so finely honed a jewel is seen as a sign of utmost wealth and power.