Overview
From a distance the Su'ndari culture appears egalitarian and fair but even in the depths of the Su'ndari empire the differences between the haves and have-nots are obvious.
Those without family are without a voice on the council and the temple rarely cares to step in to help a nobody from the streets. The family-less are almost without exception the disowned, freed slaves, their children and the orphans unfortunate enough not to have been taken in by another family. Punishment for crimes is handled by a council elected justice who rarely cares about the rights and wrongs of his judgements and the family-less have no voice to speak up for them in defense. Sometimes when a family is looking to gain influence they will hand out alms to the poor but the family-less are mostly considered to be scum unworthy of notice.
The lucky few will gain access to a family or rarer still find the funds to found their own and through family gain the much sought after status of citizen. Once an individual is a member of a family things improve considerably. They get access to schooling, the libraries and a vote on the council… assuming they have the funds or connections to make use of them.
These poor families often exist on the edge of bankruptcy. They will usually have a single room 'cottage' made of mud-brick within which the entire family lives and they will be forced to take whatever work they can manage. These families fill the vast majority of the labouring jobs. They work the fields, when indentured slaves are unavailable, unload the ships and clean the streets. The family has a seat on the council but they will have little to no influence. If they are wise they will give their vote to a powerful family in exchange for support and comfort. Life can be hard but at least the family members get to defend themselves before the council should they be accused. Unfortunately justice tends to go with those who can call in the most favors and the poor family is still relatively powerless in the scheme of things.
The families of the crafter and the skilled workers have things easier. They have sufficient funds to take advantage of the riches available to Su'ndari culture - education, spices, fashion and the aquisition of family influence. They will have a small house in the traditional Su'ndari fashion which they will use for entertaining whenever possible; four wings surrounding a central courtyard. Most families of this social level will give their votes over to a more powerful family for support in difficult situations but they are now able to have a minor impact on council voting in their own right. Justice is still somewhat arbitrary but at least they can now be confident that fines will be paid before the possibility of debt slavery becomes a reality.
Above the families of the crafter and skilled workers are the families of the influential business owners. They may own large plantations in the rural areas or foundaries in a city but these are the people who earn a living by paying other people to do the work. These families will own the allegiance of many lesser families and can use it to swing the council votes in their favor. They have large, sprawling homes in the traditional Su'ndari fashion which sometimes have several courtyards. They are likely to have their own private baths and would consider it improper not to entertain others daily. For the rich the Su'ndari dream has come true. They have access to the finest goods from all corners of the empire, their children rarely die from diseases and the most powerful can change the course of the future.
