Clan Ora

The Ora Family
"Vorcekan ootay dei tilartata." (Basic: Confide in your kin.)
Historical Information
Founder	Matriarch Sinatt Ora
Established	circa 3741 BCGT
General information
Current head	Matriarch Dodola Ora
Headquarters	Ora Quarter, Vao's Street, Kala'uun, Ryloth
Affiliation	None
Homeworld	Ryloth
Species	Twi`lek

Clan Ora - or contemporarily simply known as the Ora family - is an old Twi'lek bloodline that dates back to the days of the Old Republic. Family records indicate that the Twi'lek clan had been founded around 3741 BCGT, when a female Twi'lek known as Sinatt had risen to an influential position in Ora'dar - an old small city on Ryloth - and first claimed the Ora name as her own. For centuries thereafter, the Ora clan would remain a dominant political force within Ora'dar, until the city was destroyed by a mercenary force on orders of the Hutt Cartel in 2130 BCGT. The surviving members of the Ora family lost much if not all of their political influence on Ryloth, and had adopted a nomadic existence for more than a millennium. It wasn't until 978 BCGT that the Ora family permanently settled within their homeworld's capital city of Kala'uun, where they have remained until this day.

The Ora family is matriarchal in nature, which is a tradition meant to honour the founder of the family, namely Sinatt Ora. For a time, the family had followed the teachings of the Twi'lek Pilgrims, yet its modern incarnation only loosely uses the tenets and traditions of this ancient religious group for spiritual guidance. Yet since its inception, the concept of family unity and closeness to the family have remained core values that every member of this clan espoused with all their heart and soul. Other values that the Ora family holds dear are charitability, helpfulness to the community, honesty and fairness.

Since 978 BCGT, the Ora family has been based on Vao's Street in Ryloth's capital city of Kala'uun, where they own several houses that have fused together over the generations to form what the locals refer to as the Ora Quarter. The family is known for their craftsmanship in jewellery making, their artful practice of commerce and trade, as well as their talented street performers bringing Twi'lek dance and song to life. Similarly, the residents of Vao's Street know the members of the Ora clan for their charitable nature, their dedication to protect their local community and to see it thrive, as well as their long and ancient family history that stretches back to days long forgotten by most citizens of Ryloth.

Family Traditions

Matriarchy - Clan Ora is governed as a matriarchy, where generally a daughter of the reigning Matriarch inherits the role of clan leader. This practice was introduced by the family's first Matriarch Sinatt Ora, and kept in place by subsequent family heads to honour their founder, and the teachings of the Twi'lek Pilgrims. There is no primogeniture within the Ora family, meaning that each daughter that the reigning Matriarch brings forth has a right to claim the mantle after their mother's death. In the event that the Matriarch should have only sons, then the right to leadership can pass onto any granddaughters. Should the late Matriarch have no offspring at all, then either a sister is to succeed her, or another female family member with a suitable claim. In the days of the Old Republic, a Matriarch's successor was chosen by ritual combat between the surviving heirs presumptive, until one had defeated - but not killed - all others. Since 978 BCGT that practice has been abandoned, and a successor is instead elected by all clan members who have come of age.

Day of Naming - A practice where members of the Ora family celebrate the day that they received their name, and thus were given meaning to their existence. The Day of Naming - or Name Day for short - generally coincides with an individual's day of birth, although there have been cases where such did not apply, and the celebration took place several days, or in one unique case one month, after the family member's actual birthday. On their Day of Naming, a family member receives gifts from their parents, siblings and other relatives, and is placed at the center of attention and care during a grand family supper in the evening, with celebrations often lasting long into the night.

Ceremony of the Burning Brand - Inspired by a ritual that was once practiced by the Twi'lek Pilgrims, this ceremony required its participant to keep alight a burning brand throughout one entire night. As the brand naturally only burns a short while, the person undertaking the ceremony is expected to exhibit extreme patience, and dedication to the effort of nurturing the flame and keeping it alive. The ceremony is meant to test its participant's will and ability to cope with failure, as few have completed the ritual on their first try. As failure is expected and used as a teaching mechanism, failing to complete the ceremony has no negative consequences to one's standing in the clan. Yet in order to be truly considered as having come of age by the rest of the family, each Ora clan member must undergo and complete the ceremony at least once during their life. The youngest participant to have completed the ceremony was eleven years old, while the oldest had been sixty-five. While there is no age limit to become eligible for the Ceremony of the Burning Brand, most family members seek to complete the ritual around their eighteenth Name Day.