Family is one of the foundations of life in Ash & Acre. A person's household, relatives, marriage, children, reputation, and inheritance can strongly affect their opportunities and responsibilities.
A household may include parents, children, grandparents, unmarried relatives, servants, apprentices, or hired workers.
Most people depend heavily upon their household for food, shelter, work, childcare, protection, and support during illness or hardship.
Leaving one's family home often requires marriage, employment, apprenticeship, military service, religious service, or enough income to establish an independent household.
Marriage is both a personal relationship and a practical partnership.
Among ordinary people, affection may influence marriage, but financial security, occupation, land, reputation, family approval, and the ability to maintain a household are also important considerations.
Families may encourage particular matches, especially when property, business, inheritance, or social advancement is involved.
Among nobles and wealthy families, marriage may carry greater political and economic importance.
Not every marriage is arranged, and individuals may resist family expectations.
Relationships should develop naturally over time.
Attraction does not guarantee affection, trust, marriage, or sexual interest. Personality, reputation, behavior, social standing, previous relationships, family opinions, and circumstances all influence romantic relationships.
NPCs may reject advances, lose interest, become jealous, end relationships, remain unmarried, or pursue someone other than the player.
Children are common parts of households and communities. They require years of care before becoming independent workers.
As they grow, children gradually take on household duties and may eventually learn a trade, work the land, enter service, marry, join the clergy, or pursue other opportunities available to them.
Property and inheritance customs vary by region, social class, family tradition, and local law.
Land, workshops, businesses, livestock, tools, money, titles, debts, and obligations may pass between generations.
Inheritance disputes can divide families and occasionally become serious legal or political conflicts.
Family members are often expected to help one another.
Relatives may provide employment, shelter, introductions, loans, marriage opportunities, or assistance during hardship. In return, families may expect loyalty, labor, money, care for elderly relatives, or support during disputes.
A person's actions can affect the reputation of their household.
People marry, have children, separate, become widowed, inherit property, lose relatives, establish households, and grow old independently of the player.
Families should change naturally as years pass.
The player may eventually form a household and family, but relationships and marriage must emerge from believable circumstances rather than being guaranteed rewards.