Special Families

Special Families are Families which likely hold some amount of influence in the Tower and are special enough to be awarded with privileges or if not, special contracts.

They don't include unknown families who may protect their bloodlines by staying as commoners, so they may hide their outstanding ability to manipulate Shinsoo, for generations.

Introduction
Special Families are different from ordinary families like Ship Leesoo's family or Hatsu's family, as their amount of political influence or privileges set them aside from the common class. Even a Special Family which has the lowest influence and least amount of privileges, is likely far better off than a common family.

Apart from the 10 Great Families, the other Special Families probably operate with the knowledge and also, the blessings of the Zahard Empire. This is assumed on the basis the Zahard Empire controls how contracts and even Special contracts are given out. It is unknown if certain Families also serve the Zahard Empire in exchange for these privileges and other benefits.

And just like much of the Tower, "exchange of favours, in return for money/privilege/knowledge/etc." also applies to Special Families.

Characteristics of Special Families
Of course, members of Special Families probably get to enjoy superior medical treatment, better dental care, better schooling for their children, exclusive business deals, better housing, children may be born with stronger Shinsoo talents, personal care for their parents and siblings, status, influence, access to better grades of items like weapons or Armour Inventory and so on.

Special Families may hand secret techniques or items to certain chosen ones, within their Family. For example, Mule Love was chosen to own the Mule Glove which is an Armor Inventory capable of increasing Shinsoo Resistance and it was passed down in his Family, to him.

Some or all Special Families have at least one member who Rules over a Floor. This includes the 10 Great Families and the Zahard Family.

Most or all Special Families have a special contract with Guardians that gives specific bonuses. It's unknown what special contract the Zahard Family holds.

Those born into the 10 Great Families or some of the other Families derived from the 10 Great Families, can manipulate Shinsoo without special contracts. When born, they're automatically "under contract" to the Guardians. Since Laure confirmed he was born with such a contract, it's assumed the same applies as well for branch Families of other Great Families. It's unknown if other Special Families get to enjoy such a privilege.

It's unknown what surnames some of these derived or branch Families use. Though it seems Laure uses the Phonsekal surname, it's possible his surname is actually Eurasia. Marriage between other Special Families may occur as well and they may even have derived families too.

All Special Families probably "choose" who gets to join their Family (birth or adoption). And they may determine who gets to remain as a Family member (birth or adoption), more than once. This is to filter out those unqualified for a certain purpose.

Like the Korean region (North/South Korea) used to, a good part of the Tower might practise polygamy, resulting in multiple wives and large extended families. This is probably not a right or practise exclusive to the nobility. And some of these common families might even practise some parts of "adoption" as mentioned below.

Being born into a Special Family
In the Great Families, a child isn't accepted as a Family member upon birth. Rather, they must first prove themselves at a certain age, so they can be chosen as a Family member from a pool of candidates. This means they're allowed to bear the crest and surname of the Family. In return for being chosen, they probably get to enjoy certain privileges.

It's unknown if other Special Families practise this as well, to ensure only the qualified remain in their Families.

Examples:
 * 1) At the age of 12, Koon Aguero Agnis was one of the winners of the fights between the children of the Koon branch families. So, he won the right to be chosen to be a member of the Koon Family. This allowed him to use the Koon surname in his name and to wear the crest of the Koon Family (his scarf).
 * 2) For the Bidau Family, certain males are chosen to work in the Research Association and they must prove themselves worthy, so they may be chosen to remain in the Family.

Before a child can be chosen to be a Family member, it's unknown where they live. It is possible the branch Family lives separately from the main Family and in a separate area or house. Or if they live together, the child is unlikely to be accepted by the Family head as one of the Family.

Note: in ancient Korea or China, a wife and her children who failed to win the favour of the main head of the family, didn't get to retain the surname if they were thrown out of the family. In some rare cases, some other "head of the household" might take them in. However, it is unknown if a former wife of a Great Family is allowed to take up favour with another Great Family or Special Family. Though it's unlikely since she had been discarded.

Being chosen as a partner by the Family Head
It's unknown what qualities are considered desirable, for one to be chosen as a partner or wife/husband from among the many lovers a Family head has. Though it's known that Koon's mother was probably not a Ranker or a failed Regular.

They then get to be a partner or to be married to the Family head and this allows their Family to be recognised as a branch Family.

It's unknown if Tower inhabitants who started off the main Families (10 Great Families) was a commoner or a peace tribute, offered by the former Rulers of the places the Zahard Empire had conquered.

Being Adopted
A person can be adopted into one of the the Special Families and it is likely only a specific few are chosen to be adopted for a specific purpose.

For example, Androssi Zahard was adopted into a branch Family because she showed combat talent, as the branch Family was desperate to produce a Princess so they wouldn't be exiled. Another example is a Ranker being adopted into the Zahard Family to maintain and uphold a set of rules.

Depending on the purpose the adoption is supposed to fill, candidates may range from Rankers, Regulars or even someone who is neither. They may come from a common family or a Special Family.

After a person has been adopted into a Family, they may receive privileges and so on, in exchange for achieving certain purposes for the Family.

If a person born into a Special Family has been adopted into another Special Family, they may get to retain their privileges and Special Contracts from their birth Family. The Special Family they've been adopted into, is viewed as their post-Clan. However, in return for bearing the crest of their post-Clan, they probably lose the right to bear the crest of their birth Family. Examples may be Yuri Zahard and Lo Po Bia Ren who don't wear items bearing the crest of their birth Families.

It's unknown if any of the 10 Great Families allow their members to serve another Great Family.

Informal and formal adoption
Now, there are 2 types of adoption: informal and formal.

Informal means one is adopted for a purpose, other than being a chosen son or daughter. As a result, they maintains their birth surname for a certain purpose, possibly to indicate where their allegiance is supposed to lie. This person isn't considered a Family member by the Family head. For example: Lo Po Bia Ren doesn't keep the surname of Zahard even if he belongs to the Zahard Family. He maintains the Bia Family's surname.

Formal means one is adopted to be a chosen or daughter of the Special Family and that person wasn't born to the Family head. The person will discard their birth surname and assume the surname of the post-Family, for a certain purpose.

For the Zahard Family, it may be to avoid being bound by heredity (like the 3 Lords system) and to place the interests of the Zahard Empire and the Zahard Family before her own. Of course, it's unlikely a Princess will completely switch allegiance and neglect her birth family (common or Special).

It's possible Androssi Zahard was formally adopted by the branch Family once she'd proven herself, worthy of being a potential Princess candidate.

Also it seems Rankers are adopted into the Hendo Family to uphold its image and probably rules. Since they're Hendo's adopted sons and daughters they probably call him "Father".

Being discarded from a Family
Just as someone can be born to a Special Family, they can also be discarded or exiled from a Family for failing to fulfill a certain purpose.

Examples:
 * 1) Koon's branch family (his mother, sister, himself and any other siblings) were "discarded" because, like other Koon branch families which failed to produce a Princess, they were exiled and thrown away to a lower Floor. This meant they had failed to prove themselves worthy to be chosen to remain within the Great Family.
 * 2) Yeon Yihwa was close to being discarded from the Yeon Family because if she had failed one more time on the 20th Floor, it would have brought shame to her Family. This would have meant she had failed too many times to retain her status as a chosen Regular and, as such, the unqualified don't belong to her Family.

Known Special Families
10 Great Families

Zahard Family

Mule Family

Other possible Special Families
These families may be Special, since they have a known family member, with rather high Ranking and influence. However, their status is not confirmed as of yet.

Jania Family (possibly a Special Family because of the status of Repellista Zahard)

Family of Mollic Won P. GR: Family name currently unknown. His status is equal to that of a Great Family's head.

Family of Evankhell