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.

Introduction
Special Families are different from ordinary families like Ship Leeso's family or Hatsu's family, as their amount of political influence or privileges, set them aside from the common class. Most or all Special Families have a special contract with Guardians that gives specific bonuses. At times, they may even have secret techniques or items handed to certain chosen ones, within their Family. Like: Mule Love was chosen to own the Mule Glove, which is an Armor Inventory capable of increasing Shinsoo Resistance and this item was passed down in his 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 seen by the fact Love isn't on the run and is working as a Testing Admin on the 20F, while openly bearing the logo of the Chicken Love Family. It is unknown if such Families also serve the Zahard Empire, in exchange for these privileges and other benefits.

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.

Take note that all Special Families probably "choose" who gets to remain as a Family member or even who gets to retain their "status of being adopted", more than once. This is to filter out those unqualified for a certain purpose.

And just like much of the Tower, the concept of "people do something for another party, in exchange for something(knowledge, money, privileges, etc.)" also applies to Special Families.

Being born into a Special Family
In the Great Families, a child isn't accepted as a Family member upon birth. Rather, he must first prove himself at a certain age, so he 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 status, influence, money, access to better grades of items like weapons or Armour Inventory and so on.

It's unknown if other Special Families practise this as well. Though they probably do so, such that only the qualified remain in their Families.

Example One: At the age of 12, Koon Agero Agnis was one of the winners of the extremely bloody 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).

Example Two: For the Biduh 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 he lives. 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. It's unlikely since she has been discarded, though.

Being Adopted
A person can be adopted into 1 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(ch44), as the branch Family was desperate to produce a Princess so they wouldn't be exiled. For example: a Ranker adopted into the Hendo or Zahard Family to maintain and uphold a set of rules(Hendo's profille).

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. Such privileges are probably given out, based on their performance and may include: a Special Contract with the Guardian, special privileges, protection from the Family, lavish earnings, stuffed toys(for Androssi), etc. These "adopted" might choose to share their privileges or earnings with their birth family(common or Special).

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. This is because Yuri Zahard, Lo Po Bia Ren and Mule Love 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, he maintains his birth surname for a certain purpose, possibly to indicate where his 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. While the Zahard Family appears to be the only Family which practises this, there may be other Special Families which practise this as well. The person will discard his 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.

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.

Example One: Koon Agero's branch family(his mother, sister, himself and any other siblings) was "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.

Example Two: Yeon Yihwa is close to being discarded from the Yeon Family because to fail one more time, will bring shame to her Family. This will mean she has failed many times, to retain her status as a chosen Regular and as such, the unqualified don't belong to her Family.

Known Special Families
More of such Families may be added if time allows.

10 Great Families

Zahard Family

Chicken Love Family

Mule Family

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

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