The Great Families are an enormously long-lived group of nobility, reigning from the time of the ancient kingdom of Moti through various successor states, and into the Holy Moti Empire. Each one not only bears an animal on their emblems, but also regards themselves as actually belonging to the "godlikes," a kind of part-human, part-god tribe who preside over their respective animals, and are identified as them (e.g., the Horse Family would often be referred to as literal "horses"). For centuries, they were known mostly for various cruelties or excesses exacted against the common people, though this was supposedly ended by the great hero Kirost, and their power waned with the centralizing reigns of First Gaci and his heirs. Currently among their number are included the Elephant Family, who currently rule the Empire, and the Horse Family, their greatest rival.
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