Quote:Are families the typical two parents with each child being from the same parents?
Not necessarily, as Keeper society mostly seems to revolve around wandering males showing up at times in those matriarchal families. It's not much of a stretch to assume that since they probably rarely stay up for life, then a mother can probably meet several of them. This of course is tempered by the fact that males are few (thus why they move between clans).
If we look into the lore, most Keepers don't seem to talk much about their precise family nucleus, but the only example I have in mind (and the biggest source of info on Keepers) is the family of Urha and Mauh Lihzeh, who are both female children to a single mother (so a very small family, not even a clan, because they live in the city). It is not clearly stated if they are from the same father, but hints strongly suggest that is not the case. One, the father(s) is/are never ever mentionned, because it's mostly irrelevant for them. Two, Uhra seems to be at least 15 years older than her sister that she had to take care of when she was a mewling child. Three, keepers men are known to wander around in the wilderness, while women keep the hearth, and accept game and trade from menfolk when they show up, added to the fact that she speaks of the Coeurlclaw King (King Poach) as doing things most unnaturally, forcing women to lie with him and him alone.
With that in mind it's not much of a stretch indeed to conclude that they are not of the same father, even if it's not clearly stated (so it could be the opposite too). But yeah the combination of how things are supposed to play (in her eyes) in Keeper families, how she speaks about men and how they are kept irrelevant in family matters, and how they move between families and clans, and how both sisters are quite not of the same age, I tend to think that way.
All of that to say, I think, that both cases can be made as we seem to have much leeway, since nothing prevents a Keeper family to have two parents giving birth to several children as we are not really informed on how long males tend to stay with the mother, added to the fact that it can probably also vary depending on individuals and whatnot. However, the standard model told by the lore is about males moving between families and clans, so... Expect a lot of mothers to have been with several fathers.
Quote:What are the expectations and responsibilities of children? Do things like age or birth order play part?
We don't have much info on what expectations for children, so I would wager that it's like for anyone in Eorzea really. Farmer child? Probably help at the farm. Fisher child? Same. Noble or wealthy child? Probably a lot more options.
Birth order seems to at least play on the naming conventions for Keeper males, that all is clear. We don't seem to have info on matriarchal order or anything like that. It's not even clear in bigger Keeper clans who leads and on what basis they are put there to begin with, if there is anyone that actually leads as a matriarch anyway. Keep in mind though that Keeper clans and families are explicitly said to be way smaller than Seeker tribes, so... I suppose the question becomes a lot less relevant here. Only things for sure is, women are in charge, since men only show occasionally and never stay that long.
Quote:How close are parents with their children? Both mother or father? Do those relationships differ strongly based on gender?
The relationship between sisters, and mothers, and females in general, seems to be one of very close and loving families, as depicted in most quests related to Keepers. It of course doesn't mean it will always be the case though. But expectations are ones of very close proximity and mutual 'love'. And there is also their divinity, Menphina.
Fathers however, seem to be considered as mostly irrelevant. Male offsprings also leave to wander pretty young, although your mileage can probably also vary here.
It's an interesting society in that males thus turn into occasional encounters, lovers of a few days or months, small adventurers in the life of most Keeper girls who spend 99.9% of their time with... other girls. It's one of those species where the gap between males and females is so huge that both genders seem almost like of a different race.
Quote:Is sibling tensions and rivalry common? Competition for parental or community attention?
Again, no lore on that as far as I know. Hard to say, and like for most families of most races, that can be many things. There is probably in some families, and none in others...
Since the emphasis seems to be put rather strongly on family bonds between women though, I would find reasonable to assume that those tensions are probably less common than with other races. Tensions between males and females though, might be way higher?
All in all, I think the best to keep in mind is that lore for now seems to give a lot of leeway on that, and also not only lore, but what's to be expected in life, really. Those are things that just can't be totally uniform and always the same for every individuals. Keepers are not only from the Shroud, but pretty much from everywhere. Lominsan Keepers probably have different customs, as well as Sharlayan ones, or even the ones living still on Meracydia, or even Othard? And then you have also the difference between integrated Keepers living in cities, and the ones still living as clans outside.
I suppose in Miqo'te societies, having so many male offspring might be seen as a blessing, at least for Seekers. For Keepers I think you can probably make a case why it would seem embarrassing or at the contrary pretty awesome, depending on the view on males the mother/family have.
Would the mother have learned her trade after the first 4 male children she had? Probably. Does that imply that she will want to keep him longer with her? Or the opposite, putting him younger on the road? Up to you I guess.
Balmung:Â Suen Shyu
