Telvan Caste System

The Telvan caste system is a very structured class system that has been cemented into the culture. It is still practiced in the Telvan empire with those who disagree with the system being seen as insane and dangerous. One's caste is determined by their family and cannot be changed no matter the family's wealth or community standing.
The caste system determines the type of job one could have, whom one could marry, and much much more. People who do marry outside their caste are immediately shunned by society and drop to the lowest rank of caste.
There are thousands of castes that fall into many different ranks in societies. The main different ranking groups are as follows: Lanbe, Mepa, Kastet, Katum, and Sumpa, with all those considered socially taboo being in the Pakumbe castes. The Lanbe are considered to be of higher ‘Purity’ status than all the other classes due to their ‘holiness’ so all of the lesser castes are seen as being of common blood.
For reference the Katum caste and up are often referred to as the upper castes, and the Sumpa and below are referred to as the lower castes who make up the majority of the population and workforce. It should be noted however that some castes have complex dynamics with the systems of power with the most obvious examples being the Mepa and the Kestet who are restricted heavily due to their caste roles.
The information known by the Galactic Coalition about the Telvan Caste system has been learned from the limited and often hostile contact as well as research and data acquired from Telvan data banks.

Lanbe

The Lanbe are the caste that is in charge of the aristocracy and the government of the Telvan empire. They are considered to be the purest of the castes due to their supposed holiness and this is why they were put in charge of the Telvans according to propaganda.
The Lanbe are allowed to wear whatever they want and tend to go for the elaborate and showy telvan clothing and would never think of wearing anything less. For an identifying item, they will wear veils or masks in public as it is believed that looking upon a Lanbe's face would make them unclean. They wouldn’t wear these veils when at home, only when in public.
They are split into two groups, the on’Lanbe and the um’Lanbe.

on’Lanbe

The on’Lanbe are a sub-class of the Lanbe. They are the Lanbe’s that are from the more prominent and powerful families of the empire. They tend to be the ones that rule over large or important swaths of the empire and in the case of the imperial family, the empire as a whole.
The on’Lanbe make up the upper class of the telvan caste system and its society.

um’Lanbe

The um’Lanbe are a sub-class of the Lanbe. They are the Lanbe’s that are from less powerful families or cadet branches of the empire. They tend to be the ones ruling over small portions of the empire like one system or planet. Basically, the um'Lanbe are the landed Gentry of the Telvan Empire.
The um’Lanbe are basically the upper middle class of the Telvan caste system, but are not always wealthy or powerful.

Mepa

The Mepa are the hereditary servant families that are tied to families of the Lanbe. They are the ones that work as the Lanbe servants, secretaries, advisors, and confidants and in general, just take care of them. They also work as a middle man between the people of the lower castes and the Lanbe. They also may be in charge of the children of the Lanbe caste and their care and education as they grow up, Mepa children tend to be the childhood companions of the Lanbe children.
They are the caste that is closest to the Lanbe and as such, they are also considered holy and pure, but not as much as the Lanbe. They do not see their position as servants as a bad thing due to the high prestige they get with the possessions such as wealth, power, and land given to them by the Lanbe families. However, they also must ask permission from their employer's family to be able to marry.
The Mepa are allowed to wear the flamboyant clothing of the aristocracy, but they are also required to keep their hair in a long queue with an identifiable pendant on the end.

Kastet

For more information see: The Kastet Military Caste
The Kastet class is a military caste and its members are all enlisted in the military as elite infantry and military strategists and they make up the majority Telvan Empire’s standing military. They make up the officers and ranking military, with people of other castes (specifically the Tusam caste) being drafted only during times of emergency and war.

They have an interesting relationship with the caste system as they are considered high-ranking, but do not enjoy the freedoms or luxuries that tend to come with being so.
They are trained from childhood in training schools and are raised to be loyal to the empire over everything else. Besides being great fighters and military officials they may also have some skills in engineering, piloting, and navigation however they are not often recognized for these skills.
The Kastets also have been the subjects of some breeding programs, which use fertility treatments and egg/sperm donors, that strive to make their population stronger and overall better soldiers.
The Kastet are restricted to wearing military clothing that denote branch and rank and they also have distinctive facial decoration made up of scarification and tattooing. These facial markings make them clearly distinguishable as well as make it harder for them to desert or hide.

Sumpa

The Sumpa are the common people of the Telvan caste system, ranging from middle-class artisans and merchants to the more lower-class laborers. They are also eligible for low-level government positions, often the ones not on the Telvan homeworld.
The Sumpa class used to be a lot more oppressed under the caste system, but due to the expansion of the Telvan Empire into non-Telvan territories they have risen in status through the addition of non-telven castes.
The Sumpa caste is allowed to wear only the simpler clothing of the common people, only being allowed to wear aristocratic clothing when allowed by their patron.

Katum

The Katum caste is a subclass of the Sumpa caste and is made up of those whose family members have passed the civil exam and got a government position. This is considered a step up from a regular Sumpa caste and a step on the path of upward mobility.
The Katum are allowed to wear the fancy clothing of the upper class, but it is limited to be less fancy and extravagant, to distinguish them from the higher castes.

Pakumbe

The Pakumbe caste is the untouchable caste who are considered outside of the caste system and below all of the other castes. This includes those who broke societal taboos like marrying outside their caste or are not ‘pureblood’ Telvans, but it is mostly made up of people who are descendants of people who broke the status quo. More modernly, the caste has been expanded to include the non-Telvan species that the Telvan empire has conquered.
They are the lowest caste one can be in and they end up doing the more laborious jobs as they are not allowed in any other professions; They are also forced to live in segregation only able to live in certain areas.
One who was not born a Pakumbe, but has fallen to the status, is put through a trial with evidence and witnesses presented. If the person is found guilty they are stripped of their caste status and deemed to be Pakumbe.
They are forbidden from wearing aristocratic clothing in any setting, and due to their status as unclean, they are only allowed to wear the cheapest of clothing. They are also required to have a noticeable badge demarking their status; Those who have fallen to the class are commonly given a facial scar upon their trial.

Tusam

The Tusam are a subclass of the Pakumbe caste and are distinguished by including all species that are not Telvan.
They, like the rest of the Pakumbe caste, are considered untouchable are are subject to much segregation and restrictions.

Planet of Origin
Telva
Culture of Origin
Telvan

Citizenship

Citizenship is granted to those of the Sumpa caste and above and can work as government officials, with their specific job opportunities being dependent on their caste. They have greater freedom of movement as well as more civil and social freedoms. Those of the aristocratic castes have the most freedoms and opportunities.
Those who do not have citizenship -those of the Pakumbe castes- have limited movement and civil and social rights compared to citizens. They are often considered unclean or unworthy of regular rights.

Changing Caste

Changing one's caste is possible but is quite rare and hard, especially if one wishes to rise in station as this requires a specific dispensation from the Imperial family to be legal.
One may rise in their station through years of service to the empire. Members Katume or Sumpa may rise to the rank of Mepa. Those of the um’Lanbe may rise to the status of on’Lanbe. Those of the Mepa and Kastet are not allowed to rise in rank, but they may perform duties of the other caste while doing their duties.
People of all castes may fall to the Pakumbe caste if they take part in any social taboos, however, it is more common for those of aristocratic or high-ranking castes to be able to cover these up and avoid it. This means that it is mostly Katum or Sumpa caste members who fall to Pakumbe caste.