Selkirk Family Reproduction

  In order to maintain their feared reputation as the premier source of TAGs within the Sparnell Confederation, the Selkirk Family now maintains tight control over their genetics. This was not always the case. Prior to the Confederation Civil War from 1997 to 2002 EVT, Selkirks were free to make their own parenting choices, with all new children welcomed into the Family with open arms.  

Confederation Civil War

All that changed when the Family found their members fighting on all three fronts of the War. Formerly staunch Family allies cut ties with all but their personal Selkirk TAGs, forcing Family members to sever their own ties and fight their relatives, or tarnish the Family name by turning on their superiors. While all Families faced these choices to a certain extent, the Selkirks' status as the best-trained weapons in the entire Confederation ensured their future as a Family would live or die by their personal choices.   In the end they chose Family name over family members, remaining true to their vows of obedience to their superiors even as the Family continued to cause the most havoc to both the Confederation and each other. In the end it was Valcore Sil who brokered the peace through superior cunning and force, her TAG Selkirk Tallinah unquestionably at her side.  

Silent Family Founding

As Valcore Sil made sweeping changes across the Confederation, the Selkirk Family quietly instituted changes of their own, splitting their Family in two. Those without a natural skill in Necromancy, and those wishing to surrender their roles as TAG, were segregated into a newly-formed Family and tasked with the maintenance of Selkirk's reconstruction clone facilities.   This Silent Family would hide behind the Selkirk Family name, serving their needs as the Selkirks saw to theirs in return. In public they would pretend to be disowned, hired to fulfill menial tasks throughout the Selkirk Estate, their members Claimed by Sparnell Central Intelligence immediately upon their SAF Conscription.  

Selkirk Family Reorganization

The remainder of the Selkirk Family would continue their work as TAGs, but with major changes. To limit access to Selkirk TAGs, thus limiting the faction's ability to rely on the Selkirks as the only weapon in case of another civil war, they would carefully manage their birth rates. Male Selkirks would be sterilized until permitted to have offspring; females would be provided with alchemical options to suppress and even temporarily eliminate their own reproductive cycles.   Because the limited numbers meant all Selkirks would now be active-duty TAGs, viable pregnancies would be transferred to a specially-developed section of the Family's cloning tanks, complete with the capabilities to accelerate or decelerate development as determined by the Family's needs to replenish their own numbers. Children would be groomed from birth for their role, and taught the necessary skills to suppress their own emotions, thus never calling into question their loyalty or dedication to the job.   In this way, the horrors of the past would never be permitted a repeat.

  Family members are informed when it is their turn to submit offspring to the reproductive tanks, allowing them the opportunity to pass their genetics to the next generation. While each member is permitted to refuse, too many refusals over the duration of their life will result in growing pressure from the Family Chair, particularly if the member in question is well-renowned. The Selkirk's lower quantity of members already limits their access to new genetics, while their requirements for ruthlessness and perfection result in a higher percentage of disowned than any other Family. All remaining members are expected to contribute to the Family's continued existence.  

Choosing a Partner

Because the Family forbids personal attachments outside of one's own Tactical Assault Group, reproductive partners are chosen based upon their genetics and magical strengths. The Family Chair will often make their own selections among willing participants, with only minor input from the Selkirk. While all children are deemed property of the Selkirk Family, most other Families consider it a matter of prestige to contribute genetic material to a future TAG, and so while distrust of the Selkirks still runs high, so does their list of volunteers.  

Waiting for a Soul

It typically takes two to six months after conception for a soul to appear, at which point the pregnancy is considered viable. Non-Selkirk mothers will spend this time with the Silent Family, their every need cared for throughout the duration of their stay. Selkirk mothers are expected to continue to perform their basic duties during this time, with the Selkirk Family making arrangements with other admirals to borrow a substitute TAG for the more dangerous missions.   Once a soul is detected, either a necromantic surgeon or the TAG herself will extract the child, depositing them in one of the birthing tanks. Medical services are also available to help the mother's recovery from their pregnancy, rivaling that of the majority of the Confederation courtesy of the Selkirk's personal resources and serving as a major draw for outsiders. Surrogate mothers emerge from their time on the Selkirk Estate in better health than when they arrived, and the Silents have developed a reputation of surprising hospitality.