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The Lineage Arc — Series Overview
Series Overview
The Lineage Arc
The Idea Our Rules The 12 Family Types Why They Meet Now The People Handling Deep History Get Involved

The Lineage Arc

A series of novels about twelve family lines that stretch back as far as records and evidence allow—sometimes thousands of years. Each family has always played a certain role in how societies function. Today, their descendants finally cross paths. Not because of magic or destiny, but because the modern world has squeezed all those old roles into the same pressure cooker.

What This Series Is

A grounded, multi-generational story where separate families—each carrying forward an ancient “job” in civilization—end up connected in the present. It’s built on real history and how institutions actually work, not fantasy or conspiracy.

Rooted in real history & evidence Global family lines Recurring roles across centuries They meet because systems force it

The Core Idea

These families come together because they’re all tied to the same big systems—law, trade, power, knowledge—that are now hitting their limits.

No chosen heroes. Just ordinary people carrying old patterns into a breaking-point moment.

Our Hard Rules (We Don’t Break These)

  • Real Backbone We only use real history and science for the main timeline We stick to what scholars agree on. We can add drama, but we never make up big fake events or secret societies.
  • Gaps When records run out, we guess carefully For very ancient times, we use the most likely picture based on archaeology and experts—nothing wild.
  • Behavior People act like people from their own time No putting modern ideas into ancient heads. Everyone follows the rules and pressures of their era.
  • Avoid No romantic fairy-tale history Empires and migrations were messy—trade, survival, power, and sometimes violence. We show the real mix.

The 12 Family Types (Based on What They’ve Always Done)

These aren’t races or nationalities—they’re jobs that keep popping up no matter which empire or century you look at. Families move around as history changes, but they tend to stay in the same kind of work.

1) Record-Keepers The ones who write things down—scribes, lawyers, archivists, today’s data managers.
2) Enforcers Soldiers, police, security—people who keep order by force when needed.
3) Traders Merchants, shippers, bankers—moving goods and money around.
4) Stewards Farmers, land caretakers, conservationists—keeping things going long-term.
5) Builders Engineers, architects—making roads, cities, networks.
6) Interpreters Priests, teachers, journalists—explaining the world to others.
7) Extractors Tax collectors, resource companies—getting value out of land or people.
8) Brokers Middlemen, diplomats, consultants—connecting different sides.
9) Dissidents Rebels, whistleblowers—people who challenge the system from outside or inside.
10) Administrators Bureaucrats, managers—running the day-to-day rules and processes.
11) Myth-Makers Storytellers, propagandists, marketers—shaping what people believe.
12) Survivors Ordinary folks who just keep going no matter what—the quiet backbone.
Important: A family can change focus a bit over time, but they’re always pulled back to their main role. That’s what makes the story feel real and keeps characters consistent.

Why All These Families Meet in Our Time

It’s not a big dramatic reunion. It happens because three big problems are squeezing every role at once.

A
Trust Breakdown People stop believing in laws and institutions. Rules feel empty. Record-keepers spot the lies, enforcers split, administrators lose respect.
B
Shortages & Strain Energy, food, water, digital space—everything gets tight. Builders, traders, extractors, and stewards fight over what’s left.
C
Truth Overload Too many competing stories; no shared reality anymore. Interpreters, myth-makers, dissidents, and survivors get tangled up.
Result
The Tipping Point One ordinary decision—a contract, a policy, a data choice—ends up affecting every family at once.

The real punch: everything happens completely “legally” and through normal channels.

Today’s Characters

We only need 1–2 living people per family type in the modern day. That keeps the story tight (15–20 main characters total) but still full of conflict and connections.

  • Total cast: Small enough to follow easily
  • Each person: Feels stuck with habits and pressures they inherited
  • They don’t know the whole history: They just feel it as instincts or recurring problems

Donald’s Part

Donald isn’t the hero or the mastermind. He’s just the guy who starts to see the pattern.

He’s got a mix of stewardship, systems knowledge, access, and basic decency. He doesn’t cause anything—he notices what’s already happening.

The story really moves when someone finally connects the dots across families.

Bringing in Deep History Without Boring Everyone

We don’t jump back and forth every chapter. The past should feel present without taking over.

One Key Moment Per Family Each type gets one chapter set in the deep past to show who they were and how they survived.
Then Let It Echo After that, history shows up as habits, objects, family stories, or instincts.
Very Old Times: We go as far back as evidence allows, using the best archaeology and history. When names are lost, we use realistic stand-ins and say so—no pretending we know everything.

Want to Help Build This?

We’re looking for people who love research, history, and tight storytelling to join in.

We Need

• History buffs who dig into primary sources
• People good at tracing realistic family movements
• Writers who can build believable characters
• Editors who keep things clear and sharp

We’re Not Doing

• Secret ancient bloodlines
• Preachy modern lessons
• Wild conspiracy plots
• Action-movie explosions over story

How We Work: First sketch the big structure (roles → eras → pressures), then fill in real or likely details as we find them.
See the 12 Family Types Understand Why They Meet Check Our Rules