A Patriarch is a significant male within a family or group, sometimes taking a leadership role or holding some cultural significance within the group.
Among the Holy Order of the Kinshaya, the Patriarchs and Matriarchs were part of the ruling Episcopate. Males in the priestly class were restricted to military leadership and diplomacy.
Following the Niamlar Massacre on Janalwa in 2382, in the face of calls for a transition to a more populist government, Pontifex Ykredna and the Matriarchs and Patriarchs vowed to resist such efforts. (ST - Typhon Pact eBook: The Struggle Within)
- The exact duties and responsibilities of the Matriarchs are unclear.