A telbun was a middle-class Human from the Kuat system chosen by one of the great merchant families to parent a child with a Kuati noble. Once selected, they became the property of the upper class. The telbun was made to wear heavy red and purple robes that hid their bodies from the public eye, as well as tall, starched collars and high, cylindrical hats. Although there were both male and female telbun, males were much more common due to the matriarchal Kuati society.