Kiith (plural: Kiithid) is a family unit or House for the Kushan people, and later Hiigaran. Such families could have from dozens even up to thousands of members. The Kiith caste system was in practice long before the journey to Kharak and while over the generations all other social structures faded, the Kiith remained. When the Khar-Toba's power core depleted, many families left the powerless city and banded together, forming new Kiithid or joined pre-existing ones. Kharak's harsh environment placed great difficulties on the survivors, emphasizing their dependency upon one another; as a result of this, Kiith bonds became stronger if not sacred in the later Kiithid of Kharak. When the bands of refugees finally arrived at the northern more hospitable regions, the Kiithidal social system was