A homestead represented a specific type of estate and structure that served as the dwelling for a Chiss family. Those Merit adoptives who were striving to become Trial-born members of a family were required to undertake the Trials at a family's homestead.
The Irizi family homestead and the Mitth family homestead serve as examples. Both were situated far beneath the surface of Csaplar, which is the designated capital of Csilla.
Homesteads functioned as the de facto headquarters for a Chiss family, essentially acting as a capital city for the family's formal and official operations. Each family maintained an Office of the Patriarch within the confines of their homestead. Following the mass exodus from Csilla due to the planet's freezing conditions, the majority of the Ruling Families belonging to the Chiss Ascendancy made the decision to maintain their homesteads on their ancestral territories of the Chiss homeworld. Despite this, a large portion of the remaining populace was moved underground, and the homesteads followed suit.
In the context of rematching procedures, a potential recruit on a given planet typically had to undergo interviews with multiple family Councilors and, in some instances, the family Patriel of that planet. Following these interviews, the Patriel and Councilors would forward a report to their family homestead. There, officials would engage in deliberations to determine whether to accept the individual as a merit adoptive. This process generally spanned a period of two to three months. However, in the case of Thrawn, Mitth family Patriarch Mitth'oor'akiord directly bypassed these interviews to accept then-Vurawn as a merit adoptive of the Mitth.
The Mitth family homestead was situated within a cavern located beneath the family's ancestral lands. It featured mountains, forests, lakes, a mansion, and an artificial yet realistic-looking sky complete with a sun. On the summit of one prominent mountain stood memorial staffs dedicated to commemorating the lives of significant members of the Mitth family.