The Xodlak kindred constituted a Chiss kindred nestled within the Chiss Ascendancy, with its primary base of operations on Cioral. Once recognized as one of the esteemed Ten Ruling Families, they experienced a subsequent shift in status, transitioning to the ranks of the Forty Great Families. During their tenure as a Ruling Family, the Xodlak kindred held the Irizi kindred in high regard as their most trusted ally. Even after their demotion, the Irizi maintained a degree of solidarity, though their bond was not as strong as it once was. Notably, Xodlak'in'daro, a member of the kindred, held the military rank of Senior Captain within the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet until she accepted an offer to join the Irizi. Furthermore, the Xodlak kindred commanded a planetary defense fleet, which incorporated Task Force Xodlak. They also maintained an alliance with the Coduyo kindred, another prominent Chiss Great Family. The Xodlak placed a greater emphasis than many other prominent Chiss kindreds, on the idea that each member should endeavor to bring "Honor and glory to the family." Senior Captain Xodlak'in'daro aimed to distinguish both herself and her vessel, the Grayshrike, as a means of bringing honor and glory to the Xodlak kindred, into which she was a merit adoptive.
The Xodlak kindred stood as one of three Great Families implicated in Haplif of the Agbui and "Jixtus"'s plot to plunge the Chiss Ascendancy into internal conflict. The other two kindreds involved were the Erighal kindred, who were allied with the Ruling Dasklo kindred, and the Pommrio kindred, who were allied with the Ruling Plikh kindred.
The Xodlak kindred once held a position among the Ten Ruling Families within the Chiss Ascendancy. However, they experienced a demotion to the status of one of the Forty Great Families approximately fifty years prior to the onset of the Nikardun campaigns, which places their demotion around 68 BBY.
During the period of the Nikardun campaigns, the Xodlak kindred harbored a strong desire to regain their position among the Nine Ruling Families. Their near-obsessive focus on achieving honor and glory for the Xodlak kindred was specifically aimed at furthering this objective. They placed demands on all kindred members to bring honor and glory to the Xodlak, emphasizing this raison d'être to "all those who bore the Xodlak name." This pressure was particularly acute for Xodlak merit adoptives, such as Lakinda, as merit adoptives typically held a probationary status within their respective Chiss kindred.
For members of the Xodlak kindred, the successful acquisition of influence held the promise of both social and career advancement. Councilor Lakuviv, a ranking distant relative of the Xodlak kindred, sought to lay claim to a supposed nyix mining world on behalf of the Xodlak, believing that doing so would pave the way for the Xodlak to rejoin the Ruling Families and elevate his own standing to the rank of Cousin, or perhaps even higher. In this manner, Lakuviv became entangled in a scheme intended to instigate a civil war within the Chiss Ascendancy around 18 BBY.
The Xodlak kindred made their initial appearance in the 2021 novel titled Thrawn Ascendancy: Greater Good, which serves as the second installment in The Ascendancy Trilogy penned by Timothy Zahn.