Gender Dynamics Across the Galaxy

Most societies in the Dranvamus Galaxy do not have the dichotomy of “straight” or “queer” relationships as it is known to modern-day humans. Though many cultures do have certain expectations of which relationships are considered “normal” and which are seen as breaching the norm (whether the latter is tolerated or suppressed), few see the “norm” as solely heterosexual, cisgender, monogamous couples. Draknir and pouz-jok practice polyamory widely. Deonari and zashani cultures allow for a variety of gender identities, which rarely, if ever, coincide with birth sex. Certain species like the li’mai lack biological sex altogether. Nevertheless, relationships and identities that would read as “queer” to homo sapiens, are abound in the Imperium and beyond. In spite, or perhaps because of, their ossified aristocratism, Dranvaman cultures are usually open to different forms of gender and sexuality. Some are considered to be entirely normal; others lie beyond the mainstream, but in most societies, all are at least accepted. That being said, despite this universal tolerance, each culture of the galaxy still has its own peculiarities when it comes to gender and sexuality, shaped by their history as well as their species’ biology. The diversity of these peculiarities is covered in this article.

Draknir territories
With clan structures at the root of most aristocratic houses, Draknid expectations on relationships have a complex history rooted in politics, dynasty and family customs. Draknid ideas of “masculinity” as human societies might understand the term blur, almost divorce from biological sex. Although most houses identify a singular archon as their head, and will have a women’s branch to manage the raising of children. That position of ‘archon’ lacks any strict gender distinction, meaning both the archon and brood matriarch can be women. The long history of women who hold high positions of power in draknir history, legends of women as respected leaders, and the power of these women’s branches in creating and continuing dynasties holds notions in aristocratic circles that conflating women and submission is backwards and barbaric even among traditional-minded draknir.

Draknid language, generally, features a lot of political titles that are gender-neutral. A Paragvatus (or Paragon) can be a man or a woman, the title of paragahonse referring specifically to the paragon’s prime consort, who can be the same or a different sex to the Paragon. There have been many female paragons to take the throne, ascending with a male prime consort or one who is also female like themselves. As draknir history is filled with powerful women such as the legendary Lady Ultanas, it is widely accepted that women are not any less capable of asserting themselves or accomplishing great deeds as men.

These same family structures, and their political purposes, also see polyamory and open relationships as a widespread practice among draknir. Among more traditional-minded draknir, marriage is about joining houses and combining bloodlines (which are traditionally matrilineal), and these unions open and merge the various branches. It is not considered taboo for one family member to lie with another, provided they are not blood relatives within a certain number of generations. And relationships between members of different houses is sometimes regarded as a form of networking in the Metropoles. The incumbent Paragon Uriel Ultanos XVI has been known for being drawn to both male and female partners. And behind closed doors there is word his heart is not only being pulled to others, the prime consort teases him on some of his choices of attraction.

These open relationships mean there’s less of a stigma to same-sex attractions and partnerships among draknir. Because raising children past the infant stage is a responsibility to the entire house, even those who prioritise family or dynasty might not see same-sex attraction as something to preclude any role in continuing the family.

In extension to this, sexual transition is an accepted concept. The sophistication of medical technology allows for complete sexual transformations alongside the wide variety of cosmetic and gender non-conforming alterations willingly undergone by affluent draknir for reasons of either style, trends, or personal preference. Though not too common, a complete sex change is something a portion of draknir experiment with, the same technology being used to transition back has allowed for a subculture of transitioning out of curiosity, which exists alongside transition for cases of bodily dysphoria.

While the grand houses are not the entirety of society in the core draknid territories, their presence is strong enough their attitudes influence the norm within the inner circuits and extend into the various praetorates. The result of this influence is polyamorous relationships are common outside the clan structures even if they may not each be as extensive. While expression of gender and sexuality is an open subject, especially in the more cosmopolitan regions such as the cities of Araveene. Whether this is to mimic the upper classes - “for culture to trickle down” as the saying goes - or be emboldened by the aristocracy’s openness with varied partnerships varies between individuals and locations.

Seranaica
Coloured by the intricacies of their faith, the culture of the Seranaic deonari is often described as regimented - if not by law, then by religion, custom, or both. Much like in the traditional societies of Earth, however, that regimentation does not necessarily translate to heteronormativity, or a strict gender binary. On the contrary, the traditions of Seranaica allow for a diverse variety of gender expression and sexuality - even though that diversity may too be confined by dogma.

At its core, the Seranaic Church rejects conventional gender roles. The matriarchal structure of pre-starfaring Vendaetha, where men were warriors conditioned to die young in glorious battle, while women were raised as leaders and peacemakers, broke down as Seranaica was formed. Seranai herself eschewed conventional gender norms in dress and ritual and had lovers of all genders throughout her lifetime. Her daughter, Phraenir the Paragon, was a peerless warrior and conqueror, and also adopted the polygamous traditions of the draknir. Meanwhile, Phraenir’s husband and eventual successor, Loq-Satiel the Preserver, defied the old deonari traditions of masculinity by becoming the most pacifist of the first Clericarchs, focusing his attention on statecraft and a simple family life.

The result of all this has been a culture that, while restrictive, is rather flexible when it comes to gender and sexuality. The various forms of gender expression, identity and attraction have come to be understood as the different ways in which the Void manifests in an individual. Should, for example, a deonari born as a woman feel attraction to another woman, or a desire to present or be masculine; then they must act on these impulses, as that was what the Void intended of them. Though the Cult condemns rash shows of affection or flamboyant displays of identity, suppressing one’s nature is considered to be even more sinful, as in doing so, one distorts their true self. Love and sexuality are to be accepted, even if bound by reason and duty.

The exact intricacies of the gender system depend on the Void sect and culture in question. The more conservative worlds such as Solphenn, where traditional interpretations of scripture are used, have a highly complex system of gender identities and sexualities deemed socially acceptable. Each identity has a prescribed role in rituals, and is associated with its own Divine; most are taken on upon achieving adulthood and last for life, while others are more fluid and impermanent. A complex form of etiquette exists on how to address each other depending on gender, and each form of relationship is highly formalised.

On the other side of the spectrum, there are the more reformist sects of the Cult of the Void, such as the Santhuari Theorationalists, which take a much more relaxed approach to identity - both more and less restrictive at the same time. On Santhuair, all forms of gender identity and sexuality are accepted - including those that might be found odd on the more traditional worlds - but, at the same time, gender expression is highly limited. Most Santhuaris wear uniform, gender-neutral clothing, use standard makeup that denotes status rather than gender, and even their language is devoid of gendered pronouns or word-forms. Deviation from these norms is tolerated, especially for older citizens, but anything seen as excessive will be condemned as dangerously individualistic.

Most worlds in Seranaica, however, fall somewhere in between these two extremes. These will have a number of particularly common identities and lifestyles that are celebrated and ritualised, as well as those that are not included in the system and are merely accepted. The nature of these identities would then further change depending on the influences of outside cultures. The people of Narin Loq, for example, practice polyamory far more often than the rest of Seranaica, owing to draknir influence; while deonari communities living alongside the sacrenar at times adopt their occupational-based “gender” roles.

Pouz-jok
The relationships of the pouz-jok are as manifold and complex as the politics of their Freeholds - and the two, quite often, are closely interconnected. Much like the draknir in the core, pouz-jok culture is aristocratic - but unlike the vast, monolithic Houses of the Imperium, the noble dynasties of the Freeholds are ever in flux. Families are small, and each noble swears fealty not to one, but several of them, with alliances shifting and turning constantly. In this environment, bonds of love and family are especially important - some would even say that they alone hold the chaos of the Freeholds together.

In general, pouz-jok favour semi-open relationships - referred to collectively as aramani - where each individual has one close, long-term partner as well as multiple casual ones with which one meets only sporadically. The former relationships are usually heterosexual and the latter homosexual, although this is merely a tendency and not a rule, and the concept of sexual orientation does not exist in pouz-jok culture per se. All of these relationships are transparent to the public, and serve to secure connections between families - whether they be short-term diplomatic alliances or full-on dynastic unions.

The aramani system is considered traditional on most pouz-jok worlds, from the Tertamian feitorias to the fortress-worlds of West Muris, but not all relationships conform to it. Some pouz-jok, especially from the more progressive circles of their society and the commoners, extend the aramani to form more interconnected polycules, where each member is in some kind of relationship with the other. True polygamy, in the draknir fashion, is also not uncommon - especially in western Freeholds that frequently trade and interact with the Imperium - as is monogamy.

The scientific prowess of the ancient pouz-jok Ascendancy that in ancient past allowed them to create entire species such as the zashani also plays a part in the fluidity of pouz-jok relationships. Though today much of the old technology is forgotten, the Freeholds retain enough understanding of the Ascendancy’s biomancy to easily alter one’s sexual characteristics in a variety of ways. Procedures such as growing an oviduct for a male pouz-jok that would want to have children with his same-sex partner, adding or removing individual reproductive organs, or changing one’s biological sex entirely, are all readily available, even more so than in the Imperium.

This, in turn, has led the pouz-jok to see gender and sex as something fluid and impermanent. Masculinity and femininity are expressed vividly, and often in conjunction with each other, but only in specific situations, and may be switched freely. This attitude towards gender roles would imprint upon many of the pouz-jok’s creations, though they, in turn, would develop their own cultural mores, in parallel with their former masters.

Zashani
Designed by the pouz-jok to be genetically malleable and metamorphic to fit an array of roles and niches, zashani notions of gender and sexuality are highly complex, intricate and dependent on clade and ethnoculture. Many khamet’ati who reside within the Crown subscribe to Imperial notions of gender and practice similar relationship dynamics, zakhané abandon the ideas of ‘masculinity’, ‘femininity’ and sex altogether as defined by their creators yet retain their relationship practices, while sacrenar determine and express gender via occupational roles and practices. There is a notable lack of unified ideology between zashani demographics, either independently developing ideas for themselves or accepting guidance and inspiration taken from whichever cultures, societies and species they are in proximity to - one notable example is how the modern language of the khamet’ati is influenced by exposure to Imperial ideas following their cultural assimilation.

Complexity arises due to their physiology. All zashani are spawned sexless and genderless; all zashani are capable of metamorphosis that modifies, removes or provides sexual organs as they please; and all zashani have the potential to reproduce both sexually and asexually, unless they deem otherwise. Much like the pouz-jok, sex and gender is impermanent, fluid, and sometimes deemed nonexistent. Assigning gender - and for certain ethnocultures, assigning names - at spawning is considered highly uncommon, with children often gaining a sense of gender identity while nearing their first metamorphosis at puberty. Sexual dimorphism tends to be incredibly subtle and names, clothing and other manners of presentation often become non-gendered when applied to zashani.

Even in those populaces who integrate with other cultures, zashani relationships tend to retain some universal aspects. Children are not a strong indicator of bonding between zashani, as ‘clutches’ are gathered in communal nurseries and raised by a community network rather than exclusively by parents whether biological or not. There is little regard for notions of biological family or bloodlines and obligations to such, emphasizing membership into found surrogate families. It is uncommon for zashani to have lifelong partners, whether polyamorous or monogamous, or relationships will come, go and transition in nature in mutual phases rather than remain fixed.

A reality of the zashani’s success as one of the most populous and accepted species across Dranvamus is interspecies relationships. It is common to find relationships between khamet and draknir within the Crown, while Muris Circuit’s myrani are insular to the point of hesitation at relationships with zashani from outside their culture. Pouz-jok and zashani relationships are documented if controversial due to their longstanding history of power imbalance, although zashani do not view the modern pouz-jok the same as their creators and pouz-jok likewise cannot deny the modern zashani are different from their creations. Relationships between zashani and deonari are surprisingly common, such as between Principes Tyrath and Iovera, although not generally accepted in the Twilight’s Spin by either (with the exception of the sacrenar) while the Crown views such affairs in a more accepting light.