Spider Files 001: GENDER [Worldbuilding Sketch] (Patreon)

I'm finally brave enough to start posting about my worldbuilding properly 😤 Feel free to comment any questions or observations below, I'm curious to hear what you all think and am excited to share more with you! For the first few lore posts I'm focussing on gender and sex (big surprise i know)

The people of O!elli typically recognize five genders throughout their society. Similar to here on Earth, each gender comes with its own preconceived notions and societal expectations. Also similar to Earth, the application of gender roles is often inconsistent and messy! These are just generalizations, after all, so many sit outside of or opposed to these expectations!

From left to right, the genders presented in the diagram are: Woman, Man, Chimera, Null, and Flux. (it was fun creating symbols of each hehe)

Here's a quick breakdown of the differences between each gender:

Women [She/Her Equivalent] tend to be larger and stronger than all other genders. They often hold high positions of power and authority because of this, and are given leeway to be more self serving. Being successful is directly tied to her web of influence, with societal pressure to pursue any means necessary to secure or expand her willpower, be that via property, family, or legacy.

Men [He/Him Equivalent] are considered the smallest and weakest gender, often reliant on being energetic and cunning to navigate the sociopolitical landscape. Men have a heavy social pressure to present and conduct themselves in ways that appeal to their superiors in hope that it will raise their social status. He is often discriminated against for "lack of conduct", often seen as chaotic and disruptive

Chimera [She/Him/Them* Equivalent] are seen by many as a divine mutation**, a union of man and woman that transcends and transposes both. They are often revered as wise sages, and are expected to carry themselves with wisdom and patience, regardless of if they actually possess these traits. Chimera are pressured to "mediate" the other genders and are taught to always work for the betterment of the collective, rather than the self

Null [It/Its Equivalent] are those who either reject*** their assigned gender or were raised without one. It is meant to be entirely beyond the reach of other gendered expectations, instead focussing solely on technical skill and study. It is expected to be wholly unbiased in its reason, embracing logic at the expense of personal pleasure or glory. Artificial Intelligences often adopt this gender as well.

Flux [They/Them Equivalent] are those who embrace the totality of the gender spectrum, allowing themselves to engage with every expectation in different amounts. Some perceive them as the "true" chimeric gender, whilst others see their lack of concrete identity as a reflection of an unstable and untrustworthy personality****. As a result, their lives tend to be very unconventional and dynamic, often taking the role of wandering performers or artisans

*In the primary O!elli language, there is a distinct pronoun for Chimera that directly translates to "Both him and her", as opposed to They/Them which refers to a spectrum. When translating to english, many Chimera adopt They/Them pronouns to refer to themselves as two distinct individuals, rather than using it in the spectrum context

**Chimera have always been a part of O!elli societies, but after the war (which will be elaborated on later), many more were born as a result of radiation induced mutation. As a result, their numbers have increased dramatically, making their role in society far more prevalent

***The Null gender supposedly got its start in ancient times, where it functioned similar to the human concept of a eunuch. In the past they were sterilized in service of their roles, a ritual docking of their pedipalps being used as a visual signifier of their status. Whilst this process is not required in modern times, many Null choose to follow tradition anyway

****Generally, O!elli societies dislike so called "disruptive vibrations" Those who are a little too different, a little too boisterous, are often shunned by the collective. As both the Flux and Men tend to be on the more "chaotic" side, this results in a higher degree of prejudice against both