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Gender in the Kingdom of Anaxas

Social Roles of Women and Men

In Anaxas, there is still a long way to go to achieving gender equality. Strictly speaking, the higher you go on the class/race totem pole, the less pervasive sexism will seem. This does not mean that sexism is never a problem among the galdori citizenry. It is merely quieter, subtler, and more subdued.

Galdori Society

Perhaps the furthest along the road to true equality are the galdori. This is due, not to their rejection of traditional lines of thinking or a modernization of their concept of gender, but to their extreme and almost religious devotion to the pursuit of knowledge, something which is considered a heroic ideal both for men and women. There is an equalizing effect in play when it comes to this; women are naturally just as good at magic as men, and in the narrative of galdori culture, it is always preferable to have more practicing sorcerers. (This particularly affects their view of people who are incapable of casting.)

However, within this dynamic there are inherent differences and inequalities.

There are less obvious inequalities than among humans, leading to much self-righteousness among the galdori, but the problem of expected gender roles persists. Women were traditionally expected to take on more passive roles in their preferred application of magic; it is only recently that female Seventen became more common, for example. It remains far more acceptable to women to be healers or scientists than to use their magic for defensive purposes. The lofty heights of academia are still cloistered and somewhat sexist (the induction of Ophelia Servalis as Headmistress caused more than a few raised eyebrows). And though there have been massive strides to treat female students equally, this is sometimes difficult to enforce, especially among the older and more established professors (who remain overwhelmingly male).

Galdori women and men alike must deal with certain social expectations. For the most part, career choice is not restricted to specific genders, with only a very few exceptions. However, the genders are divided in complex and subtle ways. The notion of chivalry, though increasingly unpopular among the new generation, is still influential in male/female interactions. Galdori men are expected to treat all women with restraint, politeness and respect that they would not necessarily afford to all male acquaintances. Certain personality traits (kindness, patience, cheerfulness, optimism, generosity) are valued more highly among women, while others (ambition, strength of character, decision-making, pragmatism, business acumen) are more prized among men. Clothing, too, is gendered, as it is for all parts of Vitan society, but as they lack the economic need to dress more practically, galdori women are expected to dress as women (in female-gendered clothing) without fail. (Men are held to the same standard of birth-gendered presentation.)

Secular Society

Among the secular citizenry, women are only recently able to do the work of a man (manual labor, fighting and other traditionally male pursuits) and choose to do so despite the knowledge that the decision will reap derision and judgment from her social circle. This is often a practical choice for families without a male figure, but secular society is still occasionally judgmental to women who take on traditionally masculine roles. Likewise, men who choose to take part in a traditionally feminine occupation are also judged for it, given leeway only in the case of pressing economic motivation. The guidelines for what is considered masculine and feminine are tempered with the general understanding that the "ideal" is not always possible, especially for the very poor, so there is some wiggle room. Certain occupations that involve strength or hard manual labor are strictly male, while household occupations such as cleaning and child-rearing are strictly female. There are a myriad of professions, however, that are seen as gender-neutral.

Marriage

In all societies there exists the stereotypical family unit consisting of a dominant husband and a submissive wife (or, in the galdori case, a dominant and submissive partner). The majority of household duties are passed onto the submissive individual, while the majority of economic and social power is given to the dominant one. Note that among galdori, dominance is not based solely on gender; class does play a large part, and if a woman's family is far more prestigious than her husband's, she will take on a far more dominant role than the one expected of her gender.

Childhood Indoctrination

Children are not heavily gendered by society until they begin to hit puberty, when the male and female roles laid out for them are explained in greater detail, but there is a definite tendency to quash any "wrong" behavior - boys playing games that are traditionally for little girls, girls wishing to go into traditionally male careers, etc. This is less of a concern among the galdori, who largely ignore their offspring's gender presentation until they come of age. Among wicks, children acting in a manner outside their gender is not only expected, but encouraged, as it is believed that such exploration can only strengthen character.

Gender Roles in Other Kingdoms

Generally speaking, in all the developed nations (Anaxas, Hesse, Hox, Mugroba, Bastia and Gior) there are socially defined gender roles, but they are not uniform or even uniformly enforced. The spectrum of what is considered masculine and what is considered feminine is very broad between these nations. No one can quite agree on what makes an individual "manly" or "feminine." Nor is it universally agreed upon which is the privileged (more dominant) gender, though male dominance is an undeniable theme throughout history. The secular society in Gior is a particularly interesting case. On first glance it might seem that Gioran humans have no definite gender roles, but in reality their gender roles are defined by family lines. Each family is dominant on the male or the female side, and privilege is decided within the family itself; in matriarchal lineages (ygrate) females are dominant, while in patriarchal lineages (yhurte) males are dominate. This translates to all aspects of social and economic life, including inheritance and even expected gender roles. (The clothing in Gior is very gender-neutral by all accounts; robes and pants are worn by both genders equally.) In Bastia, to have a certain delicacy and femininity is the ideal for both men and women. Though in most respects Bastia is like Anaxas, there is less masculine posturing and their gender roles are more forgiving, if only due to their similarities. Economically speaking, men still "rule the roost," but there is more credence given to female voices in the arts and sciences, even politics.

The Gender Binary

In Vita, the gender binary is still seen as an absolute way of life, a necessary component for society to function, as evidenced by the innately gendered government (i.e., the King and Queen). There is no widespread doubt in the veracity of the binary, and therefore Vitan society as a whole does not acknowledge any variations or gender nonconformity as legitimate.

Gender Presentation and Nonstandard Gender Identities

As stated before, clothing (and therefore gender presentation) is heavily gendered among all parts of Vitan society. Sadly, stepping outside these boundaries is seen as a sign of mental imbalance, even sociopathy, by most. There is no acknowledged need to step outside the gender binary and those who choose to do so publicly are brutally marginalized, often treated as insane.

Trans individuals and cisgender individuals alike are given little choice by society in presenting as their bio-gender. There are few who are brave enough to present themselves in a gender-nonconforming manner, and they often suffer for doing so. The consequences for such a choice vary between social settings. Galdori are not usually in any physical danger for doing so, but they would undoubtedly suffer massive social consequences and encounter little sympathy or acceptance. It is more acceptable for a woman to wear trousers assuming her life's responsibilities call for the more practical choice, but for a man to wear womens' clothing is considered outrageous. For humans, such a decision could easily result in physical violence, social ostracizing or even being judged mentally ill.

Tolerance Of Nonconformity in Various Societies

Trans individuals are almost invisible to the majority of Vitan society. In the mainstream there is practically no tolerance for stepping outside the norm when it comes to gender identity.

There are exceptions in certain societies, however. For example, among the Anaxi nomadic wicks and those in Anhau, gender nonconformity is seen as "quirky" rather than dangerous. Wicks expect other wicks to act in ways that emphasize their individuality; this includes gender presentation, and it is not usually interpreted as a mental ailment. This does not indicate a completely accepting viewpoint, or even a tolerant one, but at least those who do not conform to the binary are not ostracized or put in any actual danger by their families and tribes. In rare cases, gender nonconformity is seen as a positive trait (mostly in women who present as men or in a traditionally masculine manner). This slightly more open-minded view may stem from the clothing worn by wicks, which is often somewhat gender-ambiguous.

In Mugroba, where gender roles are more resilient and attitudes towards gender less progressive, there is little tolerance for gender-nonconformity among the galdori or the secular races.

In Hesse, an interesting example may be seen among gold miners. Traditionally a male profession, mining and excavation in Hesse's enormous gold mines has long been a social and economic refuge for trans men. By participating in this backbreaking labor they are seen in Hessean society as "earning" their manhood, and are completely accepted by every facet of society. (There is no such refuge for galdori trans men or women, or human trans women.)

In Hox, the religious sect known as the Hexxos (carriers of the dead) are all considered agender (without gender) and are referred to by the neutral pronoun cxîl. Those who identify as gender-neutral are able to find total social acceptance if they join the Hexxos, but this is the only way in which this can happen. (Many members of the Hexxos are not, in fact, agender, but must give up their part in the gender binary in order to be considered fit to carry the dead to the grave-caverns. This sacrifice allegedly purifies them of earthly restraints.) It is worth noting that the Hexxos are expected to be completely asexual as well.

• Within the game setting, there is no practical language with which to discuss these issues. The terms used in this article are merely for our modern edification; "trans_____", "cis_____" and "genderqueer" would have no meaning in Vita. In fact, the concept of gender as mutable is completely alien to almost all Vitan societies, and the idea that gender is separate from biological sex would seem radical and illogical.