Cave Angels: Society: view article

Cave Angel Language. See this article for info on Cave Angel biology.

Gender
Similar to most human societies, Cave Angels have a social construct of different gender roles based on rough collections of biological archetypes (that don't actually necessarily apply to any given person of that gender). Unlike human societies, the biological archetypes in question are eusocial-caste based rather than strictly reproductive-role based, as the Cave Angels evolved from an eusocial species similar in organization, if not in form, to termites.

Cave Angels' evolutionary ancestors, and their nearest living relatives, are eusocial animals living in colonies similar to termite colonies, with multiple main reproductives per colony. The reproductives lay eggs that may develop into workers, soldiers, reproductives, or dispersers, which leave their hatching colony and travel to other colonies to mate with foreign reproductives - an inbreeding prevention mechanism similar to that in naked mole rats.

These four eusocial roles and their associated hormonal and anatomical presentation have given rise to the Cave Angel gender quaternary of worker, soldier, monarch, and scout, respectively.

The thing people perceive as the most immediately visible (not necessarily accurate) marker of gender (like humans noting facial hair or breasts) is the number of "wings" aka fronds. Frond number, along with body type, is used to assign gender at emergence.

More detail on the gender roles:

- Monarch - typically have 6 fronds and tend to be big but not muscular. Stereotyped as parental, selfless, proud, in control, team dad, homebodies. Societally pressured to reproduce/go into childcare.

- Soldier - typically have 2 fronds placed high up the back (growing from the highest of the 3 nodes) and tend to be big and buff. Stereotyped as strict, determined, quick tempered. Societally pressured to do physical labor.

- Worker - may have 2 or 4 fronds (up to 1 pair from either of the top and middle nodes) and typically an average to tall-and-skinny build. Stereotyped as adaptable, hardworking, quirky. Considered as the "default" gender, face the least societal pressure and are actually seen as individuals most of the time.

- Scout - typically have 2 proportionally-large fronds (growing from the middle node) and a small build. Stereotyped as clever, quick reacting, emotional, liking to travel. Societally pressured to do intellectual things or explore.

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Of course, much like in humans, there are many Cave Angels who don't fit into their assigned gender, either biologically (i.e. intersex people) or mentally (i.e. trans people).

Names
Cave Angels - at least, the area/nation/clan that speaks

Cave Angel Language - have a personal name, usually one or two syllables, and a broodname, shared with their siblings, which is usually two to three syllables.

The first syllable of the broodname denotes generation (there is a cycle of several syllables and you have the one in the order after your egg-parent) and the rest is the same as the egg-parent's broodname.

In the case that a person is raised by someone other than their egg-parent (or by someone alongside their egg-parent), they may have a third name derived from the adoptive parent's broodname. ✎ Edit Article ✖ Delete Article

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