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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Steampunkette" data-source="post: 8690968" data-attributes="member: 6796468">A race with a biological caste tends to be hive based 'cause writers decided it should be hive based. But look at octopi and birds.Both use different forms of dimorphic camouflage in order to manipulate their gene pool. For octopi, 'sneaky males' present a female octopus appearance on one side of their body (Towards a nearby aggressive male looking to mate) and on their other side present a male octopus appearance (towards a nearby female looking to mate).Similarly, there are male birds who look like female birds in order to get over to the girl birds while aggressive males kill each other in mating and territorial disputes so they can mate. But these examples are, really, just skin-deep modifications to effect a new breeding strategy in a given species.Both of those examples, and also every hive species, are dioecious. You could also have a monoecious species that is physiologically distinct in appearance across their life span, or a flat out quadoecious species wherein there are 4 gametes involved in reproduction. Or go Star Trek with the Vissian species and have a trioecious species that requires a cogenitor to mate. Several types of Nematodes are trioecious as are some plants are triecious, but so far as we can tell it's kinda unstable.Generally speaking Trioecious species arise from gynoecious or androecious species wherein there exists a quasi-stable population of hermaphroditic entities fulfilling the other 'half' of a dioecious bonding that slowly becomes a monosexual portion of the population leading to an ultimately dioecious species, but this -is- fantasy, after all.You could also have a Monoecious or Dioecious or Trioecious or Quadoecious species that exists in the way it does through genetic manipulation as a cultural active decision. Straight up -creating- new breeding patterns or methods, or narrowing requirements for breeding, through extensive genetic modification.Psychological traits? Kinda difficult to dole out without painting the people with a broad brush. Still.1) Jovial. Make them playful and jokey and irreverent and fun. Have them tell jokes and stories and laugh boldly.2) Obsequious. Weak of will, they go along with pretty much anything to avoid confrontation and do their best to appease whomever they can.3) Reflective. Their culture is very hidden because when they meet someone they reflexively adopt that person's personality and identity as a survival instinct while their own cultural norms are utterly subsumed in the moment.4) Hyperreligiosity. Could be antagonistic, could be beatific, but everything revolves around one or more gods that may or may not exist. Their culture, their slang, their identity, is tied up in the divine.5) Cunning. All smiles and handshakes to your face, paranoid scheming as you turn away. Afraid of being betrayed, they plan endless betrayals in response to nothing.6) Passive Aggression. Unable to actively, aggressively, engage with others they alternately snark and placate.7) Mood Swings. Rapid, sudden, harsh emotional swings from happiness to anger to sorrow and onward. A people with minimal emotional regulation would be interesting.</blockquote>

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