An androgyne is a person who can shapeshift between male and female forms. One sex is "dominant" over the other; that is, the person can spend as much time as desired in the dominant sex, but can only switch over to the alternate sex for a limited period of time. Such individuals are almost always humans who have received the androgyne variant of the Curse of Metamor, although it is possible to give someone the same powers through the use of strong magic.
Androgynes are viewed with curiosity throughout most of the world, and outright fear in some places. In Metamor City, however, they are extremely common, comprising fully 20% of the population. Of the three variants of the Curse, the androgyne variant has by far the fewest complications and a number of distinct advantages, especially since Kyia tweaked the Curse to allow its recipients to return to their born sex for limited periods of time. Once it became possible to control which type of Curse people received, the androgyne variant quickly became the most common form requested, and many Keepers today view it as a blessing rather than a curse.
To become an androgyne, one must first be susceptible to the Curse. This means only humans, Breed, and Plane-touched can be androgynes. The Curse does not affect full-blooded lutins because Nasoj specifically excluded his front-line warriors from the spells' effects; Breed, however, are human enough that the Curse recognizes them as a valid target. Silvaan are protected from the Curse by the magic of their Elven blood, which shields their bodies from the Curse and prevents it from affecting them.
Being an androgyne means spending your life with one foot in each of two different worlds; people will interact with you differently depending on which sex you are at the moment, and if they know you are an androgyne, they'll probably treat you differently from a "natural" member of either sex. These differences in treatment are less pronounced in Metamor City than in other parts of the world, but they are still present. Androgynes usually have thick skins and take pride in what they are, embracing their uniqueness and the distinct perspective they have on both sexes.
Androgynes tend to be energetic and instinctively sensual. Nasoj intended the original First Curse to create willing pleasure slaves for his warriors to enjoy, and while their impulses have been greatly dampened by the Keepers' counter-spell, sexuality remains a heavy component of the androgyne mindset from puberty on. Androgynes tend to be naturally flirtatious, give little regard to nudity taboos (except in public, where they are usually respectful of others' feelings), enjoy social interaction, and are generally comfortable with open discussion of sexual matters. Many are bisexual in orientation, though this is by no means universal; when an androgyne favors one sex over the other, it is usually the sex that would correspond to a heterosexual orientation for the born sex. Sexual orientation may differ depending on what form the androgyne is currently in. Androgynes are always uncommonly beautiful or handsome in their dominant sex, and usually quite attractive even in their born sex. Androgynes are not necessarily promiscuous — though many are — but they are usually comfortable with their sexuality and embrace it fully in whatever form they're currently inhabiting. An androgyne in female form will not usually act like a man stuck in a woman's body; if anything, she will embrace her feminine side more enthusiastically than many born women, choosing clothes that many might see as impractical for the sake of better showing off her body. Androgynes in male form tend to be bold and energetic, showing a marked preference for sports and activities that involve direct, physical competition with other males. These personality traits will, of course, be expressed differently in each individual, but the general trends are still noticeable.
Androgynes usually dislike monotony and gravitate toward professions that provide variety, excitement, or ample opportunity for social interaction. Field scientists, news and entertainment reporters, sales representatives, professional athletes, and entertainers of all kinds all count many androgynes among their numbers. Perhaps inevitably, many androgynes are also drawn to the sex industry, where their instinctive sensuality makes them enthusiastic workers.
Androgynes are also increasingly common in the Psi Collective, as the surplus of male psis and the pressure to have children have led some men to take drastic action to ensure themselves a place in a breeding cell.
Most androgynes live in Metamor City or its immediate outskirts, but handfuls of them are found here and there throughout the rest of the Empire.
High Generation Issue: Bifurcation (Identity Splitting)
High-generation effects are much less severe in androgynes than in the other variants of the Curse; unlike theriomorphs and ARs, high-generation gendermorphs never lose the ability to revert to their original sex. Instead, succeeding generations of androgynes display increasing psychological separation between their male and female personas, a process called bifurcation (which means "split in two").
In all cases where it occurs, bifurcation is made more intense if the Curse is administered at an early age. However, high-generation androgynes who are Cursed later in life often develop behavioral or personality disorders because the persona of the dominant form has not had the opportunity to grow and develop naturally as a member of that sex. This can cause the dominant form to be emotionally and socially stunted, sometimes leading to psychopathic or sociopathic behavior. Because of this, sociologists recommend that high-generation androgynes be Cursed very early, at no later than 3 years of age; this allows adequate time for both personas to receive healthy socialization as members of their respective genders. Since most androgyne family lines that extend past the second generation are already strongly committed to raising their children as androgynes, this recommendation is almost always followed.
First- and second-generation androgynes essentially have a single mind with a single perspective on the world, whether male or female. They will experience certain biological impulses and hormonal effects in each gender, which will be somewhat stronger in the dominant form than in the born sex, but the mind's outlook is essentially the same; the only time they will act "with a mind not their own" is when recovering from severe shifting stress. They may act differently in either sex, but this is a result of conscious choice to behave in a gender-appropriate manner, with some influence from the way other people treat them. When forced to act quickly, on instinct, they will usually choose the same response regardless of their current gender. These individuals are said to be non-bifurcated, or unified.
In the third and fourth generations, there is a noticeable and instinctive difference in thought patterns and reactions depending on the individual's current gender. Asked to describe the same scene when male or female, the subject will often notice different details, use different language, and have different emotional responses. Performance in mental puzzles known to show gender-specific biases, such as 3-d spatial manipulation puzzles or object-placement memorization games, is significantly different depending on the individual's current sex. The individual probably thinks of him-/herself as a single individual with a single identity, but there are clear signs of a gender-specific mindset. Such individuals are said to be mildly bifurcated.
In the fifth generation, differences between the two alter-egos become more distinct. The individual may display different tastes in entertainment and recreation, as well as different posture, sexual preferences, speech mannerisms, habits, virtues or vices. Significantly, many of the differences between alter-egos that occur at this stage are not related to gender-specific strengths and weaknesses — they are simple differences of opinion or behavior, which might develop between any two individuals who were raised together. The individual may still consider him-/herself a single person, or each half might see its alter-ego as an "evil twin" or "split personality". Both personas, however, share all the same memories, and events will affect both personas to an equal degree regardless of which form the person is in at the time they happen (though the interpretation of these events may differ greatly between personas). Fifth-generation androgynes are considered moderately bifurcated.
The sixth generation is considered strongly bifurcated. In these individuals, the two personas are essentially two completely different people sharing the same set of memories. Personalities of the alter-egos can be wildly different, and essentially develop like a brother and sister who have to take turns sharing the same body. Each persona has its own name, usually decided on by the parents even before birth, and a very strong sense of "self" as being distinct from the alter-ego. Events experienced by Persona A will be remembered by Persona B, but will sometimes seem less real and distinct than events that happened when Persona B was in control. Sometimes one persona will "sleep" while the other is active, remembering their actions only upon waking; at other times both personas will be active, with one acting as a "rider" in the body while the other governs their actions. The two personas can even fight for control of the body, which leads to a corresponding change in outward form; or one can hand over control to the other peacefully. (The effects of shifting stress still apply, however, and the dominant form will inevitably regain control no matter how strongly the born-sex persona wishes to hold on to it.) Memories will likely be interpreted very differently by the two alter-egos. A great deal of compromise and mutual understanding between personas is needed for a sixth-generation androgyne to have a happy, successful life.
In androgynes of seventh generation or higher, there is total bifurcation between the two personalities. This is similar to the sixth generation, except that no memories are shared between personas, except for any memories of events before they were Cursed. The two personas cannot communicate directly or share sensory input — each one "blacks out" or reverts to a dreamlike state when the other is in control. It may be able to sense some of the emotions of the alter-ego, but nothing more. Totally bifurcated androgynes often come up with creative means of communicating with each other, such as sitting down with pen and paper and carrying out a written "conversation", with each one switching off to the other after writing his or her response. This, of course, means that it is possible for one persona to lie to the other, concealing facts and events that it wants the other to remain unaware of. The persona that is currently "disconnected" can still attempt to forcibly regain control of his or her body, but it is difficult, like attempting to wake oneself up from a dream. The dominant form generally has an easier time regaining control than does the born-sex form, though the dominant's control will weaken if it goes a long time without letting its alter-ego out to play. Totally bifurcated androgynes are particularly likely to switch personas when subjected to physical or emotional trauma, as a defense mechanism to attempt to avoid the pain.
In most total bifurcates, the two personas are able to coexist peacefully, if not without some inconvenience and the occasional counseling session. However, there are a few particularly memorable cases in which one alter-ego displayed psychopathic or sociopathic behavior that the other persona was completely unaware of. (This was more common in the days when androgynes tended to be Cursed later in life; the incidence of it falls sharply in individuals where both personas have had time to develop normally.) Two such cases involved androgynes wherein one persona was a serial killer, committing murders without the knowledge of the other. Another case involved a persona that was a serial rapist; in several others, one persona was embezzling money from their employer or otherwise engaging in theft without the knowledge of the other. Perhaps the most dramatic case of all was that of Gwendolyn Chase, who in 1892 was caught selling Metamor's national defense secrets to the militaristic Republic of Telvar, even as her alter-ego Kenneth was working tirelessly to defeat Telvar in the last "world" war. Chase was convicted of treason in a trial that captured the attention of the entire Western world, but because she could not be executed without also killing a loyal son of Metamor, she was sentenced to life imprisonment instead.
Population
Androgynes are the most common type of Cursed individual in Metamor City, comprising 20% of the overall population, or about 3 million people.
Known Androgynes
Source: Original MK2K Bible entry - The Curse]], Psi Collective
