Storm Hawks Chapter 32: Firstborn Society

The Firstborn society is definitely a unique one. Neither a patriarchy nor a matriarchy, its family structure is one I conjured out of nowhere.

Well, not exactly nowhere.

It came from considerable late night, early morning, floor pacing, drive-time-commute pondering of another evolutionary “what if…”

What if a once-dominant race (or species), sentient in this case, were competing for the same territory and resources with a faster-breeding species they perceived as a threat?

They would almost certainly place a high value on procreation, seeking any means of compensating for their lower birth rate compared to their competitor’s rapidly increasing numbers. That might mean adapting their entire social structure to prioritize producing children.

Monogamy would probably fall out of favor. Sexuality might be… well… highly encouraged. Being identified as a child’s father might become a prize to be awarded for social stature.

But how about a twist? What if, when the Firstborn culture shifts towards polygamy, the females (nenen) take multiple husbands to optimize their chances of fertility? What if marriages are not exclusive, rarely involve romantic sentimentality, and elevate one’s social status if and when a child is born?

And if the mother has the exclusive right to name the child’s father… things could get interesting.

Toss in another twist of gender conventions. If the child is a girl, she belongs to her mother. If the child is a boy, he belongs to his father. The nenan who births a boy gives him to whomever she names as his father.

A mother giving away her child? That goes against human nature… right?

Ah, the sweet smell of conflict.

But that’s not all. Cue more late night, early morning, floor pacing, drive-time-commute pondering.

What if the once-dominant Firstborn learn that their faster-breeding competitors (Aurels/Rhynns) are not only overwhelming them with their numbers, but are also developing mindgift mutations that will make them an even more formidable threat?

They might try to acquire the mindgifts for themselves, to graft the mutations onto their own kind. But to do so, they would first have to find compatible… Rootstock.

When you’re tempted to dislike the Firstborn, or to judge their ethical compromises, remember they are doing what humankind is hard-wired to do… survive.