Gender
Gender and gender roles do not exist in any significant systematic manner. Sexual characteristics and human sexes are known, but not considered different in any inherent manner. Most neighboring cultures do separate people across 2 or more genders, and Wajahe tend to respond to these system with confusion (with the exception of Svr-Ksehen, where the Ejee system of gender exists exclusively among the political elite but is generally understood by all its citizens).
There is one notable exception. Females in the army tend to pursue a career in the infantry. This is because breasts provide a significant disadvantage with bows or on horseback (with bracing a lance), and in fact provide a significant advantage to a foot-soldier. This distinction also persists with the officer corps.
Interpersonal Relationships
The Wajahe differentiate across 4 types of relationships
- Familial - this is characterized by blood relation and directly precludes the other relationships below.
- Platonic - this is a relationship between two individuals that does not involve sex or romantic expression.
- Sexual - this is a relationship between two individuals that involves sex
- Romantic - this is a relationship between two individuals that involves romantic interactions or expressions. There is no limit on the number of relationships an individual can have in any of these categories. There is also no limit on the number of sexual / romantic partners, nor does one of those relationships preclude the other.
Kinship
Parenthood
Among the Wajahe, there is a distinction between a Birthparent and a Parent. The birthparent is person who directly gives birth to a child, while a parent is any sexual partner, past or present, of the birthmother of the child at the time the child was born. Children typically form strong bonds with their birthparent, and are expected to have some bond with all their parents (including estranged partners of their birthparent). All parents are expected to help raise their various children.
Siblings
There are 3 levels of siblinghood. Close siblings are two people that share a birthmother. Medial siblings are two people that share a parent, who is a birthparent for at least one of those two children. Far siblings are two people that share a parent, who is a birthparent for neither child. While close siblings will retain a strong bond for life (in the past, it was common for them to join a Comitatus together; this did not translate into later military structures), the other two categories of siblings do not always have such a bond. All siblings are considered familial relationships.
Inheritance
If a person has any items that must be passed down on inheritance, it is always given to a favored birthchild - a precedent that has been in place since the days of The Ksehyl. In case a person has no birthchildren, it is instead given to the favored child of their favored romantic partner at the time of death (and if no such person exists, then a favored child in general).
It is very common for a person to nominate a successor that they have no familial relationship with. This successor is always a younger person with whom they do not have a sexual or romantic relationship (and declaring a romantic / sexual partner to be a successor typically ends with them being murdered by the child who was otherwise set to inherit, in a socially acceptable form of revenge killing). This is most common for hereditary public or military offices.
Residence
Since adults can have multiple romantic and sexual partners (which may or may not overlap), they are typically not restricted to where they take up residence. In fact, it is common for a person to spend their nights at the residences of different partners. Only birthmothers actually have their own residences - their birthchildren live and are raised here, and various partners of that birthmother may reside here.