Ostium
The Ostiums are a cunning, matriarchal people ruled by an absolute monarchy, with Queen Diamalla at its apex. Their society is structured entirely around female dominance, with women holding all major positions of power, authority, and influence. Males are considered subordinate, valued for strength, labor, or specific skills, but denied political agency. This balance of power is enforced by the queen’s most dangerous weapon: her Regina pheromone, a potent chemical signal capable of seizing control over any male, binding him to her will with absolute loyalty.
Ostium culture is built on control, manipulation, and long-term strategy. Loyalty is expected and often manufactured, with pheromone influence ensuring the queen’s supremacy. Ambition is encouraged in females, but always directed toward serving the monarchy’s goals. The court is a dangerous place where words and glances can be as lethal as weapons, and reading one’s opponent—through body language and the telltale glow of luxen grooves—is a valued skill.
Physically, Ostiums are humanoid with smooth gray skin carrying a faint purplish undertone. Their most distinctive feature is the network of luxen grooves that run beneath the skin, glowing with shifting bioluminescence that reflects emotional states: deep red for anger, gold for joy, silver for calm, and more subtle shades for other moods. Females wear their hair long or styled as a mark of status and beauty, while males are naturally hairless on their heads. Their features are fine and symmetrical, their luminous eyes sharp and intelligent, and their movements deliberate and precise.
By nature, Ostiums are intelligent, calculating, and persuasive, with a strong aptitude for psychological manipulation and political maneuvering. Females are trained from an early age to control their luxen displays as much as possible, masking their true feelings while exploiting the emotional tells of others. While they field capable warriors and guards, their true power lies in their ability to undermine and dominate without open warfare. Their homeworld, Osti, is a center of opulence and authority, its cities constructed as physical embodiments of the queen’s dominance and the rigid hierarchy that governs every facet of life.
Physical Characteristics
Gray skin with purplish undertones, bioluminescent luxen grooves that change color with emotion, deep red for anger, gold for joy, silver for calm, other shades for nuanced moods, fine-boned symmetrical features, luminous intelligent eyes, females with long or styled hair, males hairless on their heads, deliberate and precise movements, females possess gossamer-thin membranous transparent wings reminiscent of dragonflies that are vestigial and incapable of flight
Culture & Society
Matriarchal monarchy led by Queen Diamalla, females hold all positions of power and authority, males are subordinate with no political agency, court politics centered on control and manipulation, loyalty enforced through pheromones, ambition in females directed toward serving the crown, reading luxen cues is a valued skill, the court is dangerous with words as potent as weapons, rigid hierarchy embedded in every aspect of life, cities designed to project dominance and order
Biology & Abilities
Regina pheromone produced by the royal females can control males, luxen grooves are living bioluminescent structures tied to emotions, citizens can partially control luxen displays to mask feelings, highly developed perception for reading emotional states, strong aptitude for psychological influence, males physically strong but socially subordinate, humanoid physiology.
