Mikaeans

The Mikaeans (Mikaean: ; : Filii odium) are a near-human species native to the planet of Xyon in the Ianthina system, located some fifty thousand light years from Earth. They are the creations of human scientist, Mikael O'Neill, who sought to carve out a society built in his image and with his ideologies, while bearing several traits which would make them superior to members of his own species. Living up their father's wishes, the Mikaeans built a civilization, which nearly twelve thousand years later, spans the entire galaxy. The Mikaeans have only recently begun colonizing other galaxies, but their voidship and interstellar travel capabilities have been rather advanced for several millennia.

Since the time of their creation nearly some twelve thousand years ago, the Mikaeans have built a thriving interstellar society spanning millions of planets throughout the. Numbering more than fifteen billion, the Mikaeans are the most populous species in the region. In fact, they are the only species aside from humanity, located within all of known space. The Mikaeans adhere strictly to the ideals created by their father known as Mikaeanism, a socio-political ideology which also doubles as their religion. Ruled by a strict totalitarian government known as the Xyon Directorate, the Directorate has maintained a iron grip on political power for since its formation, and continues to guide the growth and prosperity of the Mikaean species into the modern day.

Etymology
The Mikaeans are named after Mikael O'Neill, the man who created the species back on Earth. All Mikaeans bare his genetic information, due to the attempts by O'Neill to create a society that literally resembled himself and his ideals. At the time of their creation, the Mikaeans had no name for themselves, and simply referred to themselves as humans. However, when the biological, psychological, and ideological differences of the species became evermore apparent, and the identity of their creator public, baseline humans simply began referring to their new counterparts as Mikaeans. It wasn't long until the Mikaeans officially adopted the name for themselves, and soon too began referring for themselves as Mikaeans. Many agreed that the name was fitting, given that they were biological offspring of O'Neill, and should have been using the name to identify themselves well before it was attributed to them by humanity.

Physiology
The Mikaeans are a humanoid species not unlike their distant human relatives in terms of physical appearance and internal biology. Mikaeans possess dark brown skin and black hair, and all Mikaeans share the same grey iris color, an ancient distinction given them by their creator. Mikaeans stand 184.5 cm (6') and weight 77.5 kg (170.8 lbs) on average, though it can vary between 173.7 cm (5'7") to 195.3 cm (6'4") and 56.2 kg (124 lbs) to 98.8 kg (218 lbs) depending on sex and diet. Regardless, males and females are generally equal in terms of height and weight. Female Mikaeans possess several purely cosmetic features on their bodies, such as their lips which are coated in an oily lipstick-like substance, and their nails which darken to a sheen jet black coating as they mature. Mikaean females also produce a highly toxic black, ink-like substance from their eyes similar to tears, but which continuously run from their eyes throughout their lifetimes. Interestingly, male Mikaeans do not produce these toxic black tears, and lack the ability to cry in general. The tears in female Mikaeans also appears to be a defensive mechanism as well, increasing in volume and toxic potency when they are in danger.

Mikaean blood is black in color, with the oxygen-binding protein in their blood known as hemombranin, being responsible for this unique property. Hemombranin can carry considerably more oxygen than hemoglobin, lending the Mikaeans their great stamina and endurance. A notable feature of this protein is the effect it has on Mikaean muscles. With a higher level of oxygen provided to their muscles, the Mikaean muscular system is on average three to four times stronger than the human muscular system. Their muscles are also considerably denser as well, meaning that certain blows do not harm Mikaeans as much as they would humans. Mikaeans can run faster and longer than humans as well, and possess a higher level of flexibility and agility. To deal with the cooler winters on the Mikaean homeworld of Xyon, Mikaean blood doubles as something of an anti-freeze, keeping the blood and other bodily fluids from freezing during the most frigid periods of the winter months, and helping the Mikaeans to survive in a range of cold and sweltering environments. The internal body temperature of the average Mikaean is about 86ºF (30ºC), heavily regulated by the higher amount of oxygen in their bodies and the anti-freeze they naturally produce.

As a species, the Mikaeans are classified as a psychrophile and radioresistant species, able to withstand the lethal effects of the cold and all forms of radiation, the latter to upwards of 15,000 sievert dosage of radiation with 100% survivability. The Mikaeans possess chronically poor eyesight, inherited from their creator, and thus require eyeglasses or some form of corrective lens to see properly. Mikaeans mature quickly, with the a Mikaean individual deemed to be physically mature at age thirteen, the equivalent of a 21-year old human. A Mikaean will remain at that peak physical and mental condition for the reminder of their lives. Womb-born Mikaeans are long-lived, living on average for about 246.3 years, with females living up to 238.7 years of age and males living even longer to see 253.9 years of age. Mikaeans are a predominately female species, with males making up just five percent of the total population. Females have a biological imperative to protect the men in their species, and thus work in many hostile occupations that they have barred off to men, thereby decreasing their life expectancy considerably. As for creche-born Mikaeans, their lifespan is far shorter at 48.2 years, a product of their general expendability. As children, Mikaeans mature mentally very quickly, and can grasp information a human of the equivalent age would not. Likewise, Mikaeans thus deem their children to be adults in all but name long before the reach physical maturity.

The Mikaeans digestive system is effective in breaking down most types of matter, digesting all kinds of materials that others would have struggled to even bother as viewing as a source of food. Their saliva is incredibly effective at killing bacteria and toxins, and is acidic enough to weaken the connective bonds within their food. The Mikaeans possess a highly efficient waste removal system, with all waste expelled from their body in liquid form, as a silver liquid not unlike mecury with a odor similar to chlorine. They have no large intestines, though their small intestines are instead connected to their bladders, which obliterate solid waste and refine them into liquids. So powerful are the chemicals used to refine the waste into liquid matter, that the liquid waste itself is deemed acidic and dangerous by Mikaeans. Additionally, the Mikaeans have a clean metabolism, meaning that obesity is impossible within the species. A Mikaean can eat as much as they want, though they will become lethargic as their body attempts to cope with the extra materials they have forced into their digestive tract. It should be noted that male Mikaeans like a rectal opening, while the one females have isn't connected or associated with the digestive tract, and serves instead as a secondary sexual organ.

The Mikaean skeletal system is dense and metallic in nature, with a black metallic coating known as noirium, and a strong honeycomb-like interior structure, increasing the strength and endurance of the Mikaeans bones to steel-like levels with only a fracture of the weight and mass. Mikaeans can survive falls from great heights or blows with little physical trauma, and recover from the even within a generally short period of time. Mikaean teeth are also coated in the same metallic substance, and notably possess large upper and lower canines. Their teeth are also sharp and serrated, and appear to be self-sharpening. All Mikaeans possess a long, prehensile tongue, about thirty centimeters in length, which is black in color and strong enough to firmly grip objects with, and an opening in the tip that can be used to drink liquids with. The Mikaean immunity system is equally robust, with an organ known as the tuera, responsible for producing millions of undifferentiated stem cells which can heal damaged organs, tissue, and even body parts. However, the tuera cannot heal itself, and damage to the organ can result in a Mikaean losing the ability to regenerate organs and body parts. Aggressive viruses are still dangerous and even lethal to the Mikaeans, and though the immune system they possess is strong enough to lessen the lasting impact of the virus, proper medical treatment is still required from a hospital.

Reproduction
Mikaeans reproduce in a radically different manner than their human precursors. Unlike humanity, female Mikaeans lack ovaries and have no vital biological role within the reproductive cycle of the Mikaeans. Mikaeans instead produce offspring via patrilineal oviparity, in which the father produces and fertilizes the eggs asexually. This process take place via the paragus and canubula, two organs created by O'Neill to allow for asexual reproduction by the Mikaeans. The paragus takes sperm from the testicles and converts them first into undifferentiated stem cells and then into egg cells. Another sperm is then used to fertilize the egg cell during the process, before the egg cell is transferred to the canubula for storage. The eggs can be stored there indefinitely, remaining viable even years after their creation in the paragus. The canubula stores the eggs until the father wishes to have a child, at which point the father can consciously select how many eggs he wishes to eject from his body. Since the eggs are already fertilized within the body, they are kept dormant within the canubula via exposure to the Mikaean hormone known as xanogene, which suppresses the growth of the eggs until they leave the body.

The eggs can grow in any environment, but the morality rate of the offspring will increase depending on the harshness of the location they are left in. Recommended locations for the growth of eggs include warm bodies of mineral-rich water, or moist surfaces in humid regions. However, because eggs are much more susceptible to harm and damage, with the morality rate for the eggs skyrocketing due to exposure to the elements and predators. Many fathers have thus taken to acquiring the services of their female counterparts to protect their children by carrying the eggs in their wombs until the eggs are large enough to be left in open locations. The process takes place during sexual intercourse, in which the father passes on up to twelve eggs to the woman, who will carry the eggs as they grow for the next two or three weeks. At the end of this period, the woman's body will begin to force the eggs from her body, which are now better prepared for survival in the outside world. The eggs will continue to grow for the next five months until the offspring hatches from them.

The eggs themselves are less than one millimeter in diameter at the point of their creation in the paragus, and will grow to the size of more than 76.2 centimeters. The eggs are glossy embryonic sacs which are black in color, and which expand until the child tears its way out of the egg. In spite of the fact that Mikaeans hatch from eggs, the newly born Mikaeans offspring are referred to as newborns rather than hatchlings. Mikaeans who were born via a female laying their eggs on behalf of their father are known as womb-born, and those born through their fathers alone inside of purpose-built housing for eggs are known as creche-born. There is considerable social stigma attached to creche-born Mikaeans by their womb-born relatives. Those who were womb-born are considered superior given that their father sought to protect them and have a direct hand in their upbringing, while creche-born Mikaeans were instead born to serve as workers, soldiers, or fill any roles required of them by their society. Thus, creche-born Mikaeans are considered to be expendable assets of their people by womb-born Mikaeans.

Psychology
The Mikaeans thinking patterns are radically different from that of their human relatives. The psychology of the Mikaeans is based largely off of their creator's, Mikael O'Neill, who wished to create a society that was like himself with his views and ideals ingrained into their very minds. While a mentally stable man with no history of crime in his background, O'Neill suppressed all of his often psychotic and homicidal thoughts. Though not uncommon for a human, O'Neill's thoughts were incredibly frequent and often extended to include everyone around him. These thoughts manifested themselves in his Mikaean creations. While male Mikaeans inherited their father's disposition and self-control given their stronger genetic heritage with him, as they still do today, the females instead inherited the completely uninhibited violent and psychotic thoughts and anti-social behavior their father held but kept in check. The resulting effect was that Xyon now possesses an incredibly high crime rate, of which the majority of the crimes are committed by Mikaean females, who account for 95% of the Mikaean population.

Somewhat "complimenting" their mental state, the Mikaeans are notably apathetic and amoral, just like their father Mikael. In spite of the crime which plagues their society, the Mikaeans care little about the victims of criminal activity, rape and murder included, and have expressed little to no moral outrage at the state of their society. Instead, the Mikaeans maintain a strict, unemotional, black and white justice system, in which the focus on punishment and prevention for crimes takes precedence over rehabilitation of the criminal population. Further exemplifying the amoral nature of the Mikaeans, they have no reservation on committing atrocities of a massive scale, feeling little to no guilt or anguish of their actions and the suffering of their victims. The is widely accepted by the Mikaeans that "might makes right" and "cruelty should be repaid with cruelty", and that exercising one's strength over others, especially when it is themselves, is an honorable act that only they could possibly appreciate. For this reason, Mikaeans often root for the antagonist in novels, plays, and entertainment as well as in real life. Criminals are only condemned when they are caught, often solely for the fact that they got caught.

Aside from their violent behavior, the Mikaeans possess a number of psychological "quirks", some inherited from their father. Firstly, the Mikaeans are typically erratic, prone to mood swings, and possess several obsessive compulsive disorders, such as tapping pens against a piece of paper before writing, staring off into corners randomly, and constantly apologizing for perceived slights when they haven't done anything wrong. Second, the Mikaeans are perfectionists, refining a product over and over again until it cannot be refined any further, hampering Mikaean technological and societal development. Their refusal to adopt new ideas until the old ones have been refined to their absolute limits has resulted in the species stagnating to the point of cultural immobility. Third, the Mikaeans, quite literally, cannot comprehend the logic behind irreligious beliefs. The idea that someone could believe that a god does not exist, often doesn't register with the Mikaeans, and results in the Mikaeans viewing atheists and agnostics, the former more-so than the latter, as untrustworthy and unnatural.

The Mikaeans have a hatred for disorder, uncleanliness, and vermin, even beyond what humans would consider normal. Their obsession with order has meant that the Mikaeans as a species actively promote totalitarianism as the most effective and efficient government in existence, and have such a government in their own empire. As for filth, the Mikaeans have allowed such hatred of filth to dominate how their build their ships and cities, and what type of clothes they design and wear. All Mikaean built are flat and angular, with bleak, sterile interiors based upon a strict minimalistic system. Mikaean clothing is designed to be self-cleaning and liquid-repellent so as to prevent dirt and grim from spoiling clothing, ensuring a Mikaean remains clean even when in nature. And Mikaean worlds are generally sterilized by the Mikaeans to destroy all vermin living on them, allowing the Mikaeans a pest-free environment. While it absolutely warps the ecosystem, the Mikaeans aren't above dominating mother nature to ensure that their pathological hatred for vermin is fulfilled wherever possible. Thus, while humans believe that nature could easily live without them, the Mikaeans quite vocally exclaim how they can live without nature.

Mikaeans view themselves as superior to all other life they have encountered. Even when much of the life they have discovered were far more advanced than themselves, either culturally, socially, technologically, or economically, the Mikaeans simply refused to accept an inferior position to that race. Even in lesser cases, Mikaeans express discomfort and anger when seeing something they wish they had themselves. Instead, the Mikaeans become envious of the other species, jealous to the point of homicidal rage, and extensive "excision" campaigns launched against the alien race. This mentality is the reason no other race has survived long after contact with the Mikaeans. Adding to this fact is the deeply ingrained belief by the Mikaeans that the universe is theirs and theirs alone. Given that the Mikaeans accept that they are replaceable in their species highly populous society and its high reproduction rate, the Mikaeans seek to contribute all that they have to their species while they are living, and have no reservations when it comes to sacrificing their lives for their people. As a result, when the Mikaeans fight, especially one another, all Mikaeans fight until either they or their opponent has been destroyed. Such as belief does not bode well for alien species when combined with the Mikaeans extremely xenophobic psychology.

A notable fact about Mikaean psychology is given that they all share the same psychological patterns as a species, the Mikaeans, even when divided, almost never diverge culturally, lingustically, and ideologically. They all share the same favorite colors, foods, music, sports, ideals, and concepts as there father did, leading to Mikaeans seperated from one another for centuries, as was the case during the early years of Mikaean space exploration and colonization, meeting one another and finding no major differences in their societies. Though there are some differences, such as how much one prefers one of the ideals of the species over another one of its ideals, the Mikaeans as a race truly think alike, leading to them agreeing with each other on most subjects as a matter of course. Thus, throughout most of Mikaean history, the only factors leading to conflict within the species were that of the house patriarchs feuding over land and resources, high levels of ferality within the female population, warcrimes sparking retailation from the federal government and allied houses, and agreements between houses to lessen their overpopulation issues by fighting one another for a specific amount of time. Aside from these, the Mikaeans are a truly unified species.

Origins and creation
Mikaean history begins with their father and creator, Mikael O'Neill, who contemplated the concept of the Mikaeans as a child. Mikael had long desired to build a society according to the ideals and values he held, and wished to build a nation which held such beliefs dear. He was frustrated with the foolish decisions and indecisiveness of politicians, stupidity of the common people, duplicity of the clergy and those suppose to being guiding humanity spiritually, and the arrogance of the intelligentsia, who often misled the masses for personal or ideological gain. Mikael knew though, that no matter how unified a human society shaped in his image, there would no doubt be those with new ideas and different dreams, who would ultimately destroy his perfect society. Thus was Mikael's resolve in his youth, that if everyone thought and acted as he did, then the world would be so much better and united. And the idea would go far beyond that of mere mental and ideological conditioning. Indeed, Mikael sought to craft an entire species in his image, with his very thoughts, passions, and desires injected within the very souls of these new people.

Mikael began this personal mission by devoting himself to the study of biology, psychology, genetics, and politics, as well as an array of other majors, with the aim of learning all he could to fashion a whole civilization after himself. In his late teens, Mikael fumbled his way into one of the most prestigious centers of learning on Earth, after he impressed a group of professors with his self-taught knowledge at his place of work. These professors would go on to petition the university to accept Mikael as a student, all expenses paid for by the government. Not one to waste an opportunity handed to him, Mikael accepted the offer, and majored in genetics and biology. During his studies, Mikael would draw upon his experiences to fine-tune the details of his planned race, regarding such things as culture, society, ideology, and sexuality. Using his increasingly greater understanding of biology, Mikael began the first steps of his plan by designing the Mikaeans' physiology in accordance to his wishes, the first of many steps as they would come.

The first steps of the Mikaeans' creation had begun in the university years of their creator, Mikael. After his studies had been completed, Mikael first moved to garner the resources he would need for his project. He joined a scientific group that focused on genetics as part of its research, and began planning from there. Mikael spent the next several years gathering the technologies needed for his work, the money from sources he had worked with "on the side", and convincing co-workers to let him take some of the equipment home to work on a "pet project" of his. A high level of secrecy had to be maintained by Mikael, as the governments of Earth had outlawed human genetic modification in the wake of the Third World War, in which monstrous had been created by the combatants during the course of the war. Any discovery by the authorities of his work would have landed him in prison for life. Regardless, Mikael would not be deterred from his ultimate goal.

Caste system
The Mikaeans are organized into a strict caste system, which is organized in such a manner that all Mikaeans born throughout the Directorate are managed in accordance with their assigned caste, or in the case of womb-born individuals, their selected caste. There are currently six castes, these are the bureaucrats, intelligentsia, priesthood, soldiery, artisans, and laborers. Members of the creche-born population are assigned to each caste according to the current needs of the species, while womb-born Mikaeans may serve in the caste of their choice following a series of stringent exams to determine whether or not they are qualified for the position they are applying for. Creche-born Mikaeans are bound to their caste for life, and only have the potential possibility of rising within the ranks of their caste if they have proven themselves capable of handling the responsibilities of that rank effectively and efficiently. The majority of Mikaeans are purposefully conceived with a sole purpose in life, and therefore never leave their assigned position.

All children born into a creche are surveyed extensively by members of the intelligentsia caste assigned to the creche the Mikaean offspring are located in. The scientists within the intelligentsia caste are responsible for logging all possible information on the children they are tasked with, and then preparing the reports that will govern to a large extent which sub-caste within the child's caste they will be assigned too. As time progresses, the child will come to fit the criteria of the sub-caste they have been assigned to as the creche scientists mold the child's physical and mental growth patterns to the needs of their caste. If, for example, the soldiery requires additional pilots, then the scientists will ensure that the children are given enhanced spacial awareness and rapid reaction capabilities, two vital traits for combat pilots. If the bureaucrat caste finds itself in need of additional members, then Mikaeans assigned to that caste in the creche will be modified to ensure that they possess the skills required of leaders and politicians.

Each caste is governed by members of that caste, and elected to the position by members of their respective castes to govern the internal affairs of their group. While they have no direct say in the out-workings of the Mikaean government, the caste leaders can certainly sway the feelings and opinions of their fellow caste members. However, caste leaders have only ever been known to use this kind of influence when seeking better deals with their local government with regards to rations, supplies, and government funding for special public projects within their castes. The caste system is neither hereditary nor exclusive for womb-born Mikaeans. A member of one caste is free to marry a member of another caste, and membership into another caste is open at all times to those wishing to join, so long as the individual can qualify for the position, and the caste leaders grant permission for them to join the caste. Also, creche-born Mikaeans showing considerable talent required for another caste may be offered the opprotunity to join if they too can qualify for the positions.

Religion
Though the Mikaeans don't look like it, they are in fact, a highly religious species with a strong belief in a divine entity. Mikael, unlike the majority of his scientific colleagues, had known very well the fact that humanity was an innately spiritual species, and that no matter how hard atheist elements with the race had tried to weaken or outright destroy religion, it always made a comeback, and always had a strong following. Rather than fight human nature, Mikael decided to embrace it fully, and pass those leanings down to the Mikaeans. A deeply religious man himself, Mikael succeeded in ingraining into the Mikaeans those strong spiritual and religious traits. However, he did not pass on his own religious beliefs to his children, instead wishing for them to find their own way as a spiritual people, and find the religious path that best suited them and their needs. What he didn't foresee was that he would become the center of new Mikaean religion.

The Mikaeans idolization of the family unit extends to their creator Mikael, whom they rightly refer to as "Father of the Mikaeans". While the some of Mikaeans, generally the patriarchs, regard their father as a simple mortal man who created them through scientific means, the majority of Mikaeans, ranging from womb-born to creche-born Mikaeans, consider Mikael a newborn god who had been guided by the superior Unknown Creator, the unknown god of the universe, to create their species. A cult of personality came to surround the man, with images of him found in every residence, government building, business center, and place of worship. Mikaeans who go into combat routinely place photos and drawings of their father in their pockets, helmets, shoes, and mouths, and many more Mikaeans keep shrines devoted to him in their homes and dormitories. Voidships all possess a shrine onboard, located in the most secure part of the ship.

Family and marriage
Family is the most important thing to a Mikaean outside of their service to the state. All Mikaeans are the biological offspring of their creator, and share his traits and personality as well as all of his genetic information. Since the Mikaeans reproduce in a manner that results in millions of Mikaeans being born to a single parent at a time, as well as their limited form of shared consciousness, the Mikaeans regard each other as literal brothers and sisters regardless of who their father is. Many Mikaeans refer to their species as the "Children of Mikael" or "the Family", and refer to each other as "brother" or "sister", with the exception of elder men with children whom they always refer to as "father". Often when speaking to members of other households, the term "cousin" and "uncle" may also be used. The strict patriarchal political system which governs their society has not changed since their creation, and the Mikaeans are extremely protective of their family members to the point of personal sacrifice.

Marriage for the Mikaeans is radically different from that practiced by humanity. Whereas most humans marry out of love for each other and to build families together, marriage in Mikaean society is largely about convenience and a series of contractual obligations levied upon the the man and his female partners, ranging from everything to housekeeping, secretarial work, and even bodyguard duties. Often, when a man wishes to raise a family with his own personal involvement, rather than sending all of his fertilized eggs off to a creche for them to be raised in the caste system, he may call upon the services of a female Mikaean, typically his own sister or a woman deemed suitable in his eyes, to carry some of his eggs, protecting them until it comes time to lay them for further growth. Depending on the nuances of the marriage contract, the wife may or may not be paid by the husband, or may have residency, in which she lives with her husband and his children, and serves as something of akin to a mother in the nearest human sense.

Morals and taboos
Though the Mikaeans appear similar to humans in a physical sense, but in a moral sense, they are absolutely alien. What humans would consider universally condemn as immoral, would be regarded as perfectly acceptable by the Mikaeans, and to such an extent that many humans would perhaps view the Mikaeans incorrigibly corrupt. While the practical/impractical morality varies from Mikaean to Mikaean, as a species, the Mikaeans adhere to a religious code drawn up by their father for the entire species, operating on what he deemed to be practical, rather than what his society at the time deemed to be right and wrong based on their cultural norms of those times. Murder is classified as impractical, as it robs society of valuable manpower and experience, but practical in some cases where the group or individual endangers or weakens the majority. Because of this erratic sense of practicality and rationality, the Mikaeans are incredibly difficult to work with, as their moral compass is always in flux, making it nearly impossible to strike a deal with them that they would deem "rational" from their point of view. This has long made it incredibly easy for the Mikaeans to engage in countless atrocities and actions that most humans would deem absolutely horrific, such as rape, torture, and pedophilia.

For the Mikaeans, as a species, sex and reproduction are two entirely separate concepts, with no bearing on the other outside of marriage contracts. Reproduction is solely in the domain of the men, who can reproduce individually asexually, without the need for sexual intercourse. However, the Mikaeans understand the concept of love and courtship, the manner of their reproductive process and familial structure have made romantic relationships an unknown concept within the species. The Mikaeans have a more casual approach to sexual relationships. Most other species would regard sexual intimacy as an indicator of a deep relationship between two people, while the Mikaeans simply regard it as a part of family and friendship. Siblings and friends would perform sexual acts as a sign of their relationship, especially for members within the same creche or cadre, as a regular part of their life, thus making the concept of fidelity generally unknown to the Mikaeans, unless contractually obliged to do so in a marital contract. Mikaean sexuality is such, that the concept of marriage for the sake of love and romantic partnership is unknown to the species. Mikaeans marry solely for legal and economic reasons, such as a father wishing to see his eggs mature in a safe and mobile environment, marrying a woman for a specified amount of time to carry his eggs for him, repaying her for her services with either monetary compensation, residency, or sexual favors, all outlined within the marriage contract.

However, marriage is not a requirement one seeking sexual gratification or prolonged partnership, but more of a legal statement of one's obligations within said partnership. The contract simply ensures that both parties know their roles and responsibilities, and offers legal protections. Men can have as many women as they wish to have under their direct headship, and can be very territorial as well. A man need only tell a woman he wishes to have her, and she will accept. Many men, especially the wealthy, have harems, and often built harem blocks into their residencies to accommodate their wives. For women, it is common for them to partner up with fellow women given the lack of men in their species. Bisexuality is the biologically natural course of behavior for females, though it is well known that men take precedence as the preferred partners for women given the great prestige that one could draw from their relationship. Because of this, many women are known to fight and kill one another for that privilege, driving up the crime rate throughout Xyon. In spite of their sexual behavior, homosexuality remains totally condemned by the Mikaeans. Only among men is this behavior unacceptable, however, the reason lesbianism remains allowed has to do with the sexual organs available to females as opposed to the males, allowing them to physically and naturally engage in sexual intercourse.

When combining Mikaean honesty with Mikaean promiscuity, the resulting effect is rather interesting. The Mikaeans do not bother with the process of courtship as a function of choosing a sexual partner. For them, one need only ask for sex to get it, Mikaeans seeking a change in pace may go the romantic route. In Mikaean society, all Mikaeans within a household are literal brothers and sisters, while those outside of the household are cousins and extended family members. Incest has never been condemned by the Mikaeans for various reasons, most notably the manner of genetics and reproduction within the species. Also, the concept of strangers does not exist for the Mikaeans, meaning that one can speak to any other Mikaean with complete openness, and ask for anything, including sexual intercourse, as easily as they would the time of day. As such, the Mikaeans think absolutely nothing of unisex showers, bedrooms, and undressing in front others, including those of the opposite gender and differing ages. Modesty is non-existent within Mikaean civilization, and privacy remains a vague concept reserved for those within the clergy. If one Mikaean were to walk into a room as another Mikaean was undressing or taking a shower, they would begin talking and going about his or her business as if the event had never happened at all.