So, this is not D&D or even tabletop related. I'm going to call this page "worldbuilding" and put it in the same category, though.
This should go without saying but I'm going to be talking about weird sex here. Be warned.
Table of contents/to do list
Short answer: because it's fun and I like thinking about weird subjects way too seriously. Also I dont agree with how omegaverse "science" is written sometimes. So I might as well make my own!
The longer answer is that I think this would be a fascinating thing if taken beyond a framework for porn. Mind you, there's nothing wrong with that! Sometimes a piece of worldbuilding only exists to facilitate the plot (or porn) and that's perfectly fine. But I can't stop thinking what a version of omegaverse would look like if taken completely seriously. What are the natural consequences of these worldbuilding decisions? Is there a way this could work in a semi-scientific way?
Look, I think that would be cool! So here we are. This will be a mostly serious description of a way omegaverse could work, with biological and societal implications. Also, my own aesthetic and practical preferences.
For a more in depth view I can recommend the wikipedia article and this post. Very briefly however:
Of course, omegaverse is probably much older than can be proved, but these are some of the known, documented points in time. Omegaverse is now a trope that can be found outside of fandom, in romance books (gay and straight and otherwise) and shows.
Before I can get into how Lunellum's Omegaverse (tm tm tm) works, we need to get into what the fandom think omegaverse is. I will be ignoring of modifying some of these aspects, and I'll tell you why when we get there.
What is omegaverse, according to fandom (an incomplete but hopefully complete enough list):
This section was hard to write. I have some complicated feelings on gender in general, and additional thoights about gender in an omegaverse setting.
When taken in one of its most stripped down, original slash fic, sex/porn based ways, there are only two genders that matter in omegaverse: alpha men and omega men. The romance and sex exists between two men, except there is added biology-based kink and pregnancy. They have biological urges that simply cannot be denied or resisted, and that translate to character traits. In this way, omegaverse is very bio-essentialist, just not in a way that exists in tbe real world. It also reads as heterosexuality with extra steps. All the transgressiveness of gay men with all the conformism of procreation and accepted social roles.
Of course, this is not the only (or even currently the most popular) version of omegaverse, but the bio-essentialist aspects tend to persist. Alphas are strong, intimidating, physically large, and penetrate. Omegas are small, timid, always bottoming. (Betas are just sort of normal guys, but that's not their fault.) Women are (unless you're reading femslash) often an afterthought. I've read fics where women can't be alphas at all, they're all omegas by default. Trans people... well, it's complicated. More on that later.
In the worst kind of omegaverse fics, it feels like reading an incredibly sexist gender-essentialist rape fantasy, except they're all different kinds of men. (Alphas, of course, are the best kind.)
I don't like this. In fact, I kind of loathe it. I'm not opposed to some freaky power dynamics, kinky sex or lust-driven non-con, as evidenced by the fact that I still like omegaverse, but I prefer it not to be quite so... binary.
There is an argument to be made that the trope of heat suppressants (and less subtly named hormone therapy) is a trans allegory. This omega wants to be an alpha, and is taking matters into their own hands. But often, the reluctant omega still ends up mated happily to an alpha, one way or another. Sometimes the "misbehaving" is is considered faulty and has to be taught to love themselves as they are by a kind alpha. It feels unsatisfying, or straight up transphobic.
Fics that lack the more extreme of these faults can still feel lacking. They've rejected the extreme biological determinism but are still operating in the same basic system, just a slightly kinder one. One where women and trans people and kind, non-agressive alphas are allowed to exist. But it's the same system.
It feels as if we're not taking this concept far enough, instead staying in the safe harbour of mostly conventional gendered tropes. A little bit edgy (gay men who can get pregnant, animalistic urges), but not enough to challenge the gendered assumptions inherent in the fiction, or even our society.
(Yes, I did take some gender studies classes in uni.)
So, now that I've hopefully explained why I have some issues with the omegaverse and what they are, what am I going to do about it?
You see, there are also a lot of opportunities when it comes to digging deeper into omegaverse. Let's really get into the implications of having more than two genders and what that means for transness. Let's dig into women who can impregnate men and how that changes what it might mean to decouple womenhood from the stereotypically nurturing motherhood.
Let's go!
Trying to figure out how omegaverse could work in a scientific of biological sense is tricky because we're working backwards from an outward expression in a kink context, written about in the societal and biological context of, well, us. This world. In this world, a man who goes into heat and gets pregnant from another man through anal sex isn't generally a thing. In order to keep to the "aesthetic" and core defining traits of omegaverse, we're going to have to make shit up.
From here on out, I'll be phrasing things as fact. Keep in mind it's just my own personal Lunellum's Omegaverse (tm tm tm). Keep in mind also that I'm not a biologist or geneticist or anything. My goal here is to describe something that makes logical sense, I will not be going into details about genetics.
General terminology note: I will use the term "sex" when talking about biological categories and "gender" when talking about identity and societal categories.
And finally: nature is messy. In this hypothetical omegaverse, these are just guidelines.
Omegaverse biology is similar to real human biology in the sense that we would visually recognise all (or most) of the constituent parts as something that we also have, if maybe not in that configuration. Biologically, hormonally and genetically though, it works very differently.
All individuals in omegaverse have two sets of genitals located vertically above one another, the expression of which is determined by genetic and hormonal factors during gestation and later during puberty. The urethra is alwys connected to a developed set of genitals. If both sets are developed, it is almost always connected to the top set of genitals. They also all have pheromone glands located along certain major lymph nodes (neck, armpits, groin).
In utero, the two sets of genitals start out identical and have the potential to develop into either set of mature genitals, or remain vestigial. Vestigial organs have no further reproductive function and usually remain internal. Which set of genitals develops in which way is determined genetically. Omegaverse humans have a similar chromosomal strucyure as humans, with what I will call X and Y chromosomes, with the X chromosome determining whether a vagina/uterus/fallopian tubes set develops and the Y chromosone determining whether the penis/gonad set develops.
The most common genotypes amd pre-puberty phenotypes are:
Variations in these are possible (for example XXY, which would manifest as the same phenotype as XY) but are usually considered intersex conditions. They will often manifest as one of the above phenotypes but there are exceptions.
One of these is where neither set will fully develop. These individuals will often be infertile and may need medical intervention to be able to urinate. Another is when both sets of genitals develop the same way, so two vagina sets or two penis sets. These phenotypes are usually less fertile and pregnancy will usually be very risky.
As always, nature is complicated and makes infinite variations.
The differentiation into alpha/beta/omega and development of secondary sexual traits happens in two stages when the hormonal makeup of the body changes.
During first puberty, most of the physical changes are set into motion. This starts on average between the ages of 10 and 12 years old, and is considered complete when second puberty starts.
Second puberty starts on average between 17 and 20 years old and is faster and more unpredictable than first puberty. It lasts an average of six months to a year, though has been known to last 6 or 7 years in rare cases. During second puberty the changes from first puberty will be completed and sexual maturation is triggered. The pheromone glands of alphas and omegas activate and they get their first rut/heat respectively. Betas have a milder second puberty with weaker or no pheromones and no rut or heat. All roles will become able to procreate during second puberty. Others will also be able to discern an individual's role by pheromones and scent starting with second puberty.
Just like humans, omegaverse humans have a multitude of hormone combinations, the most influential groupings being alpha hormones and omega hormones.
The most common combinations of chromosomal and genetic aspects are:
All individuals which develop into an alpha may have a minor secondary growth spurt. Alphas are on average slightly bigger and build muscle more easily than the other phenotypes. This is a case of closely overlapping bell curves however, and any individual alpha might just as easily be smaller and less muscular than any individual beta or omega.
As with pre-pubery genotypes and expression, there are exceptions and variations. These may be considered intersex conditions or fly under the radar. For example, an individual with YY and alpha hormones who would otherwise develop into an alpha male might have an insensitivity to certain alpha hormones (similar to androgen insensitivity syndromes) and develop into a beta male instead.
All individuals go through all cycle that culminates in a period of heightened fertility.
Note: I dont personally care much about the frequency. In most species that go through heat/rut this is once a year. For porn reasons, that's la bit meager. Humans have something like this roughly ince a month (the estrous cycle and menstruation), which to me seems a bit too frequent for a more intense and potentially debilitating process like this. tl;dr: pick your own frequency as per your preference.
Outside the period of heightened fertility, individuals may still be capable of procreation but at a much lower rate of success. This goes mostly for the act of impregnating. Becoming pregnant outside the fertility window is extremely uncommon.
The timing of the fertility window is different per individual, but may be influenced by hormone treatments or exposure to other individuals' pheromones. Pheromones are especially influential between an alpha/omega pair.
During the fertility window, hormonal levels increase, sperm production increases and rut is triggered (for individuals with a penis genital set) or one or more ova are released and heat is triggered (individuals with a vagina genital set).
For the two roles with both genital sets this is slightly different. Alpha females go into rut with the accompanying effects. Alpha females can get pregnant, but due to their hormonal makeup this is not very common. Omega hormones are necessary to release an ovum and become pregnant. Alpha females experience the highest level of these hormones directly after rut, when the alpha hormones subside. This still may not be a high enough level to trigger an ovum release. This kargely depends on the individual.
Omega males go into rut. They can still impregnate another individual, though their siring fertility is generally quite low (lower sperm count, fewer viable sperm etc). Their siring fertility does not change significantly throughout their cycle.
Omega individuals (male and female) are most fertile of all roles when it comes to becoming pregnant, and alpha individuals (male and female) are most fertile when it comes to siring.
As mentioned earlier, beta individuals have weak or no pheromones and do not go into rut or heat. They do experience a fertility cycle, which is similar to the other roles, just without rut or heat.
Individuals who can become pregnant will experience menopause at some point, usually between the ages of 45 and 60. During this time, they will stop going into heat and will stop being able to get pregnant. Individuals who can sire will experience a similar process, usually between the ages of 50 and 60, during which they stop going into rut but will still be able to sire (though without the increased fertility).
Sex can and does occur outside of heat and rut. During sex, a mating bite may occur. This usually causes strong bonding between the parties involved. Individuals with penises are generally able to knot a partner through a secondary swelling organ at the base of the penis. This will often lock individuals together for a short amount of time. The knot goes down in a matter of minutes.
Going into heat entails:
A heat is often debilitating. An individual will be unable to perform most daily tasks until it passes.
A heat will pass on its own after roughly a week. This process can be sped up by having sex. The act of knotting especially may cause the heat to pass more quickly.
Going into rut entails:
A rut is not as debilitating as a heat but can still be disruptive to daily life.
Going into rut will pass on it's own in a matter of days to a week and may be sped up by having sex and specifically knotting.
Hormonal suppressants are available, especially heat suppressants. These will casue an individual to skill a heat. Use of these is not recommended for long amounts of time as they can cause an eventual breakthrough heat that is stronger than a usual one. They may also impact long term fertility. Rut suppressants are also available but used less frequently. Their side effects may include long term fertility loss.
Many of the same methods of contraception exist as for humans. Barriet methods are very effective, but may impact the efficacy of sex in ending a rut oflr heat. Hormonal contraception methods are common. Suppressants are a form of contraception as well as a way to skip the heat or rut part of the cycle.
I will write these sections in a more speculative tone instead of stating things as (fictional) fact.
Note: I go into depth avout discrimination here
The main societal impact biology like this would have is a different relationship between genders, and a weaker correlation between reproductive role and certain social rights. With, effectively, six genders instead of two the social roles will be less stark.
It is possible that there will still be sexism, only based on pheromones and reproductive role instead of the male/female dichotomy. In this case the alpha/beta/omega trichotomy would be the leading factor. It is possible to tell which a person is by scent (pheromones) starting with them entering second puberty, which makes for a tidy way to segregate the three. visual secondary characteristics (breasts etc) would in this case be of less important.
It could be that the male/female distinctions are completely irrelevant, replaced by the new trichotomy. This seems likely, given that a lot of real world sexism finds its origin in reproductive roles and the discrimination for looks and other bodily characteristics flows from there (this is obviously a very simplified statement). So if "looking like a woman" no longer has a strong correlation with a reproductive role, femininity would logicalky be uncoupled from this flavour of sexism.
There are still physical differences between the six genders in this omegaverse, and those might take the place of our traditional misogyny. Alphas tend to be bigger than omegas, so sizeism might be an issue. Alphas are also considered more assertive and forceful, so the cultural preference for that kind of behaviour would be intact. Social stereotypes might still exist (alphas are ambitious, omegas are nurturing, Betas are intellectual), tied to reproductive roles or alpha/beta/omega roles.
An "interesting" new kind of discrimination would be scent based. I could imagine certain perfumes being a bit taboo for masking or enhancing one's scent. Anosmia would be a much bigger issue for its social ramifications. For certain things, in person meetings would have a much bigger preference so that scent can factor into the social dynamic.
Another new factor is heat/rut. Both have a side effect of impairing an individual's reasoning and impulse control somewhat. This could birthday a social stereotype that both alphas and omegas are irrational during their "time of the month" (or whichever frequency this takes). This is interesting because it's a negative stereotype that affects both sides of the reproductive coin.
Betas take an interesting role in this whole situation. Because they fit into a reproductive dichotomy but have weaker or no pheromones and don't experience heat or rut, they might be considered either somewhat desexed or a more intellectually capable group. I can imagine Betas being considered more calm and reasonable, taking up a disproportionate percentage in scientific or political roles. Then again, the lack of pheromones could be seem as untruthful, that betas are lying or concealing something. Again, appropriate for politicians.
Biologically, it is possible, though not likely) that an omega male sires a child and an alpha woman gets pregnant. If there's a discriminatory aspect tied to reproduction roles in combination with alpha/beta/omega segregation, these cases might be considered very taboo. After all, it would be a transgression act for an omega to do something usually reserved for alphas or vice versa.
A more optimistic view (at least for me) would be that all these dichotomy, trichotomies and segregations would way significantly less and have much weaker social impact considering the wider accepted natural variety.
And finally, of course, society is complicated and hard to predict. Almost as much so as nature.
I'm separating these subjects from the previous chapter to give them a little more space. They're all part of the queer umbrella (with intersex conditions being on a person by person basis) which is very dear to me.
As above, there are a lot of ways an omegaverse society could develop its prejudices, stereotypes and unique types of discrimination. How that all works influences how a society treats its members who transgress against its perceived order. tl;dr: maybe none of this is a big issue. Maybe it is. Depends on what story you want to tell.
One main criticism I've seen about omegaverse, which I agree with) is that sometimes its just heterosexuality with extra steps. If we suppose that certain taboos about romantic and sexual pairings stem from the individuals' respective reproductive roles, having an alpha/omega pairings isn't exactly transgressive. In other words, if an man and a woman fuck because they have kids, how is that different from an alpha and omega, even if they're both men? The men part barely matters here. They're still a compatible and conventional pairings, reproductively speaking.
A closer analogue to a gay couple in omegaverse would be an alpha/alpha couple, or an omega/omega couple. Beta/beta couples would only be an issue if they're gay by our world's definition. In these combinations you've got couples that can't reproduce (or for whom it would be very unlikely). You could have an alpha male and an alpha female in a relationship and it would be pretty much as controversial as two gay women in our world. After all, how does that even work? Do they both go into rut together? Who knots who? Yuck! (this is a joke) (seriously I don't think that would be yuck, I actually think that would be awesome)
It's tempting to say that gender as we know it would still exist and that beta individuals would be considered closer to alphas or omegas depending on their reproducyive role. An interesting alternative, however, would be if beta was considered a wholly different thing, and that the only genders are alpha, beta and omega. In that case, it's gay if two alphas or omegas shack up. But it might be almost as gay if two betas do, even though they might be reproductively compatible.
Similarly, I think being trans would be a slightly different beast. There would undoubtedly still be people opposed to any sort of body modification and gender affirming measures. However, the definition of gender in society would be different. I can imagine it might be less shocking for an alpha female to get a mastectomy and transition to a man, but remain an alpha, than it would be for an alpha to transition to an omega.
Now add to that the population tropes of heat suppressants, which in Lunellum's omegaverse are a type of hormone therapy, and how would a society like this view an omega who uses heat suppressants long term? Would this be considered gender affirming care? Would this omega identify as trans? Hormone therapy (which heat suppressants are) would or could absolutely he a part of the care regimen for a trans individual. A trans alpha man (born omega) could feasibly change their hormone levels to that of an alpha and surgically remove their uterus and associated organs to become nearly indistinct from an individual born as an alpha male.
I'd like to say none of this would be an issue in an onegaverse society, but unfortunately people are assholes. I do think the lines would be easier to blur when you start oit with 6 roles instead of two, if only because you're starting out with more variety.
That brings us to intersex conditions. Because we're starting with more variety, odds are certain kinds of intersex conditions would be go unnoticed, instead slotting into the six roles more or less seamlessly. If the specific intersex condition is hormonal, this would manifest in second puberty and may or may not result in one of the six phenotypes that society considers standard. Any individuals born with ambiguous genitalia may be left intact (instead of our sadly common infant genital mutilation to make babies fit our narrow dichotomy) to wait and see how the individual develops through their puberties. If an individual still doesn't neatly fit in one of the six roles, this might well be a problem according to society. It might alsp be more easily accepted as a natural variation, because, again, more variation is acceptable to begin with.
I can picture individuals with double identical sets of genitals (vulva+vulva or penis+penis) and individuals without either set being fully developed still not being accepted by society. These individuals might face a lot of discrimination, infant genital mutilation, or forced hormone therapy. I would hope in this omegaverse society there would be action groups opposing these sorts of things.
Now, so as not to end this on a particularly depressing note, I've been wondering about the terms people might use for themselves in a society like this. I reckon and homosexuality as a term would be the same, indication attraction to "the same", though that same might just be alpha/beta/omega instead of women/men. Heterosexuality, though? With six roles, it's a little more complicated to define "the other". As for gay, lesbian and bisexuality, oh boy. I can see gay as an umbrella term but lesbian and bisexual might be a different story. A relevant question here is whether this society sees it as useful to distinguish between gay and straight in our definition or whether the alpha/beta/omega trichotomy would be the main thing that matters. If both aspects are worth noting, someone might be a lesbian (likes woman) omegasexual (likes omegas) alpha women. Alternatively, someone might just be gay (likes people with the same reproductive role).
Trans as a term would probably still be a term, but it might refer to both woman/man and alpha/omega/beta or only one of them. I can imagine someone identifying as a trans omega without any other qualifiers, for example.
Or, you know, take this as an opportunity to create fully new names for these roles. Why not?
I dunno!
Write some kinky porn, friends. Or don't. Feel free to use anything in here as source or inspiration or background for your kinky porn. If you do, I'd love to hear about it.
This whole page is one long thought experiment and ramble about a more realistic version of a common tropes, and I've had a lot of fun with it. That's the most important part, having fun.
If you see any embarrassing typos, or if I've said anything blatantly illogical or offensive, please let me me know so I can fix it.
Yiu can reach me through tumblr or via my guestbook
And remember, the gayest possible option is two alphas.