#sigwun

Gnomes are proto-eusocial, with small towns or clans within a city having only one reproductively active female at a time. The usual social roles are: queens, consorts, elders (mostly old consorts and queens), and workers. More traditional towns hold a taboo against workers having differing-sex relationships at all, because of the risk of pregnancy. Larger city culture usually allows it as long as birth control measures are taken. This is perhaps harsh, but gnomes typically give birth to litters of 4, and at its core the cultural standard is there to prevent rapid overpopulation.

Kiff was a consort from a small town of desert gnomes, and Gwen and Sig were workers. First Sig and Kiff started seeing each other (tolerated with permission from the queen) and THEN they both started seeing Gwen (taboo). Things came to head when Gwen got pregnant. After the queen and elders all got in a room and squabbled about it, it was decided to send the three of them off as a gift to their sister clan on the coast. Part of a bigger city, the coastal clan had an aging queen planning to step down from the role in a year or two, and they decided Gwen would make a fine replacement. The trio agreed to the move, and then set off on a journey to the coast. Etc etc, a story happens.