Uh... I told you I was male, didn't I? Is there a pun I missed?
Yes indeed.
Isn't this actually supporting the biologist viewpoint? An analysis of gender differences as a result of biological differences independent of the species might come closer to the truth than an analysis of gender based on anthropological considerations that are valid only for Humans.
But let's turn the tables: From the anthropological point of view - what are the genders of the gods?
Ok then ... Sometimes I am happy to be from Wisenheim. It enables me to actually enjoy this.
From an anthropological standpoint, the mere existence of deities is manmade, by which I mean that at least the vision and way of portraying them and their doings in the world will be interpreted in the context of the human experience. As you pointed out yourself earlier, many deities in the history of mankind actually have a sex (and some of them even have sex!). Considering deities, or at least the part of them that is perceiveable by humans, as manmade = a mere interpretation of man, entirely takes them into the realm of man's ideals thus validating anthropological analysis. In contrast, a biological analysis is mostly invalid because deities for the most part are not biological. They are - in the best sense of the word - "supernatural".
Of course, as a human yourself, you could insist on the biological dimension of deities and your vision of it. It's just not really common and you would probably end up on the hit-list of "anti-constitutional-cults" of the federal republic of germany.
Either way, like the classic stories of ancient greece or the bible, I picture the FGs behavior to revolve around human manners of conduct ... manners of conduct that have taken the act of reproduction far beyond some biological "procreationist act". The notion of "gender" is thus indeed detached from gender as a biological sex.
The above dialogue between Paradox and the Elements-player - and I am saying this in all humbleness - is hence truly worthy of finding it's way into "Homer's odyssey of Elements" and not just some soapy dialogue. (lol, sorry gotta lol myself here)
It represents an attempt to contextualize a FGs behavior by embedding it in a typical human every-day situation and then to analyse which gender this particular FG might embody. The above situation clearly shows that Paradox is of female gender whereas a diffrent model-context might throw up some different conclusion. As of now, if you play a match against Paradox and find yourself sexually attracted to her (?) while being a male yourself, you are likely to be straight. If you experience the same attraction while being a female yourself you are probably a lesbian. If you contempt the last two sentences however, you are most likely a feminist (lesbian).
Similarly, I would draw the anthropological (*cough) conclusion that Elidnis is female.
Her ways of protecting her assets, slowly growing her potential and mixing in a subtle note of poison while staying afloat through a notion of collective healing would indicate this.
A model-situation to strengthen evidence on this, could be the following, where we find Elidnis at work:
Boss(distracted): Elidnis, I need you to run a hundred copies of this file and send them over to the archives.
Elidnis(smiling): Yes Boss, right on it. Can I get you anything else?
Boss: Yeah sure, a cup of coffee please.
[Elidnis wanders off to get the coffee. On her way back to the bosses office she swings by her desk and slips a small dose of poison into the coffee, just enough to make him feel very dizzy and call in sick the next couple days.]
Elidnis(smiling at the Boss seductively): Here you go.
Boss(a bit confused by her smile): Thanks darling.
