pronouns

Pronouns in the kraiaKy universe can take some getting used to, especially those that describe Threadwielders. As a rule, the following sets of pronouns are used:

ve / vis / ver / verself¹⁾ is a set of pronouns used predominantly for the 'true form' of Threadwielders. It's gender-neutral, given they don't have any biological sex to refer to. It can also be used for other sexless characters, or those known not to identify with either gender.
he / his / him / himself applies either to characters whose biological sex is male, Threadwielders that are currently known to be in an avatar best described as male, or simply to characters that identify with a male gender (if the notion exists in the corresponding culture).
she / her / herself applies to characters whose biological sex is female, Threadwielders that are currently known to be in an avatar best described as female, or simply to characters that identify with a female gender (if the notion exists in the corresponding culture).
singular they / their / them / themselves applies to characters whose form is not known. It's unlikely anyone that has been physically and/or mentally assessed would be referred to by this pronoun set.

Within a narrative, Threadwielders may swap between the three first pronoun sets. For example, in A Thread Between The Stars, Jeneth went from being referred to as he while he was the human James Carlin, to being referred to as ve while ve was in transit to Nekenalos with Valcen, to being referred to as she while she inhabited the body of a female, gecko-like lizard on the cliffs of Vatenas, then back to he while he inhabited several male kavkem bodies in sequence.

The author recognises that this takes some getting used to, but prefers it over the confusions stemming from possible alternatives.

Unusual Cases

Evenatra inhabits a quasi-immortal sexless avatar, but is known by female pronouns because her protective personality coincides with kavkem notions of femininity.

Terenyira is similarly sexless, but her aggressive nature suits Nayabaru notions of femininity, and she modulates her voice accordingly.

¹⁾

The author has taken a liking to this gender-neutral pronoun set above others because “ze”'s and “xe”'s 'harshness'. The author first encountered the pronoun set due to Greg Egan's works and finds it the least abrasive option available.