~ Breeding and Growing ~ -- Breeding -- Murrah are funny creatures when it comes to breeding. They are partially monogamous, partially promiscuous, and partially harem-breeders. Breeding habits vary from clan to clan, and from Murrah to Murrah, but they tend to follow a few certain trends. If a Murrah lives with their clan or family group, they tend to take mating and family-raising more seriously. They are more likely to take on steady mates and form family groups of their own. Another clan-bound trend is for females to attract wandering males for breeding purposes, and then release them of their responsibilities afterward. These types of breedings should always be approved by the clan leader and other high-ranking members, or risk the foreign offspring being shunned or banished, and the mother labled as disloyal. Murrah that live away from their clan, tend to travel alot, or are clanless, are less likely to 'settle down'...unless they're planning to start a family group or clan of their own. Whatever way they go about it, Murrah can have one or multiple partners throughout their lifetime. If a Murrah has a special attachment to another, or breeds with them at least once, the two are considered 'mates.' If a Murrah breeds more than three times with a mate, they are considered 'steady mates.' So, a Murrah could have a 'mate' without having any offspring yet, because of their attachment to each other, but must have bred more than three times to be considered 'steady mates.' Becoming 'mates' with another Murrah can sometimes have a small ceremony or ritual to celebrate, or be strictly an informal title, while the title of 'steady mates' is automatically applied at three breedings. Murrah can also go through a ceremony to become 'life mates' with another. This ceremony is a symbol of their utmost dedication to one another, and their promise of loyalty, forsaking the thought of any other mates. Once a Murrah becomes 'life mates' with another, then they no longer need items to prove their affection for each other, but they cannot breed with any other Murrah...or risk severe condemnation by their mate, and other Murrah who hear of it. The only Murrah who can have other mates in addition to their one 'life mate' is a clan leader. In that case, the clan leader is completely dedicated to their 'life mate' but still fulfills other breeding obligations, promising no emotional attachment.   ---Breeding items In order to breed, each Murrah needs to provide a token of their affection, unless they are 'life mates.' Males need to provide strings of beads to females, to prove their resourcefulness and thoughtfulness. These necklaces can be very pricey, or made of materials that are difficult or dangerous to collect. The necklaces are usually taken apart after the baby is born, and the beads used to trade, or to decorate clothing and jewelry. The female uses the beads to help her get by with her new child, or to reward herself with beauty, for taking on the blessing of motherhood. Females, when looking for a mate, take great care in collecting Hallowlock vines, and weaving them together into pretty wreaths. These symbolize the female's skill and care, showing that she will be a good mother. These wreaths are given to the male to keep and cherish, while the flowers and stems dry out and retain a faded version of their color. For roaming males, the token is a nice thing to keep around for as long as possible, a demonstration of their success. For a family-oriented male, the delicate wreaths are kept with great care, showing that the male is worthy to lead a family of his own.   ---Breeding rules Normally, a female can breed successfully only twice a season, possibly from different mates. Basically, a female is receptive until the end of the season, when the pregnancy biologically 'starts.' (Some Earth animals do this as well.) If a female breeds more than twice in one season, all but two breedings are unsuccessful. The successful breedings are random, out of the males she has paired with that season. So, if a female breeds with four different males in one season, only two of those breedings will actually result in pregnancies, and there is no way of knowing which ones until the babies are born. Typically, one baby results per successful breeding, though twins are possible. So, the most babies a female can have per season is four, in the highly unlikely event that both successful breedings resulted in twins. After a female's fifth baby, she can only breed once per season. After seven offspring, a female can only breed once every other season. A male can breed up to four times a season, regardless of how many mates or children he has. -- Growth Ceremonies -- As a young Murrah grows, they know to expect that life will change after their growing ceremonies. There is one ceremony that takes a Murrah out of childhood and into adolescence, and one that finally initiates them into the world of adulthood. Both ceremonies require special items and rituals, which are very important for a Murrah to be properly accepted into their society. --Springtide Ceremony -- Fawn to Adolescent For the Springtide Ceremony, large spiral shells are collected to be given to each 'graduating' fawn. Traditionally, a big event is held, where fawns get to chose their shell, or have their shell chosen by a parent or trusted guardian. Sometimes the shells are plain, sometimes patterned, and sometimes painted. Each one is at least a little different than the others. The fawn chooses its shell, and must take great care of it, keeping it safe and unbroken. While sturdy and heavy, it is still possible to accidentally break a shell if not taken care of. These shells are kept until adulthood, and at the end of each season or important event in life, a fawn is supposed to take a pebble, bead, or some other meaningful trinket, and drop it into the shell. These trinkets are each supposed to each represent a memory or lesson that the Murrah wants to keep in mind for the rest of its life, and carry on into adulthood. They shake the tricket around until it gets as deep into the shell as possible, nestled with the others. A heavy trinket-laden shell is considered a symbol of young widsom. --Rite of Passage Ceremony -- Adolescent to Adult There are many rituals involved in the all-important Rite of Passage ceremony, and these all vary between different clans, and even between families. The one ritual that remains the same through them all, however, is the shell-breaking ceremony. When the oldest batch of adolescent Murrah are ready to mature into the world of the adults, they are each granted a hammer that has been blessed by the clan leader and mystics. Each mallet has new leaves from the Hallowlock plant tied around it's handle, symbolizing the blessing of new fertility. The Murrah then break open their beloved shells, and go through each trinket, remembering each memory and lesson they represent. They must now keep these lessons themselves, without the aid of the shell. It is customary to then have some of the beads and shell pieces made into a necklace, each different depending on the color of the shell and the beads it contained. Many Murrah don't chose to wear the necklace, but they keep them somewhere safe just the same. If a Murrah has lost or broken its shell early on, never received one for some reason, or was separated from it because of their travel to Haurah, then they must break open a hollow clay ball instead. It has the same meaning, but not the same value. Many times, they or their parents will buy another shell the day of the ceremony, just so they can have the shell-necklace keepsake afterwards. ---Item examples ©2007 - Shannon Legler