Bloodmoon

The Bloodmoon clan (also referred to as the brood of Dalamud, woodwraiths, or mongrels) is a Keeper of the Moon clan residing in the Thornsnarl, a closely guarded tract of inhospitable woodland deep in the eastern reaches of the Black Shroud. Comprising seven families - two of which are recent additions by way of conquest or choice - that have hunted together since the early days in frozen Meracydia. Their isolationist lifestyle, superstitious occultism and forbidding reputation as a warmongering people has precluded them from formulating long-standing alliances. A change in leadership and the election of a new matriarch, Yhivi of the Rihza, has seen diplomatic overtures made towards neighboring clans changed for the sake of rebirth, regrowth and renewal.

Above all else, the Bloodmoon are known for their devotion to the betrayer hound, Dalamud, who has come to embody the rain of despair and destruction for kith and kin. To them, their fallen totem is as much a symbol of reparations owed as he is the icon of earned justice, for the flagrant disregard and lack of truth faith among Spokenkind has long been a trait they believe required visceral correction. Many choose to “walk the Red Path”, a covenant claimed to be writ into the heavens by the celestial baying of the Divine Mother, Menphina, and believe that the greatest of their number rises to serve at Her side. Accordingly, other clans wise to the way of their people regard them as pariahs, while those of a mind to expand their world view find themselves enthralled by their devotion to what others might perceive as heresy.

The Bloodmoon occupy the Thornsnarl, a large, untamed tract of bramble lands broken into distinct regions, each of which have historical value and a history of independent thought and practices to them. Despite this, the bonds of kinship and family that bind each individual region are unimpeachable, and shared traditions, culture and bloodlines have knit the ruling families of the clan together for generations. Though the seat of the matriarch shifts and is dependent on the bloodline of the family, Dalamud's Maw - an ancient temple venerating the betrayer hound as old as their blood - has traditionally been considered the historical capitol of all dealings and a neutral meeting point for clan moots, celebrations and matters of dispute.

Population
The Bloodmoon stands as a population of over a hundred clan kin belonging to each of their respective family lines. While typical Keeper of the Moon prefer much smaller, more insular communities, the unique partnership that each strain shares with one another has provided them with the appropriate territory for suitable expansion and comfortable occupancy. Of their number, only a scant few are children - the recovery after a long history of battling woodsin and waging war on trespassers has been slow, but new leadership has necessitated they focus upon encouraging growth of their number and restoration of prey to their traditional hunting grounds.

The Bloodmoon population is split into the following approximate measurements:

Garahl: 45% of the clan.

Ekhinu: 15% of the clan.

Lbaaloh: 15% of the clan.

Shaali: 10% of the clan.

Okohwe: 5% of the clan.

Rihza: 5% of the clan.

Nhwara: 5% of the clan.

Language
The Bloodmoon are proficient in the spoken tongue of man and the more ancient hunting language of their people, huntspeak, which has been modified in part to contain a vast catalog of a complete natural language expressed by movements of the hands and face referred to as shroudsign. Though rare, some clan kin among their number have been known to be born deaf and thus are accommodated within reason and with respect, but are not coddled within their number. To have one of the essential senses taken from one denotes some grievous offense delivered in their former lives, and the clan provides the disabled means within reason to make their hands useful.

Sylphspeak, a derivative of the sprightly song of their beastkin allies and the cant in which all of their tales are told, is as much a musical evolution of language as it is a form of spoken epic poem delivered in deliberate pattern of long and short syllable in song. It is almost exclusively spoken by kin charged to account for the passage of the clan's oral history, though many are able to mimic the language's peculiar cadence (to varying degrees of success) and understand when it is spoken to them. Over time, the inherent complexities of the tongue have necessitated an elegant script of characters mastered by the oral historian, which has naturally resulted in the slow development of a written accounting of their clan history. Reading it, however, is still the singular honor of the historian themselves.

The given name of a Bloodmoon clan member is descriptive in nature, hearkening to spirituality, beauty, feelings or other similar, less tangible concepts or a natural object in the world. A name is carefully chosen and consists of one to two syllables and depends on what possesses pleasing sound, tonal qualities, personal meaning and whether or not it has a beautiful shape in their personal language. Given names are not resonant of qualities which are perceived to be either masculine or feminine due to the matriarchal passage of names from mother to son, and diminutives are extremely uncommon. Shortening the name of a member of the clan is indicative of extreme disrespect, for the person employing such a thing has not considered that they threaten the honor of the bearer's mother.

The second part of a child's name is based on the phase of the moon the child was born beneath. There are certain associated qualities with the ending of the child's name that entreats a blessing from the goddess or conceptual meanings that, when paired with the first part of the name, emulate how the spirits will address and remember a child of Dalamud. For example, the name Yhivi is comprised of Yhi- (smoke) and -vi, which is associated with the feeling of emptiness associated with rebirth. As such, the name has been roughly translated to "the smoke that rises from the razed wood" and "the smoke sprung from the flames of change", but can change in meaning depending on the achievements of the huntress and the personal interpretation of the individual themselves. In the end, the nature of their true name is between the spirits, the Goddess and themselves.

Because of the highly complex nature of spirituality and the superstition therein, expectant mothers are extremely picky with the name chosen for their child.

Sample Name Meanings - Physical Concepts


 * Fhe - wind.
 * Hel - fire.
 * Ket - earth.
 * Lhe - water.
 * Nen - lightning.
 * Rhe - ice.
 * Vhe - snow.
 * Cir - star.
 * Ria - rain.
 * Lyz - hiss.
 * Rih - plum.
 * Yhi - smoke.
 * Kih - seed.
 * Xih - thorn.
 * Mia - bloom.
 * Sek - tree.
 * Rhu - sparrow.
 * Men - moon.
 * Wyr - wood.
 * Nao - shadow.
 * Ok - mist.
 * Oh - cloud.
 * Qa - dawn.
 * Xa - dusk.

Sample Name Meanings - Emotional and Spiritual Concepts


 * Dha - longing.
 * Idh - peace.
 * Sah - patience.
 * Ogh - hope.
 * Pyh - faith.
 * Nha - love.
 * Tsi - sorrow.
 * Jih - free.
 * Rhe - joy.
 * Ma - fate.
 * Mik - wild.
 * Vey - brave.
 * Nel - dream.
 * Mhi - wise.
 * Xe - echo.
 * Em - soul.

Sample Name Endings


 * -ih, -oh, -ah, -eh, -mh, -nh: Associated with the new moon, which is a conceptual period of new beginnings, isolation, regrowth, introspection and darkness. The associated qualities are might, strength, ferocity, power, survival, balance, wisdom, patience, teamwork, loyalty, warmth and friendship.
 * -ru, -au, -hu, -ku: Associated with the waxing crescent moon, which is a conceptual period of intentions, hopes, wishes, desire and fullness. The associated qualities with these name endings are courage, bravery, righteousness, justice, protection, vengeance, retribution, conviction, focus, battle, purification, extension of oneself, sacrifice, life, death and truth.
 * -al, -el: Associated with the third quarter moon, which is a conceptual period of decision making, resistance, challenge, action and flexibility. The associated qualities are bravery, ferocity, strength, speed, agility, stealth, hunting, cunning, tracking, pride, grace, intelligence, loyalty and aggression.
 * -ae, -ue, -we, -he: Associated with the waxing gibbous moon, which is a conceptual period of refinement, direction, change, sacrifice and observation. The associated qualities are healing, grace, serenity, beauty, protection, water, secrets, devotion, parenthood, teaching, care and creativity.
 * -la, -ya, -ha, -da, -ja, -va, -xa: Associated with the full moon, which is a conceptual period of release, emotion, opportunity, beauty, love and light. The associated qualities are harmony, balance, peace, healing, wisdom, nature, protection, the wild, resurrection, survival, the cycle of life and slumber.
 * -ho, -ko, -wo-, -xo: Associated with the waxing gibbous moon, which is a conceptual period of gratitude, sharing, enthusiasm, abundance and giving. The associated qualities are wisdom, vigilance, stealth, silence, the beauty of night, mystery, secrets, hunting and truth.
 * -ri, -mi, -ni, -vi, -yi: Associated with the first quarter moon, which is a conceptual period of forgiveness, letting go, cleansing, release and emptiness. The associated qualities are rebirth, wisdom, the cycle of life, poison, agility, strength, speed, accuracy, trances, dreams, observation and patience.
 * -an, -en, -in, -hn: Associated with the waxing crescent moon, which is a conceptual period of surrender, recuperation, rest, peace and calm. The associated qualities are wrath, night, prudence, refuge, stealth, darkness, silence, mystery, balance, attachment, and hidden potential.

The Red Path
Formally considered in all matters moral, the Red Path is as ancient as the very first steps that their forebears took on the virgin soil of Eorzea. While the tenets may vary in importance and value from family to family, all must remember and are beholden to judgment for refusing to observe the courtesies the Goddess saw fit to laud in her most beloved of companions, Dalamud. Recitation of the tenets in their full form is as much an epic aria as it is a legal code, spoken in the sweet song of the new tongue founded at the inception of their friendship with Sylphkind, but many clan kin learn the tenets in the form of basic precepts.

Each precept has a practical basis, but not all of them are universally upheld as unquestionable - in fact, some may perceive a hypocritical gap between what the elders of the clan may preach and what those who have come after them have actually done. As with any codified statement of morality, those who wish to be freed of the responsibility for their actions will always find some way to twist it to their favor. Despite this, the very threads by which the fabrics of a culture are woven from are like-minded beliefs and shared understanding, and so all kin endeavor to abide by the tenets lest they invite the wrath of the Goddess or that of their betters.

The tenets are as follows:

Thy Blood is Thicker Than Water

Above all fleeting mortal matters, the health and prosperity of one's own clan remains paramount in importance, for it is the pillow upon which one lays their head at night and the rock that remains undeterred by the curious rumblings of change. The Bloodmoon, while cognizant of one's past affiliations, teachings and lived experience, expect absolute loyalty and devotion once one has chosen to set those things aside, completed their trials and integrated themselves as a part of the clan. As any clan, the Bloodmoon is a community of shared beliefs, way of life and practices, and any who would place their own selfish desires over the overall health or happiness of their brothers and sisters is sure to break this essential tenet.

Thy Tongue Must Never Harbor Venom

The worth of a person is best found in the content of their words, and those who would willfully dress themselves in deceit or dissent arrive in the Goddess's grand hunting hall and know their fate is not the taste of succulent game, but only ash. Though there are times in which a harmless white lie might be required to tend a squalling babe or a cautious word given to address a teaching that must be given consideration, the children of Dalamud draw upon their fallen totem's honest nature, holding to promises, oaths and bonds without fail. To deceive, mislead, demean, belittle or otherwise break the spirit of one's kin is considered a reflection of the betrayer hound's darker self, the same that unleashed a gout of flame upon the world when she saw it wanted for much. Breaking one's oath is among the highest of sins.

Thy Eyes May Enamor Only Thy Kind

Blessed by the Divine Mother and her most holy lineage, the Bloodmoon breed only among their own kind, prioritizing purity of blood to the risk of genetic mutation. Perceived as a child caught between the worlds of dawn and dusk, the unstable spirit of a half-breed is shackled by dual natures, which impedes the peace of their eventual passing and the resonance they may find with all things natural. The Bloodmoon consider the life of a half-blood a great tragedy, from their struggle to find acceptance as a gray area in a world that is black and white to the intrinsic challenge their spiritual imbalance provides. Though they may adopt children born of the coupling with a Seeker, any half-blood born of the coupling with an outsider race is spared the indignity of their existence and left to be reclaimed by the wood.

Thy Heart is the Compass Of Thy Deeds

It is the very nature of the heart to be soft and vulnerable or hard and unyielding. So too is the heart given to loving in the four sacred ways that the Goddess so blessed her children with knowing, and the intricacies of that love suggest that tenderness is not the only way. Friends, allies and lovers should be held to exacting standards for their survival, as suffering the weak at your side without loving them enough to strengthen them speaks of dishonest love. One should not force your kin to support and defend you if you are too sick or old to do either, for selfish love is a sin. In all matters of love, the heart is one's compass - it will ever point towards the honest and selfless choice, even if one would rather make the opposite.

Thy Territory Is the Most Sacred Of Places

To declare ownership of something is to claim it in its entirety, and to claim is to accept the responsibility of fighting to deserve that which is not naturally gifted. Just as the borders of one's clansground must be maintained, warded and patrolled, so too must the hearts of those you have claimed yours be shored with love, care and the utmost attention or the edge of a blade be kept to a razor sharp smile. In all things martial or meaningful, one must defend what is theirs. If one cannot put forth the effort required to maintain something they have claimed, they are undeserving of it, and fate will see to it that it is taken from them until the time comes that it is proven they deserve the right to supremacy. As the wolf, the greater your domain, the greater your prestige, but one must be willing to bare tooth and claw to maintain it.

Thy Kill is to be Offered in Part to the Divine

The natural order must be followed, as in the pack of the betrayer hound. Above all others, the Goddess and her most beloved are to be venerated for the sacrifices they have made for the good of the clan, for they would otherwise have never been chosen to serve in the roles they have been gifted. Each piece within a puzzle must know their place, and the individual needs of one is ever placed aside for the prosperity and health of the clan as a whole. The matriarch, by divine right, is to take the first bite of any kill, and any of higher caste are to be served food and drink before any of one that falls lower in privilege. So too must the head be bowed when space is entered by one's better, their formal address used in public and the courtesy of the first seat or first bite be given to the highest in station.

Thy Gifts Must Repaid in Tribute

All that the children of Dalamud have been given has been earned by right, traded as part of an equivalent exchange or taken by force. The inherent blessings of a huntress whose weaponcraft far exceeds that of her peers is to be lauded, but more importantly, gratitude must be paid to the spirits from which she has drawn her gifts. The injured buck provided by the merciful Goddess or the snares that overflow with hapless hares must be honored for their noble and willing sacrifice and used in whole, leaving no part of the animal unappreciated for its value. For every success, achievement, bond, birth or death, kin pay their respects to she who blessed them with the fortune of receiving such a boon or a gift already given, such as the gift of life.

Thy Love Must be Chambered as Thy Hate

Temperance in all things is not the natural way, but it is the balanced way. The spirit is a wild creature by birth and would have one ruled by their passions, impulses and thoughts, but what separates kin from beast is that they are able to find meaning in that chaos. Love, but do not love so blindly and wholly that one is entirely consumed by their desires and passions; hate, but do not hate with such unending fury that one finds their purpose entirely overtaken by a concerted effort to make another suffer. All of these emotions and more are as the Goddess has gifted her children, but let one run amok and wreak havoc on one's humors and it is certain that it will be the very venom that claims your life.

Thy Nature is as the Seed and Must Bloom

Though the Bloodmoon are loathe to change, the state of the world is such that there is ever something new to be discovered in the passage of time and the shifts each passing moment brings. Advancement to a people that venerate their Divine Mother, their partnership with a great Menagerie of spiritual guardians and fear the very elements that safeguard the wood in which they live is slow-going and always takes into consideration the environmental or social affects of such change, but they nonetheless move with the tides of time. What is good for the whole of the people should be good for the individual, and while there is much to fear in the unknown, all evolution - be it a statement of one's personal growth or progression towards a more modern life - must be accounted for and accepted if benefits all.

Thy Must Accept The Bared Throat

When a challenge is called between kin who wish to settle a dispute, the children of Dalamud are the first to emphasize martial prowess, stressing trial by ordeal and single combat as the appropriate manner in which to resolve internal affairs. These bloody and vicious encounters may end promising lives and forsake the gift of life given so freely by the Divine Mother; though they may have lost their lives honorably, the losses are keenly felt all the same. The loser of any such dispute does not suffer a loss of reputation for baring their throat, but a victorious warrior should be praised for their mercy. All kin are honor-bound to accept surrender. Once the challenge has been accepted and completed, the matter is considered finished: to hold onto old resentments to force others to suffer one's weakness.

Thy Shall Not Divide What is Whole

Few of the children of Dalamud speak against this singular tenet, which has served as the purpose for their union beneath the banner of the Bloodmoon since the very inception of their clan. One should not abide by the rebellious stirrings of a dissenter. One should not permit the waggling tongue of a heretic to spoil the pure teachings of the Divine Mother or sway one from the righteous path. One should not be so weak as to let the deceit and misdirection of the manipulative and malingering outsider provide a spark to an altercation that needed not happen. In all things, the clan is a whole, a full moon that requires all of its individual parts to shine the brightest, down to the most infinitesimal speck of dust. Those who would try to shatter the clan's ties in any manner - be it a coup or otherwise - are put to death.

War Paint
Bright war paint is a staple in the dress of a child of Dalamud. The color of a paint denotes their social status within their clan and is cosmetic, decorating the face, throat, heart, wrists and ankles according to the individual's tastes and embodies the lauded traits of their spiritual guardian. Each mark aligns to specific important organs as well as physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual states of being. A fine, soft clay-based paint mixed with naturally occurring pigments and the holy waters of a pure spring, once applied, serves many purposes: to bless the wearer with the supernatural qualities and protection of their totem, beseech the elements for their blessing in a partnership or bond, convey a message (such as a victory or success in battle) or (more practically) provide them with camouflage in the midst of a hunt. The silent language of war paint has been one utilized for generations since the clan's inception, and it is said that one can communicate a number of important messages through color and shape alone.

The colors red and blue, which symbolize the partnership between the Divine Mother and her loyal Hound, are universally regarded as sacred and are exclusively worn by the priesthood or the council during rites. The matriarch and the priestess are partial to blue, signifying a deep commitment to their holy partnership with the Goddess, and the clan's champions take up the red of their namesake to embody the ferocity with which Dalamud relentlessly pursued quarry across the midnight skies. A swathe of black paint across the eyes and upon the body represents the warrior and hunting class, instilling bravery, ferocity and power, whereas the softer green swirls of color given to the trading caste would bless them with endurance, confidence and success. Those rare few who have yet to finish their rites of passage do not wear any paint save a single white stripe across the bridge of their nose, and outcasts are given no paint at all.

Masks
Beautifully crafted and carved into the visage of their totemic guardians of bone and wood, the mask of a child of Dalamud hearkens to the spirit that safeguards the moon they were born beneath and serves all manners of self-expression, each individual given to representing their spirit within the clan's understanding of who and what they are. While some may choose to embody the bear's ferocity in battle in hopes of gaining the spirit's favor, others may choose instead to focus on its gentle nature when heavy with child, beseeching a blessing both for the good health of their kit and for themselves when the time to bring them into the world has come. The unique meaning and understanding of each animal guardian to the individual is best understood upon the last of their rites of passage, where the kinsman fasts for several days and nights alone and supplements their prayer with a deeply hallucinogenic draught.

The Bloodmoon's warrior caste has made a name for itself as a force of faceless embodiment of their totem's will, donning masks that well reflect the terrifying, howling maw of the beast that passed judgment on all when it fell. Painted black, red and white, the mask itself is printed with the white hand of the Goddess's closest voice on mortal soil, the matriarch, and stylized in such a way as to bring to mind the red hound breathing fire.

Hair
The Bloodmoon believe that there is power in uncut hair and choose to wear it long and in complex, braided styles, only cutting it if defeated in battle or shamed before their kin for their actions. Beading and feathering the ends of braids with beads carved of the bones of prey and dyed feathers taken from raptors is commonplace, and natural dyes derived of local flora - particularly a deep, scarlet red or a midnight blue - are popular among those who may desire a small change in their physical appearance. As a general cultural practice, the Bloodmoon dye their hair to the darkest possible midnight tint with a temporary dye mixed of woad when mourning the loss of their closest kin. It is believed that once the dye has completely washed from their hair - which generally takes about a month - it is acceptable to begin the process of moving on.

Clothing
The traditional huntress dresses in dark buckskins in summer and spring and heavy furs and thick hides in winter and autumn. Due to the inherent darkness of their territory, the flash of light colors in the underbrush is a dead giveaway to unsuspecting prey, relegating much of the more fantastic detailing of their clothing to warpaint, beading or other personal baubles. Colorful glass beading, raptor feathers, beast claws and painted bone are a common in a kinsman's personal sense of style. At leisure, woven clothing from linen and animal skins with slashes of geometric patterns that have been dyed with natural pigments from native plants is the staple of their style, tending towards comfort and utility over reservation. Few among the clan believe bare skin to be a sin and are comfortable enough with engaging in intimate physical affection or contact without misrepresenting it for romantic or sexual overtures.

Moonstones, common white opal and the much more rare black opal make up the majority of the gemstones inlaid into jewelry, which favors silver metal and hand-shaped bone "pearls" or other hanging accouterments. While the moonstone is naturally considered the calling sign of the Goddess's favor, white opal is considered a stone that can provide great luck because it is believed to possess all the virtues of each lesser gemstone whose color was represented in the color spectrum of the opal. Black opal, else wise known as "mother's eye" for the glitter of stars within its depths, is surreptitiously given as a protective talisman that casts or reflects a malevolent gaze back upon those who would wish harm upon others (especially innocents). Young children of the clan are gifted with black opal talismans and amulets created to protect against misfortune or bid patience for their ignorance from the elements.

Tattoos
Tattooing tends towards specificity and sacred meaning to the individual and are received upon the completion of a significant rite of passage or personal achievement. Equal parts a form of art, personal expression and symbolic representation of energy centers within the body, the Bloodmoon are tattooed in decorative, intricate designs, with occultists painting runes into their skin to balance the vibration and frequency of their personal aether. The occultists of the clan have spent years developing an understanding of the nature of aether and how it might be best channeled with the magically inclined, and this rudimentary study has produced an ink ground of a rare form of naturally occurring black auracite. Rather than draw in the user's aether, black auracite does the opposite - it provides the user with a focus in drawing in aether during magical practices without over aspecting or drowning themselves in enough natural energies for the excess aether to ignite within their bodies in the process.

The Oath, a tattoo knit into the flesh on the back of the neck once a kinsman has declared their intent to follow the clan's Path, is the one mark that all of the Bloodmoon bear once they have overcome their trials. To be marked by Dalamud is not merely an expression of dedication to the tenets that came of the many trials that the betrayer hound overcame, but is also a visible contract between the unique kinsman and their clanmates to strengthen the combined chain of their culture by abiding by its rule. Should a kinsman be found wanting and their promises to the clan irreversibly and irretrievably broken, the cheeks of the exile-to-be are cut to the temples, and if they have passed their trials, the Oath is carved from their flesh. In its place, a wandering spiral moon - the sign of Dalamud fallen - is cauterized and left as a mark of disgrace upon the skin.

Kith and Kin
Blood-related families of the Bloodmoon will choose to live in segments of the Thornsnarl together, preferring their crowded dens to the sense of uncertainty that life without kin means. So too do they love their friends and allies with similar devotion. Whether they are to meet a new friend or old, the old custom of "breaking bread" as an expression of good will and forgiveness means more than just eating. When sharing a meal with a companion, be they friend or foe, they choose to foster a significant sense of brotherhood to meaningfully connect and cooperate. While breaking bread, both parties may bring no menaces upon the other, save for when this unspoken rule of etiquette is broken by the guest or host.

The Bloodmoon cultivate an open and forthright culture in which emotional intimacy is a natural element of the clan’s overall dynamic, and this extends to all members - male and female - who have been accepted into their number. Appreciating the expression of emotion or reservation when necessary, each individual clan member has their own unique way of expressing their needs to their people, but what remains a pillar of their community is their ability to communicate and align their ambitions, goals and desires as a whole. The practice of deception, while venerated in certain family circles, is not an appealing trait to many and calls into question their devotion to their people as a whole if utilized for intentional manipulation or exclusion of important information that should have been shared.

Adverse to many Keeper of the Moon communities, the clan welcomes the rare wanderer who is tired of their nomadic lifestyle and wishes to keep the hearth and care for children. Identified as a ‘kept man’, the wanderer is a male still capable of siring children in his midyears who has bypassed the pinnacle of physical ability that so many Keeper females prize. While this does not designate any form of monogamy, it comes with the expectation that the man in question will be emotionally loyal to the clan's women, choosing them over any outsider who has expressed a desire for a child. Rare cases of emotional monogamy and loyalty between a kept man and a woman may be acceptable, provided that the couple in question recalls their duty to their people foremost.

Kept men are subjected to trials to ensure that their permanent residence will not draw on the clan’s resources, cause a shift or strain in the social dynamic and to ensure that they will provide services and skills that are useful to their people. For many of them, the difficult tasks are worth the risk for the reward, as those who are successful invariably become trusted, beloved companions of the clan’s females and fathers to the season’s kits. Kept men practice essential skills in entertainment, companionship and diplomacy to fulfill the needs of their kinsmen and embody the heart of the clan. A large family line is something to be honored and respected, and friendships are highly valued: the successful will have many chosen, many children and many friends.

Procreation
Clan allegiances play a powerful role in shaping the future, and particular attention is paid to breeding favorable traits to produce strong children. Women rarely enter a physical relationship with a prospective sire with the intention of having children without first considering his background, but there are many allowances for casual bonding, be it through a natural development of emotional attachment or a more physical connection. Shameless in their embrace of the Goddess's very nature, the clan practices four forms of love - passionate love, platonic love, romantic love and familial love - in their worship. Familial ties are outlined in living record as long and sprawling family trees spanning generations back, promoting a sense of filial pride. Ceremony accompanies the clan's breeding season, which occurs in early spring. Absorption of conquered clans, long-standing allegiances and resource-sharing prevent interbreeding.