Of Yaraga families

Families - classic families - come from patriarchal roots, but have no authority dividing.

A family is often started by a man. But it is not simply a merge of two loving hearts - Yaraga know that attraction is a thing hard to ignore. And it is way harder to draw a line between those, if ever possible.

Thus, it is a normal thing to happen - a man with several ladies by his side, up to five (can be more, but may cause strange looks into the back).

Same goes for a lady, nothing wrong in having several husbands - it is just seen as a peculiar exotic...

Only matter to be divided between ladies in a family - it a question about descendants. Children. One, that will become mother for a child, shall be called "heaven (or "moon") mother", while others will play their part in uplifting - and are called "earth mothers".

Child happens into the world in one and half sun circles, so it is said that Yaraga has two "birthdays" - when one happened, and when one came to the world.

A child is strong almost right after the birth - can consume soft food, start walking pretty soon, and nimble crawling around happens just in few days. Child happens - and falls to sleep. A hard time for parents, for their offspring requires lots of attention during this period.

Young beings sleep almost all the time after their birth, and parents have to wake them up to feed - neural and hormone systems develop fully after the birth, guided by surroundings and climates of local lands. Fairy-tales say that one's spirit comes from the land of dreams and sleepers, and child wakes up "for real" after it's birth - thus the connection between folklores and mirrors - and the overall concept of a soul.

Before their first maturation, before later youth, Yaraga children are exceptionally curious about everything around - it is barely possible to satisfy their hunger for "wants to know". Here comes that need to follow the unstoppable flea that tries to worm into everything that it can reach... Yes, this curiosity never comes in vain, in fact - Yaraga have exceptional memory, and kids - almost phenomenal. Child will remember everything that it saw during this period, even without comprehending.

Uplifting and education is guided by earth mothers and rest of the family - all things vital are given within the bloodline, and through understanding the world around via curious observations. Pretty common thing is to find an Ullatrash around, helping with that task...

With all their unsettled nature, Yaraga children are surprisingly not capricious and never complain abut things that are common for children to whine about. Mostly they become whimsy not when they don't get something they want, but when they -con not- get something they want, usually just because of... being children. And little ones begin looking for a way to get what they want through wits - a common moment for parents, but very much awaited and pleasing. First maturation.

Parents and their offspring are bond together forever through whole life, but as a child one depends on ancestors greatly - not just because of being a kid, but also biologically. Some mechanisms and processes take quite some time to for up and start ticking properly, including those that form healthy organism and psychics - and require good soil to grow from. And that soil - is parents care. Sense of their love.

If a child is stressed or frightened beyond measure - for example, bumped into a Rozenblatt monstrosity, barely made it out alive of something or whatever else might it be - one has to spend time with one's mother, for her pheromones are key for stabilisation of young organism. Without those, body won't normalize hormones, heart will keep on pumping adrenaline through veins with no relief - and child will suffer. Not only in distant future, bearing fragile health, mutilated body and flawed mind - but also risking to die even after danger is no more. That is why among those families that befriended Ullatrashi, parents give colourful ribbons to those majestic totems - ribbons, that bear aromas and warmth of something familiar and loved - and they make it way easier for little ones to stay with their strange overseers and mentors for long when parents are not around.

Frightened child calls for help with a very distinctive cry - reminding that of a baby koala or sloth that calls for it's mother, just a bit more melodic. And among Yaraga it is stretched and lined out with strings of blood and crimson red - care for their children - even a Rozenblatt servant or dire enforcer will come to save a child from Orweygg, other side of the whole continent, should one see a danger threatening a little one.

That family though, that suffered loss of a child, will bear mourning till their own very end - they might start it anew, give birth to other offspring, but, most likely, will not - it is seen as a grim fate in bloodline. And no need is there to share it with others - no need to pour taint in those untouched lifes. Easy are those to distinct - mourning ones bear jewellery with "black eyes", specific dark-purple gem. It is a warning for others - for not to let attraction sprout with sympathy. And sympathy - grow into love...