Luperci Maturity
#1
This is a question that has been on my mind, and for some reason I haven't able to get a super clear grasp on it, so I decided to just ask to get a clear cut answer. I have looked in the RP Guide (and am there now, actually), and for some reason I feel like at different times I have gotten different answers to this question. . . not that I ever officially asked, but I think something I was told or read somewhere once conflicted with something I read or was told somewhere once. Wink

At what age does a Luperci reach sexual maturity? As in, can/will start having sex, and can bear offspring? (I know there is also a requirement on how long you have to be active at 'Souls before your character can have pups, too. I just want to know when its possible for the character itself.) I don't know why I'm fuzzy on this, and I almost feel embarrassed that I don't quite know.
#2
Characters can reproduce at 15 months of age. As for when they start having sex, I believe it's entirely up to the player. There is an age chart here that shows what their ages would be compared to humans, and I suppose that it would be a good thing to use when judging. For example, Princess and Haven got drunk and went at it at 11 months, which seems really young until you consider that they were the equivalent of 16 or so years, human-wise.

I also found this (from this page) that might help:
Both Luperci and non-Luperci are officially sexually mature (able to reproduce) at fifteen months. If the individual so desires, sexual activity may start before this time, but no pregnancy can occur before they are fifteen months of age. Note that this is more lenient than reality, where wolves are usually sexually mature at two years.

Of course, there may be something that I'm not aware of, but I'm pretty sure this should help? Feel free to step in if I missed something, I just wanted to answer since I actually. . . Think I know the answer. xD;
#3
*glomp* YAY! Okay, that helped me so much!

And . . . *headdesk* I can't believe I looked right past that page. I just kept zoning in on "life cycle" and apparently have been hit by the stupid stick today. In fact, I think it was those two very facts that were a little jumbled in my mind that was making me unclear on the subject. I did see the age chart, which was throwing me off of what I thought the sexual maturity age was (and almost is) which I for some reason thought was a year and a half (I probably added an invisible "." between 1 and 5.) Wink

Now it makes perfect sense. Thank you!
#4
Aww, Meghann posted while I was typing mine. :| Some of this is redundant, warning. :O

There's actually a subtle distinction between sexual maturity and willingness/ability to have sex. :> Sexual maturity is defined as the ability to reproduce successfully. Sexual activity is... well, the ability + willingness to have sex.

Technically, a Luperci could start having sex quite young, since at 6 months old, they're pretty much fully grown and they have the ability to begin hunt with the pack. You can look at the life cycle page for a handy chart that likens werewolf maturity with human maturity.

At eight months old, a Luperci is roughly 12 years old. Puberty in humans can start as early as like, eight or nine years old in some cases, so we could safely say a Luperci likely hits puberty as early as five months in some cases. This is probably around the time they'd start noticing the opposite sex and become a little awkward themselves.

Sexual activity is not as well-defined as sexual maturity here, because it would honestly depend on the character as to when exactly they'd start having sex. There's no set minimum age, but I would think that anything between the ages of seven/eight months up until two years would be within the range of normal for a Luperci to begin sexual activity.

I personally would avoid roleplaying sexual activity with characters younger than seven months (I would likely wait until they were closer to a year old) but others may not feel the same.

But anyway, as for sexual maturity, that's much more defined. :> Luperci are officially able to reproduce at 15 months of age, or 20 years of age in human terms, no questions asked.

I would like to mention, though, that we have had much younger births in the past, at like... nine months, I think? It was really young, so that was why the 15 month minimum was enacted in the first place, if I recall correctly. Such a thing would probably have disastrous consequences for the young mother's body and is highly unrealistic considering the 2 year sexual maturity in wild wolves, but once upon a time it was allowed.

And even in Kaena's history, she got pregnant twice at a super-young age, but in both cases the children were super-premature and they did not survive (and also, this was outside of 'Souls and a part of her history long before the 15 months minimum was enacted here, so I might be grandfathered in, so to speak?). But such a thing would likely be exceedingly rare, like the youngest mother in the world at five years old. The types of plots where a character becomes pregnant prior to fifteen months of age would not be approved in-game anymore, though I suppose they might occur outside of 'Souls still, but I don't know for sure. Someone else would have to weigh in on that. :p
#5
Thank you Sie, that also helps tremendously, and was very concise. Now, however, my mind is totally reeling from the story of the 5-year-old girl!! O.O
#6
Firefly was 'technically' pregnant before 15 months, but for plot reasons and SA approval it turned into a faux pregnancy and was all mental and stress related. But from prior experience, no no puppies before 15 months.
#7
Good job answering this, you guys ^^ <3 You are all awesome.


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