The 13 races of Terra-

LAND-DWELLERS:

Canidae (canines)

Ursidae (bears)

Panthera (big cats)

Serpentes (venomous snakes)

Hyaenidea (hyenas)

Araneae (spiders)

RIVER-DWELLERS:

Crocodylidae (crocodiles)

SEA-DWELLERS:

Odontoceti (toothed whales)

Selachimorpha (sharks)

Octopoda (octopi)

Otarpedae (seals)

AIR-DWELLERS:

Raptidae (birds of prey)

Chiroptera (carnivorous bats)

VOCABULARY:

Pair-Bond-- two males that are close enough to form a bond (friendship) to eventually claim a single female. All canidae and hyaenidae males form a pair-bond before claiming a female; most panthera males form one as well. Although pair-bonds are possible in every race, they're rare outside the social races.

Terrans-- term for all of the races (besides humans.)

Heat-- a period of fertility that a mated female goes through once a year, unless pregnant. The female and her male(s) will have the strong urge to mate until she is either out of heat, or newly pregnant.

Dream-Share-- when a male's mate is close enough, or her soul cries out to him in panic/stress, a male Terran will dream about his mate. Sometimes he'll be able to get enough information about her whereabouts in the dream to find her. The female does not dream-share.

Claim(ing)-- the first step in a bonding. This is when the male bites the neck of his mate claiming her for all to see.

Take(ing)-- the final step in the bonding process. The male dominates his mate. Then, once he ejaculates within her, it's her turn to dominate him. The only way for a male to fully 'accept' his mate is if he loses control and gives his mate his everything. Once a male and female have mated, they will be a bonded pair.

Mating Challenge-- a challenge for a female. Outside males are only allowed to challenge another for a female if the female is unmated. Once the female has been mated, she is off the market.

Warlord-- cadre members are given this title once they're released from their Pellomidae Lord. After so many years of service and sacrifice, the Pellomidae Lord gives his released males a huge sum of money. Enough money to last a Warlord a lifetime.

Poaching-- males that go around and steal unmated females away. They do this in hopes that they will dream-share with her.

Hybrid-- the offspring between two races. They're shunned by all Terran, even if their parents had dream-shared (dream-sharing with different races is rare, but not unheard of.)

Stealing-- a day, once a year (marked when Night-Blooming Poppies bloom,) where dream-sharing males can venture into the Square to retrieve their fated human mates.

Blooming-- once a year when the Night-Blooming Cereus flowers bloom, marking the beginning of the Stealing.

Beyond-- where all of the Terrans live. Humans rarely, if ever, venture into the beyond.

Barrier-- a strip of land that separates the Beyond from the Square.

Square-- a massive rectangular plot of land that houses all 4 of the human villages. Each village resides in each corner of the square.