Life Cycle
Table of Contents
The Luperci life cycle is similar in many ways to that of the non-Luperci, but there are differences that have developed due to the nature of their mutation.
Life Expectancy & Aging
The Luperci have a longer average lifespan than their non-Luperci relatives -- an average of twelve years compared to the non-Luperci's seven or eight. Depending on a Luperci's lifestyle though, (s)he may die at a much earlier age from injuries or sickness, as even in the most advanced of Luperci populations, medicine and treatment for diseases is very limited. In the same vein, if an individual is able to avoid harsh environments and chronic diseases, it is perfectly possible to live longer than average. The oldest recorded non-Luperci lived to be about fourteen years old. The oldest Luperci is unknown.
Because of the lengthened lifespan, the relative aging of Luperci is slightly different from non-Luperci. Below is a chart comparing the ages of both Luperci and non-Luperci to what they might be as humans. Note that both have a relatively short childhood and mature quickly. After that, their relative aging slows considerably with adult life making of a majority of their years. As most remain physically active and generally healthy, few will show overt signs of deterioration until a year or two before their natural death.
Luperci |
Non-Luperci |
||
| Actual Age This is the age you should use for your profile. |
Human Age Equivalent This is the approximate maturity/age equivalent in human years. |
Actual Age This is the age you should use for your profile. |
Human Age Equivalent This is the approximate maturity/age equivalent in human years. |
| 1 month | 3 years | 1 month | 3 years |
| 2 months | 5 years | 2 months | 5 years |
| 5 months | 8 years | 5 months | 9 years |
| 8 months | 12 years | 8 months | 13 years |
| 10 months | 15 years | 9 months | 16 years |
| 12 months | 17 years | 12 months | 19 years |
| 15 months | 20 years | 15 months | 23 years |
| 2 years | 25 years | 2 years | 27 years |
| 3 years | 29 years | 3 years | 32 years |
| 4 years | 33 years | 4 years | 40 years |
| 5 years | 38 years | 5 years | 51 years |
| 6 years | 41 years | 6 years | 59 years |
| 7 years | 45 years | 7 years | 65 years |
| 8 years | 49 years | 8 years | 75 years |
| 9 years | 53 years | 9 years | 88 years |
| 10 years | 61 years | 10 years | 100 years |
| 11 years | 69 years | 11 years | 115 years |
| 12 years | 77 years | 12 years | ZOMBIE? |
| 13 years | 85 years | -- | -- |
| 14 years | 93 years | -- | -- |
| 15 years | 105 years | -- | -- |
| 16 years | 115 years | -- | -- |
| 17 years | 125 years | -- | -- |
Many thanks to Skoll for contributing portions of this chart.
Gestation
A Luperci's gestation is more complicated than a non-Luperci's gestation period, although it still lasts the standard 60-63 days. For the first two weeks or so of gestation, a Luperci may change freely from form to form, but once two weeks have passed, shifting may cause spontaneous abortion, which always kills the litter and may kill or seriously harm the mother as well. As the gestation period advances, the likelihood of maternal death increases. In the last two weeks of gestation, shifting will, without doubt, kill both the mother and her children.
Denning
Luperci mothers differ depending on the form they choose to take for the birth. Luperci who choose to give birth in Optime form rarely den underground like normal wolves; their larger, taller bodies make this incredibly difficult. Instead, a pregnant Luperci in Optime form will seek other shelter, such as a house, shed, or other human structure, since the tall ceilings and (usually) steady construction allows her to move more freely than a den dug by hand. Luperci mothers who choose to give birth in their Lupus or Secui forms may choose to den underground depending on her lifestyle.
Birth & Development
Luperci birth is also different from non-Luperci birth. A non-Luperci mother may give birth to one to fourteen puppies, but Luperci numbers are usually lower, ranging from one to six puppies. (Note, however, that regardless of whether the mother is a Luperci or not, guidelines for puppies still apply, and the maximum number of live puppies that can result from any litter is six.) No matter what form the mother was in when her children were conceived and carried, the children will always born be in Lupus form.
Luperci puppies are slightly larger than non-Luperci puppies, weighing around two to five pounds. Like normal wolf puppies, Luperci puppies are born blind and deaf, but they may open their eyes and ears faster. Luperci puppies develop their teeth in the second week of life, and at four weeks, they are weaned. Luperci puppies usually begin shifting at six months of age, but shifting may delay until sexual maturity. Luperci puppies fare better than normal wolf puppies -- only half of all normal puppies survive, while close to three-quarters of werewolf puppies will survive.