Book:On Species

The following are excerpts from a Dwarven tome.

Human Courtship and Mating

Human courtship and mating is a relatively nondescript matter. As with their other rituals, it is primarily a matter of direct societal influence; those who spent formative years around Orcine or Elven influences often spent significant time flitting from partner to partner, whereas those who grew up around Dwarvern or Gnomish kin prefer a single mate. There is a tendancy, with age, to prefer a monogamistic relationship, though this does not by any means prohibit external entities' involvement in matters of mating.
While, socially, they are unpredictable in their predilictions, the biological process is relatively simple, one male and one female may produce one or more children at any time, though more than one embryo is relatively uncommmon.

— Unknown Scholar , On Species, modern transliteration , c2164, originally c1668

Elven Courtship and Mating

Elven sexual physiology has some perculiar quirks. Indeed, some consider it surprising that the species continues to flourish. Each female can only dam twice, and twinning rarely occurs. Ostensibly, females have conscious control over their ability to reproduce. However, there have been reports of especially vigorous or virile matings triggering gestation unconsciously.
The loss of a child is a significant greviance in Elven culture, for obvious reasons. Similarly, the birth of twins or, very rarely, triplets, is cause for great celebration. There are no contemporary reports of quadruplets or larger multiples, though Elven folk tales tell of ancestors who sired or dammed hundreds of children. Whether this is wishful thinking or a rememberance of past times is unknown, and may warrant further investigation.
Elven partnerships do not tend to be lasting. The short life span leads to a tendancy of gluttony and lust. Many elves view monogamy as a symptom of infatuation rather than true love, as it is simply unwise to bond so strongly to something so fleeting. That is not to say that elves are callous lovers; they can be observed caring for their past partners as one might a close friend.

— Unknown Scholar , On Species, modern transliteration , c2164, originally c1668

Dwarvern Courtship and Mating

Dwarvern courtship rituals are amongst the most storied and well-documented in the world. Dwarvern partners are incredibly devoted to their families; indeed, it is considered incredibly insulting and dishonourable to leave one's partner.
Child rearing is a slow and arduous process; gestation takes approximately 18 months, though the first 10 or so are relatively painless. Dwarvern women are capable of continued stressful physical activity until hours before the delivery. The delivery itself is incredibly painful, and would likely result in the expiration of another race's matrons.
Most dwarvern families consist of 2 or 3 children per parent, simply due to the hardships endured by the parents and the societal pressures on the family. However, it is common for parents to have further children once all other children in the family are grown enough to care for themselves. As such, dwarvern children often have aunts and uncles, or even great aunts or uncles, that are the same age as they are.

— Unknown Scholar , On Species, modern transliteration , c2164, originally c1668