Nae Birth, Families, and the Cycle of Life

Nae reproduction works similarly to humans in some ways, but there are a few important differences.

The biggest one is time.

A Nae pregnancy lasts about 11 months. The extra time isn’t random. During that period, the child isn’t just physically developing. Their element and their core are forming as well.

The core is the true center of a Nae’s existence. You can think of it as the soul, but it’s also more than that. It is the part of a Nae that carries memory, identity, and connection to the divine.

When a Nae dies, their core is what travels forward into the afterlife.

Eventually, when a Lumaenae reaches their final state and dissolves into what many call nirvana, that core doesn’t simply disappear. It returns to the cycle of life and becomes available again for a new Nae to inherit.

So in a strange way, life in Solsoia is always continuing itself.

New Nae are quite literally built from the completion of those who came before them.

The element a child is born with develops while they are still in the womb. By the time they are born, their elemental nature already exists inside them.

But one visible sign appears later.

Motion marks do not show at birth.

They begin forming around the ages of five or six. When they finally appear, it’s a major milestone in a child’s life. Families often celebrate it with large gatherings, ceremonies, and gifts.

For many children, it’s the first time they truly feel like part of their element.

Family structures vary slightly between the continents.

Terranae and Ignae families often have many children. Their cultures value strong, large family units and communal support systems.

Nephnae and Typhnae families tend to be smaller.

The reason is practical.

Flying and swimming both require balance and minimal weight. Because of this, Nephnae and Typhnae parents usually carry their children themselves until the child is strong enough to move independently. Having fewer children makes that physically manageable.

So while family sizes differ across Solsoia, the meaning behind them remains the same.

Children are not just new life.

They are the continuation of a cycle that has been moving through Solsoia since the world itself began.

And somewhere within every child is a core that once belonged to someone who finished their journey before them.