Balyom Romance

Balyom romance is a slightly complicated matter. Two Balyoms may find each other compatible in a more traditionally romantic sense of the word (referred to as peaceful romance by humans). Conversely, two warriors may find themselves in an intense rivalry with each other, which can (and often does) lead to the other type of romance (combative romance). Despite there being two types of romance, once a Balyom finds a mate in either category, they tend to stay exclusive to them and do not seek romance in any capacity with another being while they are with their current mate.
Balyom romance is not limited to members of the Balyom species, although they cannot naturally reproduce with any other species aside from the Deffdrians, and even then it is only through the Deffdrians' unique method of reproduction.

Participants

Whether the relationship between two Balyoms is peaceful or combative, there are always extremely intense emotions involved.
Peaceful romance is the more intimate of the two forms of romance, generally speaking. After enough time has passed that the two see themselves as perfect matches for each other, they usually will move into the same residence together. They will often try to spend as much time as they can together, going far past human normalcy. What humans would consider clingy is roughly average for peaceful romance among Balyoms.
Combative romance involves far less closeness. A human may actually think that the two Balyoms were enemies for the most part, as they often find themselves at each other's throats. Because of this, they rarely live together until they are sexually reproductive with each other.

Observance

When Balyoms of either category of romance decide to bear children together, they go on a hunt. The goal is to find a very powerful animal and to kill it. Once that is done, the two make love to each other. Since Balyoms can both fertilize and be fertilized by another, they then decide which role each will take during intercourse. Usually the larger Balyom receives the fertilization, as once their egg is fertilized they are slow and sluggish for the next few days. Thus, to ensure the safety of their offspring, the role is given to the larger as they are generally stronger and more intimidating.
In ancient times, the Balyoms would normally camp around the carcass of the beast they had slain, though with modern technology it is much easier to bring it back to either their residence or, more commonly, a birthing chamber. These are specialized buildings where newborn Balyoms are hatched, with plenty of resources for the new parents.
The role of the carcass is part of a traditional ritual to ensure the strength of the offspring. Despite its ancient origins, it is still widely practiced today. After a period of a couple of days, the fertilized Balyom will lay the egg, which will be left inside of the animal to soak in its blood for a day before being dried by its flesh. It is then a mere few days later before the egg hatches, as Balyoms develop quite quickly. These days are used by the parents to rest and study about the parenthood ahead of them.

Primary Related Location

San-Kashii