Anatomy: Difference between revisions

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Male alphas don't have a 'normal' age of presentation. Presentation can occur anywhere between 12 and 22, with mid-teens being considered 'average'.

== Non-sexual Anatomy ==

Scent glands in the inner wrists, inner thighs, and both sides of the neck. These constantly give off a small amount of pheremones, though some people can train themselves to mostly hold them closed for varying amounts of time. The pressure will build up if held, and inflamed/infected glands can develop. Heightened emotions lead to stronger, not more, pheremones being released, despite popular perception. These stronger pheremones are also more likely to irritate glands if held.

Glands can be covered by ‘scent blockers’, patches that will filter the released pheremones and capture certain types. Patches almost never block ALL pheremones, for a variety of reasons. It would be quite expensive and bulky to have filters for ALL the possible pheremones a human might release, and different people have different pheremone cocktails. Also, a scentless person is usually disturbing to others, and it’s attention catching to have the pheremones in the air blocked by something with no scent. Most common patches are designed to filter pheremones associated with arousal (including heat/rut), anger, and distress. Specialty patches that block other emotional cocktails, and medical patches for abnormal pheremone production disorders, are also available. There are also medications designed for people who overproduce pheremones.

== Bonding ==

The ‘mating gland’ is a small bundle of nerves on the neck that sends a signal to the pyrene when enough sharp pressure is applied. It is not a scent gland, though most people think of it that way, and nearby scent glands WILL produce special, very strong pheremones when it is activated, called bonding pheremones.

The pyrene is the main structure of the brain associated with pack bonds. After scenting bonding pheremones, a person’s pyrene will send out a strong, undirected psychic ‘connection wave’. When the mating gland is activated, the bitten person’s pyrene will memorize the frequency of any connection waves it receives, forming a bond. (Infants need very little pressure on their mating gland to activate it, and rubbing their necks is usually enough.) If the new bond is a pack bond, as the person learn to ‘hear’ their new bond, they will slowly start to pick up the frequency of other pack bonds, usually completing connections with all pack members in less than two weeks, though time may vary depending on the size of the pack, the activity of the bonds, and the new member’s skill.

Alphas and omegas can only ‘hold’ one bond. This is usually called a ‘mating bond’, despite the fact that it can occur between any two people. If they form any other bond, the previous one will be erased. This will happen whether they bite or are bitten.

Betas, however, can hold multiple bonds, called ‘pack bonds’. Packs, and other larger family structures, require beta ‘heads’ to link them psychically together. Betas will have different limits to how many bonds they can support, and as they near their limit may start experiencing mental fog, exhaustion, memory loss, and migraines. Betas usually weaken as they get older, but, on the other hand, increased skill may mean they can still hold as many, or even more, bonds as they did in their youth. A pack bond will not erase a mating bond, nor will a mating bond erase a pack bond.

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 Male alphas don't have a 'normal' age of presentation. Presentation can occur anywhere between 12 and 22, with mid-teens being considered 'average'.
+== Non-sexual Anatomy ==
+Scent glands in the inner wrists, inner thighs, and both sides of the neck. These constantly give off a small amount of pheremones, though some people can train themselves to mostly hold them closed for varying amounts of time. The pressure will build up if held, and inflamed/infected glands can develop. Heightened emotions lead to stronger, not more, pheremones being released, despite popular perception. These stronger pheremones are also more likely to irritate glands if held.
+Glands can be covered by ‘scent blockers’, patches that will filter the released pheremones and capture certain types. Patches almost never block ALL pheremones, for a variety of reasons. It would be quite expensive and bulky to have filters for ALL the possible pheremones a human might release, and different people have different pheremone cocktails. Also, a scentless person is usually disturbing to others, and it’s attention catching to have the pheremones in the air blocked by something with no scent. Most common patches are designed to filter pheremones associated with arousal (including heat/rut), anger, and distress. Specialty patches that block other emotional cocktails, and medical patches for abnormal pheremone production disorders, are also available. There are also medications designed for people who overproduce pheremones.
+== Bonding ==
+The ‘mating gland’ is a small bundle of nerves on the neck that sends a signal to the pyrene when enough sharp pressure is applied. It is not a scent gland, though most people think of it that way, and nearby scent glands WILL produce special, very strong pheremones when it is activated, called bonding pheremones.
+The pyrene is the main structure of the brain associated with pack bonds. After scenting bonding pheremones, a person’s pyrene will send out a strong, undirected psychic ‘connection wave’. When the mating gland is activated, the bitten person’s pyrene will memorize the frequency of any connection waves it receives, forming a bond. (Infants need very little pressure on their mating gland to activate it, and rubbing their necks is usually enough.) If the new bond is a pack bond, as the person learn to ‘hear’ their new bond, they will slowly start to pick up the frequency of other pack bonds, usually completing connections with all pack members in less than two weeks, though time may vary depending on the size of the pack, the activity of the bonds, and the new member’s skill.
+Alphas and omegas can only ‘hold’ one bond. This is usually called a ‘mating bond’, despite the fact that it can occur between any two people. If they form any other bond, the previous one will be erased. This will happen whether they bite or are bitten.
+Betas, however, can hold multiple bonds, called ‘pack bonds’. Packs, and other larger family structures, require beta ‘heads’ to link them psychically together. Betas will have different limits to how many bonds they can support, and as they near their limit may start experiencing mental fog, exhaustion, memory loss, and migraines. Betas usually weaken as they get older, but, on the other hand, increased skill may mean they can still hold as many, or even more, bonds as they did in their youth. A pack bond will not erase a mating bond, nor will a mating bond erase a pack bond.