Breeder Status

Where would we be without Mad Science?

Breeders
Breeders are specialized Holders, combining their technological know-how with their previous ownings. They always have another title, one of Membayar, Owner, Suzerain or Animal Master, recently there are High Holders as well. As such, they are referred to by their other title (Lord/Lady, Master/Mistress, Beast-Lord/Beast-Lady, etc) or by the title of Breeder Degree (one through six) or combinations of both (BreedMaster, Lord Breeder, etc) or by mixes of any of their potential Titles. The Owned stock of Breeders who are Membayar still refer to them as Master as opposed to Lord, they didn't start out with that Title, they don't keep it if they drop their Breeding.
Breeder's insignia is a lozenge-shaped field with a cup indented into one side, a spike from the other: rather phallic, that's the point. They wear this either with their other insignia or not, as per habit. There are some newer Breeders (mostly Owners or High Holders) who are attempting to work in the Degree into the insignia, but that isn't meeting with much success.

The low birth rate among Zekirans necessitates Breeders. They know which tests to run on whom, and place matched pairs together with impunity. They have the ability to make surrogates, adoption decisions, and most other fetal care needs. Most Breeders are women, and many are mutants, particularly those of higher Degrees. The Earthly equivalent of Breeders ought to be obvious, except that we don't need the actual genetic science all that much, and infertility is much more serious a problem on Zekira.

Breeders take full credit when it comes to mutations. It is Slaves born with psychic powers or physical anomalies that most Breeders buy, though the first three Degrees do not allow for real causation to mutate. The women involved in Slave Breeding projects are, depending on the Degree of Breeder, encouraged to mate as much as possible. In case you're wondering: sexually transmitted diseases are very rare, and often prevented by inoculations, this is common to (and available to) all classes at any time.

The Breeding Degrees are as follows:
First Degree "Doctor Breeders" or "Healers" -
¨ Most First Degree Breeders are more common doctors, nurses and special care practices, rather than their Breeding name suggests, and there is movement toward changing the name of this Degree to reflect this.
¨ If they choose to Breed at all, they cannot use any subjects except Naturally or First Degree Bred subjects. Most couples who are semi- or less than normally- fertile go to First Degree Breeders for family planning and help in conceiving.
¨ The right to Bond or Own nonselected pairs and divest offspring as they will, as well as the ability to Contract higher Status couples into Breeding - they do not Own or even control the offspring of these Contracted Breedings. (If they are Membayar to begin with, it allows them to Own as well.)
¨ Roughly half of all Breeders are in this Degree. Specialists also include psionic Healers, Dream Healers, and other psyche departments.
¨ Most First Degree Breeders are also Membayar, with a good number of Animal Masters, valued for their Veterinary work abilities.

Second Degree "Mate Brokers" -
¨ The right to select among their Owned stock and forcibly pair them, divesting offspring as they will, and as first Degree. An example of Second Degree Breeding might be an 'arranged' marriage (without the marriage, most likely) between two children - children of any couple, by the way.
¨ They may only use Natural or First Degree Bred individuals to supply these needs.
¨ They do not automatically Own the offspring they create, but they are usually first in line for such things and they are paid for the child very nearly accordingly to a Slave divestiture!
¨ Most Second Degree Breeders are also Membayar.

Third Degree "Selection Breeders" -
¨ The right as in Second and First Degree, regarding normal contracts, and the ability (learned and legal) to both look for and select for certain genetic traits, plus -
¨ Automatic Ownership of offspring (most Third Degree Breeders are Owners).
¨ An example of 3rd Degree Breeding would include finding a trait such as skin color, and choosing off another with that kind, or a complimentary color in a mate, and the result they keep - no matter who the parents are. This is the nastiest thing about 3rd Degree Breeders, which many don't approve of, which means that many people who are contacted by a 3rd Degree Breeder immediately turn the offer down, out of hand, knowing that their work is purely going into the hands of the Breeder!
¨ They may use Second and Third Degree Bred subjects, and may upgrade their Degree at any time should they gain the money and education.

Fourth Degree "Term Breeders" -
¨ As in First and Second, and may carry Third Degree offspring another step, not necessarily pairing the mates. They have the same advanced education as Third Degree, to look and select for certain genetics and often specializing in only one or two features for their whole career.
¨ They also are the first Degree to purchase or use Bred stock of Fourth Degree or higher for their work. Many take the offcast "failures" of Sixth Degree Breeders and do wonderful things with them.
¨ They do not automatically Own the offspring of those subjects above Slave in Status, but those who are of Bayaran or Slave they do (no matter whose Bond or Slave they are, when the Breeding is done!).
¨ An example would be choosing for a trait like Animal Tuning, usually these Tunings don't occur without higher Breeding, so they require the use of trained selection.
¨ Many Fourth Degree Breeders are Owners or Suzerain, they deal quite a bit in creation of Slaves for specialized work.

Fifth Degree "Tuned Breeders" -
¨ As First and Second, and selectively mating others without intent to pair, a continuance of Fourth Degree. The ability and education to examine, select and use special genetic material and machinery.
¨ Some specialities may include field-workers, guards and mutants tuned to animals.
¨ They may use any Degree of Bred subjects, but they may not make changes to the cells, and they do not automatically Own the offspring, save for their own Bonds and Slaves and those offspring they cause in those Status subjects regardless of whose Bond or Slave is Bred.
¨ Many Fifth Degree Breeders are also Animal Masters themselves.

Sixth Degree "Genescientists" -
¨ As First, Second and Fifth, but also including the right to make changes to sperm and egg.
¨ They may experiment with genetics and rely on the non-pairing selection of mates.
¨ They may do pretty much as they please with whomever they will, any Degree or Natural subject, and in fact they are largely held unaccountable for their actions with their cells, because they can technically claim Ownership of everything they touch if they've altered it even in the slightest.
¨ Most Sixth Degree Breeders are exclusive in their usage of skill, and rarely are found doing ear-nose-throat - in fact many consider it beneath them. It is the Sixth Degree Breeder that is a
¨ typical Mad Scientist, their labs are scary, often crammed with machinery, and extremely unnatural places.
¨ An equal number of Sixth Degree Breeders are Animal Masters (it's easy for them to learn to work the same magic on animal cells!) as Membayar, it's those wacky High Holders who are starting to challenge them in number: they can afford the training and usually have time on their hands. There are about two Sixth Degree Breeders to every 100 1st.

Breeders
As stated all over the rest of this book, Breeders are the peak of Zekiran society and not the High Holders who would love to believe themselves there. Breeders make the world go around, and if they tried, they could in fact stop it. The kind of power they hold in their hands is often abused, and shown off more so than kept hidden. There is a lot of other information about Breeders in the other parts of the guide, so this one will cover their lives and not their duties.
That is assuming one thinks they are two different things.

Breeders are born only to other Breeders, that's the rule. They are not born to Workers, they are not born to Owners, they are Breeders and nothing else. That's a lie, by the way. There are always chances of having a beneficial power show up randomly, which will allow the young Bayaran or whoever to leap into Breeding.
That really pisses off the ones who are working for it with money and time.
The ones who have to do that are working for that second title, they are already born and raised into their other Status (Membayar and above only). They have to pass their Status exam first, before they may begin working on the Breeding Degree.

Breeder children are both pampered and revered, as well as given the most rigorous training as any child in the world. It is nearly impossible to imagine a Breeder child in public school. They have the most demands placed upon them, for they may begin their training at any time. If a child shows promise with the powers a Bred person might, such as healing, genetic senses or dream control, they are taught to use those abilities as soon as they appear.
Breeders give their children their first Holds, Slaves and usually, all the attention in the world. They are often paraded about at parties, taken to races and put on show at their earliest opportunity, quite like Animal Masters. Their circles are often higher Status, however. It is very rare to see a Breeder kid being shown off to Free Workers.

Their teen years are consumed with training and teaching. It is usual for a Breeder's child to have their first Degree before they are twenty years old. For others, those who buy into the Status, their sequence of events are detailed in the Breeder's Sourcebook. Precocious by nature, and extraordinary by Breeding, these kids are the future of Zekira, and they are absolutely instilled with that attitude.

Establishing themselves with their own Holds and estates takes as long as their office hours allow. Holds for Breeders are not strictly like their second Status, but the Breeder can afford far more luxurious accommodations than their Membayar or often their High Holder friends. While it is true that they don't have the massive amounts of Slaves that many can, their turnaround rate for sales and Bonds is high.

Some Breeders choose little in the way of Slaves, the fact that they are able to own Hard Stock is one thing that Membayar-Breeders ignore. Owner-Breeders are usually of 3rd Degree and most often ignore the fact that they could bond. In general, there are two types of Breeders' Slaves: those who are ignored and those who are working directly with their Lord.

When a Breeder has established themself, it is only a matter of time before people either notice them or start to ignore them. They must keep up with current practices and laws, and often attend conferences designed to inform as many Breeders as possible about the local and world-wide law changes. Often there are no changes outright, but this is also a perfect chance to show off their knowledge and their wares. Once every five years, a world-conference is held, at a City selected by vote each time before. And every year each City or valid Zone with a law to settle, has their own. It is at these shows when the best of the best are paraded about, shown off and discussed in minute genetic detail by those who know.

There are Healing conventions as well, and after around the year 10150 a Dream convention. New healing and psychological techniques as well as dream therapy are discussed at these events, while little in the way of any mention of genes and Breeding are sought. They have their own little courses which Breeders of higher Degree tend to scoff at. Either camp is as proud of its own work as the other, and no one doubts that they both deserve to brag about their talents. Medics and emergency crew workers have what have come to be known as "the best" non-Gene Breeder gatherings in the world - if anything because they love to talk about their last disaster or their current bid for a Zone contract.

Where would we be without the Breeders, hmn? They'll tell you.
When a Breeder meets another at a party they either love or hate one another. But there is another distinction between them: respect. When one Breeder has obviously had success at something, they tend to carry with them that success. Over time, it fades unless they top it later. Each Breeder or breeding house has its own specialty. Those whose job it is simply to bring life into the world, the 1st and 2nd Degree Breeders, are often overworked and tired of hearing about the latest tuning or splice. They're having a hard enough time keeping a woman and her child awake and alive during birth.

Higher, however, and things get complex. Most Breeders try to out-do each other with their special new color combinations and their strong farm hands, their sleek body guards and their extremely telepathic sensory-overload boytoys. Far from being "for the good of the Zekiran people", the more wildly Bred people of the world are there purely because a Breeder wanted to out-do their competitor. In any given field, body guarding or legal telepathy, show-bred or animal tuned, there are a dozen Breeders working against one another. While it does in fact make for far better and more specialized workers, it draws them away from the true threat to Zekiran biology.

That is to say: They're not all fertile, and the Breeders aren't all doing something about that fact.
There are a small number of Breeders, both of 1st and 6th Degree, who are looking for means of changing that fact. The First Degree people usually work towards enhancing what little fertility someone has, examining for the tiniest changes in cycle, and preying upon it the moment that it would be possible to conceive. The Sixth Degree people work around it by splicing together this bit and that. It doesn't require that even one single cell be used wholly. At last count, the number of completely fabricated, spliced-together people on Zekira added up to about 1800, but of those, one of them has a whopping sixteen donor parents! Hand it to Morgontain.

Both groups, however, admit that they are only skirting the problem. They cannot identify what it is exactly about Zekiran physiology which makes them less and less fertile, but they claim to be working on it. More of them are only saying that, however, and the sad fact remains that they will be fighting a losing battle within ten generations.
Then there are the specialists. Those who just Breed for the sake of it. For the fun of it. For anyone who is able to pay a price. Trade works wonders for some: it's a pittance for a Bayaran man to come in a cup and leave the clinic a Free Worker again.
Isn't it?

There is a deep catch to that. The Breeders' Network must be used at all times to prevent accidental crossings, and to make sure that people who really are related get what's coming to them if their ancestry turns out to have left a fortune unclaimed. Law groups keep up with that, rarely does a Breeder really has the time to look up everything themself. Accidents happen, however rarely, and there have been cases of extremely close relatives being Bred without even knowing they had been related. The genuinely blessed thing about the whole mess is that Zekiran genetics don't get ruined by just one crossing back. It takes three or four to really get those bad mutations rolling.

Cruelty is a problem for some Breeders who take their work seriously but the laws regarding its use less so. Abuse by an Owner to their Slave is one thing, but taking advantage of a Bayaran woman or a Slaved girl for her fertility is outright illegal everywhere. Nothing is impossible to prove, given the advanced telepathic testing which can be used in cases of abuse without witness.

It's gotten to the point that Breeders who abuse their subjects do so mainly to the males, now. They're much easier to get away with. Until that one time (or more to the point, those eighteen times), not so long ago, no one was being caught for it, but since the exile of Jonbyer in 10323 there have been other cases which are now being looked at quite seriously.

More cases of 5th Degree Breeders doing splicing that only 6th are meant to are happening as well, and it is a losing battle there trying to get them to stop. Perhaps too much power, perhaps jealousy, and perhaps just the proximity to the machinery allowing their 6th Degree friends are allowed to use are all reasons to justify it, but so far only a handful in the entire time that the Breeding Degrees have been established have ever actually been fined or prosecuted for these serious crimes. Claiming to be "on their training" for 6th Degree is the most common statement of guilt, and that isn't much.

The 6th Degree Breeders who are working hard to manage their projects don't find the 5th Degree people particularly amusing. Calling it a cop-out and trying to get out of paying for the Degree, all sorts of accusations fly. Perhaps they are correct, but it's a battle being waged completely without the public knowing about any of it.
Breeders are all in all a passionate lot. If one of them is removed from duty, for any reason, another is able to leap into their place without fault and without pause. But it is hard to keep even the most elderly or injured Breeder from their work. Famous Darmin Desai worked until three days before his death. Even the 'normally hidden from public view' Vanya Sengihr eagerly helped deliver a child at a race (which he didn't want to be attending) and fiercely defended both mother and child from her Owner later on. In the field, Healers are the strongest willed people alive, perhaps short of their patients who fall off Steeds in the wilderness, who get lost on Hunt expeditions, or who are homesteading a thousand miles from nowhere when they break their leg.

A Breeder might retire and go back to their old Status, but the work is in their blood forever.
The word of a Breeder is usually golden, when they say to stay inside, you stay inside. A "note from the doctor" means quite a lot more than it would on Earth: if a Breeder tells someone of lesser Status to keep their Bond from working hard, or to allow that Slave three weeks of sun and rest, they must do it. There are very few places where this is not actually law.

When a Breeder is older, they often have a number of younger trainees below them. Most of the best Breeders take on one student at a time, but some have had classes of ten or more. The new one learns what they can, and applies the knowledge with the eye of their sponsor closely over their shoulder. Innovations and techniques are passed along in this manner, only with the most trusted of students do tight-lipped Breeders give their secrets away.
They often hope that their students will surpass their own work, and some live to see it.

When a great Breeder dies, the whole world mourns. Every generation or couple of centuries sees Breeders who do more for the world than all the others of the time combined. Master Breeder Voayav, Breed Lady Kishbran, Beast Breeder Jovash, Lady Breeder Viridia, more recently BeastLady Morgontain, High Breeder Darkhanis Paveh, Master Breeder Darmin Desai, and BreedMaster Vanya Sengihr all wildly out-did everyone's expectations of themselves and their projects. Morgontain's memorial service was actually attended by upwards of ten thousand people, nearly all of whom had something to do with her either by having been Bred by her, were related to her even by the smallest splice, or had been touched by her during her life. The funeral was marked as the best the world had ever known, and the date of her birth was established as a Breeder holiday.

That's where we'd be without the Breeders.

Breeder's Sourcebook

The art of Breeding Zekiran children began while midway between the planet of origin and Zekiran soil.  While in transit, the men and women whose medical skills earned the respect and often the servitude of the populous were still called simply Doctor, Healer or another such common name.  The term 'Breeder' came about when the trip was very nearly over, almost two thousand years after being cast off.

This section of the handbook will deal with all facets of the Breeder's abilities, from simple healing, psychological care, dream therapy, emergency and environmental techniques, and preventative maintenance, as well as actual mate-brokering, Breeding as the term stands.  It will roughly be laid out in the same way that the Breeding Degrees are set, the common practices coming first, the final chapters on 6th Degree Breeding, splicing and the Breeder's Net.

In game terms, this guide book can either provide information for extremely in-depth role-playing, complicating matters for the players as a game tactic, or simply as fleshed out background material.  There is no need to make every roll, unless it is vital to the game play, or if the Game Holder is seriously bored.  (Just joking there, even players can roll up random Breeding results, if they're bored too.  Take it the way most Breeders do: they're bored and look at the results!)

Lives of Breeders
Most Breeders are highly trained, well-off and cultured individuals, but how did they get that way?  Every person interested in becoming a Breeder on Zekira must be able to pass exams just like their Status exams, basically weeding out the losers.  They must first actually be qualified in their own birth Status or above to even bother taking a Breeder's exam.  Some time in the future, probably within the next thousand years on Zekira the laws regarding single-Status Breeding (without requiring a secondary or fall-back Status) will change, allowing for pure Breeder title, but none of those laws have even been worded yet.

There are very rare cases where Slaves or Generation Bonds are discovered, rather like Animal Tuned mutants of the same Status', to have healing powers or savant knowledge which allows them to learn healing, or even Breeding techniques.  If the ability is an actual psionic power, chances are likely that the Slave will be Raised, or the Bond freed into 'Worker Status, and offered a full Breeding education after they secure any lower duties like anyone else.  This is often simultaneous, if they are training for a Bond education at the same time as learning to flex their Heal Other power, they will be entering two Status at once!

Otherwise, each person seeking Breeding ability treats their education differently depending on what they plan on getting out of it... Or what they can afford to.
Training for 1st Degree Breeding, not Healing, is offered to everyone who desires any kind of degree at all.  It is usually a two-year course on biology, reproductive care and analysis, psychological training, and laws regarding Breeding.

Training for 1st Degree Healing is considerably more complex than just that.  Like Earthly doctors and nurses, and any other skilled medical practitioner such as Dentistry, Chiropractic, medicinals, and psychology, training and schooling is long, arduous, and costly.  If for any reason a student must drop out of their Breeding classes, they may opt to take an exit exam, and be allowed a 'partial degree', or a certification that they may continue their education at a future time, provided they can still pass all the same exams.  Most Healers are in school for six or more years, with the last two of any education being interning.  Psyche and Mental Healers often have up to 10 years, and while the numbers of people are gaining in the entrance departments, the drop out rate is much higher in this field.  Dream therapy is an extremely modern department, and results can vary considerably, so their training is both shorter and more intense than the others.

Training for a higher Breeding degree involves more law school, and more complex biology and sciences.  In game terms, for every 5 points in a Skill regarding a Breeding Degree of any sort, assume 1/2 year of intense study.  Thus, a 35 point Genetics/Professional skill will usually take 3.5 years to complete.  This may be at the same time as up to two other skills.  (Hey, you're probably either in college, have passed through college or are with someone who's doing either, you know what goes into a course load.)

Fifth and Sixth Degree Breeding courses are only offered when the person has passed all other exams regarding the subject.  The specific use of the Genetic skills and devices requires more money, time and effort, as well as a much higher intelligence than most.  Assume for game purposes that if the character has a score of less than 70 in Intelligence, they won't be able to pass the exams for either Degree.

The laws taught in Breeding schools always specifically pertain to the subjects at hand: ethics, practice, Ownership and Bonding rights, misuse, abuse and such.
Animal Masters who go into Breeding often are offered the chance to simply take exams to pass, with specific details regarding the differences between their animal and human subjects.  Typically, the time an Animal Master takes to become a Breeder is cut in half.  The other way around, if a Breeder (who is already in another Status but is going to retitle) wants to add the Animal Master Status, the schooling time is typically cut to a third or even less.

Anyone can pay for someone's Breeding education.  If a High Holder wants to sponsor their Slave into a Breeding class, that is their right.  A Slave cannot simply enter classes, however, they must be sponsored by someone or an Inheritance.
When a Breeder goes into the arena of actually selecting mates, their Degree comes directly into play.  The social systems chapter describes the differences in their practices, they will be briefly glanced upon in the following pages.
If a Breeder decides they've had enough of their work, they may retire, falling back on their original Status.

There are times when Breeders are not allowed to continue practicing, often involving too many complaints registered to Area or City authorities, obvious senility, or purposeful misuse of their talents.  In the least of these cases simply removing the person's Breeding Status is enough to at least stop people from going to them for the service, while in the case of misuse or very serious complaints, they may even be heavily fined, jailed, or exiled.

It may be argued that selecting Breeding material, mates and genetic lines, is an art in its purest form.  Most of the people who would argue this are Breeders of any Degree.

Anyone who chooses to become a Breeder must pass endless exams and go through many years of study to attain that Status.  After that, it is entirely up to their creative urges as to who they will bring into the world.

First Degree Breeders most often wait for their subjects to come to them, rather than going out on the town and seeking them out.  They are considered the most passive and 'least creative' by other Breeders.  They often, however, make the best pediatric care experts, and usually have the highest performance records of all Degrees.

Second Degree Breeders, Mate Brokers, often take a more technical slant on the whole thing, researching fertility in families.  They can contact people aggressively, contracting them often multiple times if they are found to be 'strong breeding material'.

Third Degree or Selection Breeders are the first real 'artists' of the Breeding communities.  Since they most often choose visually rather than through genetic typing, they claim to have a flair for color, for style and for strength and attractiveness.  Most obvious physical traits may be eyeballed and appraised by the 3rd Degree Breeder.  The down side for those extremely attractive and fertile souls: your child belongs to your Breeder.

Fourth Degree, or Term Breeders, may use the cast off 5th and 6th Degree offspring which those higher Status Breeders don't feel are 'successful' enough.  With those genetics at hand, they may introduce unusual features into otherwise unremarkable lines.  The most common features found in Fourth Degree clinics are Animal Tunings and other minor psionics and mutations.

Tuned Breeders of 5th Degree have a distinct advantage over their 4th Degree friends: they can actually examine the genotypes of the subjects, rather than simply the phenotypes.  The Animal Masters who are of this Status threaten to break the laws regarding simple examination versus actual use of the genetic detection devices: most often strange combinations of animals and humans are being made by 5th Degree Breeders, not 6th.

Sixth Degree Breeders show off.  They're good at it, they love to do it, and their friends love to see them doing it, because most often it is their friends used in their experiments.  So long as they are used with permission, there isn’t anything to complain about (right Vanya?).  However, no one who is used in any 6th Degree Breeding has anything legally to say about what happens to their cells, if they've been contracted into something, it's likely they won't even recognize the offspring.
Extensive charts exist regarding who has been mated to whom, what features were selected for, whose cells have been altered and how much.  The art of simply reading this chart is worthy of note, it does in fact involve everyone who is Bred.  After the year 9000, also, it tracks all births.

The course of Breeding for normal people, those selected by a Breeder, most often involves being approached by a Breeder in a social situation.  Most people who have a social life (down to working on a Steed farm which is ranked highly) have seen 'the Breeder's Eye' wandering around.  It's in a look: a long, slow lingering stare that starts at the hair and ends at the toes.  Breeders lurk in every betting parlour, at every High Holder bash, in every popular park and hunting zone.  More often than not, an older Breeder will have an apprentice in tow who tags along and observe.  Those Breeders who are confident in their own work mingle with their own Status, those who are loners tend to be snubbed just like anyone else who refuses to participate in parties.

After a Breeder's Eye falls upon a poor unsuspecting subject, they may openly proposition them, have them followed, or simply research further without their knowledge.  Many Breeders carry electronic copies of their standard agreements, just in case.  A cautious subject might ask questions, but many don’t know what to ask.  Usually: will I get to keep it?  Who is the mate going to be?  Will it be clinical (cell extraction) or physical (just sweaty sex)?

If a contract is signed, depending on what Degree of Breeding is involved, the process of deciding on a mate is either already started, or immediately begins.  Most Breeders have a list of donors which have proven successful in the past, and who might be amenable to further projects, or their own Slaves who really don’t have much control.  In fact, some Breeders contact their higher Status friends and use their Slaves on a regular basis.  Breeders of 5th and 6th Degree may test immediately for any genetic problems, those which might be inobvious to lower Degrees until actually in progress.

Clinical Breeding is the chillier side: artificial insemination, or even completely extra-utero conception.  Mostly these clinical subjects are made in 4th and above Degree.  Physical mating can be contracted into certain conditions: romantic interest aside, 'wooing' a mate can be as simple as showing up to the clinic with some lube, or as complex as arranging moonlight walks and cuddling beside a fire.  That, as they say, is up to the Status, most of the time.

Actual mating is most often proscribed after a session with the woman to determine her fertility phases, as well as what scents, chemicals and 'moods' will enhance those phases.  'As often as possible' is the most usual statement of Breeders' requests.  Shops selling 'aphrodisiacs' and enhancers often buy their herbs and candles, waxes and self-heating-body-rubs from Breeders' supply companies.  'Whatever works' is another phrase heard around Breeding offices, everywhere.
About every two weeks after contracting and determining fertility, the woman is required to return to the clinic or be examined.  This can be as simple as a finger tip blood test.  The male subject is pretty much out of the picture after conception unless it is a husband or permanent mate.

After conception is secured, in any format, the real work begins for the Breeder.  Their subjects are to be kept as healthy as possible, if she is a Slave (even of another Owner) it becomes much easier to keep track.  Often in contracts it is specified how many times a month or week the woman must appear for the Breeder, and if she misses a meeting it can be quite serious.

Any Breeder's office, like an Earthly hospital, has its share of monitoring equipment and office-files.  However, the Zekiran Breeding clinic is mainly hands-on.  A pregnant woman can expect regular prodding, manipulation, and endless questions about diet, weather conditions around them, and activities.

As mentioned in the physiology description, the gestation period of Zekirans is about a year.  Typically, a woman who is above Bond in Status is requested to return to the clinic at least once a month, as progress can be noticed at monthly intervals, and if there are complications outside the clinic they may simply request a house call.
The sex of a child may be determined by a blood test after the third month, or by a 5th or 6th Degree Breeder before even starting the pregnancy.  Other features have to wait for all but those Degrees, as well.  Usually, the appearance will be dominated by the female's, tempered by the male's, and if it is altered at all, it's anyone's guess.
During the year of pregnancy, a woman will gain the baby’s weight plus about five to ten percent: Zekiran women don't bloat up quite the way Earthly ones do, but they still gain a bit.  While it is true that the breasts gain often quite a bit of mass with fat, often times that’s the only part that does.  Zekirans are notorious for being fat-free, and it is usually easy for a woman to lose that weight within a few months after the birth.  (Witness LandMaster Greigor’s series of photos entitled Mirage: the Beauty of Pregnancy, taken over the course of her pregnancy with Alchemy, Aevan’s son!  Demi Moore eat your skinny little heart out!)

Around 30% of Zekiran women do not have the ability to bear children naturally, because of their body frame or their internal anatomy, mutations or other complications.  In any of those cases, the Breeder would have either already made arrangements for birthing to take place in a clinic or for a medical removal (Caesarean birth).  The presence of mutations on the child also may preclude a natural birth.

During this entire time, the woman has complete control over her future: even if she is a Slave, should she feel herself being too prodded, or unduly stressed regarding the birth, the custody of the child after birth, or the conditions in which she's being Bred, she may complain to the local authorities or any Breeder.  Also, if any outside Breeder can identify and confirm (with or without witnesses, depending on the Area's laws) that there is actual abuse going on, they may immediately call for a re-titling and Free a Slaved woman.  It has happened in extremely rare situations where the father has been freed or Raised, as well, but this is so unusual as to only be mentioned as an oddity.

Assuming that the woman is not being treated poorly, as is the case in 99.9% or more Breedings, depending on the Degree again, she'll give birth and have a new little Inheritor.  First, Second and Fourth Degree Breedings for anyone above Bond Status that's the case.  For Third Degree, of course, unless the woman is already Bonded or Owned by the Breeder, she'll have to give up the child within five months of birth.  Other Degrees handle things on such a case-by-case basis (and in the situation of laboratory births, or in artificial wombs for 6th Degree splices, handled with utmost care), but removing the child from a mother before four to five months is often so traumatic that the woman may become suicidal.

As is mentioned in the 'life of...' sections for Status, the time after birth can vary drastically from Slave to High Holder.  Foster mothering and parenting in general is handled with a far more gentle hand than Earthly child care.  All in all, the need for children on Zekira makes them a commodity that is never wasted, rarely misused, and treasured at the least.  There are extremely few terminated births, and particularly, except in the most dire cases, never aborted if there is a viable way to save the baby.

It is certainly not illegal for a Breeder to terminate a child, but it is just as traumatic on Zekira as it is on Earth.  Because of the level of infertility on Zekira, both recreational and procreational sex are practiced constantly.  Very few people worry about birth control.  For a typical Zekiran, it isn't a matter of not having a child, it's a matter of when can it happen to us? 

The very few people who might worry are those rare individuals in family lines having Hyperfertility.  Still, far from being 'baby factories', these men and women are just more likely to have children than others.  With each other, however, they must maintain a bit of distance.  Once a Hyperfertile woman walks into a room with more than one male of her type... watch the sparks fly because there will be tension.

The life of a Hyperfertile person, male or female, is punctuated by moments of intense sensation increases, temperature changes, and responses to the normal pheromone and aural stimulus that is far off the chart for everyone else. 

A female goes into 'heat' ("For shame, calling it that," says Mirage, "it's a fertility event."... "If you're purring and rubbing up against me, that looks like heat to me," says Vanya.  They're not arguing if it's already gotten that far.) around once a year, and though she can become pregnant at any time around that event, this is the peak time.  Her physiology makes it plainly obvious to the men around her that it’s about time they start making moves.  She remains in this overworked and often insensible condition for around eighteen hours without sexual attention, or as long as it takes to conceive when she is responded to.

The Hyperfertile man is often seen as quite a 'ladies' man' to his friends or even just to those around him.  Highly competitive in most cases, and in the presence of other males who aren't directly related to him that are also Hyperfertile he becomes extremely agitated.  If he's already prone to aggressive behavior, he might even physically compete for the attentions of any women he sees.  Hyperfertile males are capable of fertilizing nearly any barely-fertile woman, given time and the right circumstances, quite like their female counterparts and barely fertile males.

Hyperfertiles mixing with those out of their type (in other words, to those of less than normal fertility) increase the offspring’s chances of being normally fertile, or at the very least of being fertile at all.  It is never guaranteed that the offspring of one Hyperfertile parent will also be that way, but it will carry for several generations before being subsumed by normal or partial fertility again.  This simple reinforcement helps everyone.

Generally, when a Zekiran is around 12 or 13 years old, beginning puberty, they are tested for a variety of things at their local clinic.  Fertility, Animal Tunings, other psionics or conditions which may alter their Status, all can be tested for with a simple blood sample.  This sample is sent directly to the Breeders' Net.

The Net is a storage and comparison computer, which has links all around the world.
Everyone from 4th Degree and up can easily access this net, those of lower Degree can, but may or may not be able to understand or use the information they find there.  It has the birth records of everyone from the year 9000 (as mentioned before) and a full genetic chart available.

New births of living children must be recorded within three weeks of the actual birth.  Varying from Area to Area and often city to city, there are stiff penalties for hiding births, neglecting to report them, or actively changing birth information.  Owners had been the habitual offenders there, until 10450 or thereabouts, when the High Ownership Status was enacted.  The population appeared to dramatically increase in the years after the Status was enacted, but in reality they were simply reporting all those extra Slave births which had to otherwise be hidden lest they be forced to divest (or to Raise to that dreary High Holder title...).

Using the Net is another way that Breeders get ahold of potential subjects.  Many Breeders share their findings with those they deem appropriate, or if they have a subject they're having trouble with, they may pass them along to someone who has the expertise that is needed.  Very high level complex personal ads, these.

BreedersGame Information
"This won't hurt a bit. Come back in ten months and we'll give you some pain killers."
-Lady Beastmistress Morgontain, Breeder/Animal Master 6th degree, Curra/Polaen/Terena

Ah, yes the Breeders. What would we do without them? They are the doctors, family planning councilors, psychologists, analysts, and genetic manipulators of Zekira, and they damn well will let you know this at the drop of a hand. They must combine their Status with another, one of Membayar, Owner, Suzerain, Animal Master or even High Holder/Owner. Breeders are the most highly educated of the Stations, even besting High Holders with their specific knowledge. They hire Freeworkers or Free'Holders if they need to, Membayar if necessary, and Owners at their own risk. Animal Masters and their whole attitude are mentioned above. Breeders above 2nd Degree who are not also Animal Masters are often looked upon as being heartless and cold, willing to pick and choose parents at random and separating the children from them at birth.

Where You Work...
Usually in cities, but rarely out in the middle of nowhere with primitive back-water resources at your disposal. Breeders are the technology fiends of the world, and if they are without even their most simple laboratory tools for more than a day they begin to get nervous. (This is really not true. It usually takes them two days.)

How Breeding Has Affected You...
Since Breeders also have other Stations they are affected in the normal way. Most are not Bred, and when they are the results of a 4th or higher degree heritage, they do try to keep it a secret. About 50% of Breeders are born into this Station, therefore are also born into one of their other Stations. Use the chart below for those. Another 30% are Animal Masters who go into the field, retaining their previous Status, and whatever Breeding degree that had affected them before obviously applies here. At 81-95% the Breeders are High Holders with a passion for the job, and have the High Holder's chart. 96-100% are raised from Owned or Bayaran because of some useful quirk or mutation, notice how rare this is. Oddly, the best Breeders seem to be of the Bred variety, those who have become known in popular circles or in public arenas are usually those with some very different abilities.
If they were born into the Status...
01-40% Natural
41-70% B1 (B2 and B3 are not available to those born into this Status)
71-80 B4, a long line of doctors, they say
81-90% B5, special Healing or other relevant ability
91-100% B6, volunteers, yeah, right. Gain two mutations, choosing both (healing or perceptive abilities)

Rights of Breeders...
This is a very twisted set of laws, but they amount to 'the Breeder can cause any two people to bear children as long as those two people are not mistreated in any manner before, during or after their contract.' As mentioned in the Owned section, if a female Slave is found to have been mistreated she is Freed, placed into the Freeworkers' Status and is never again to be used as Breeding Stock by any Breeder. Apparently enough women Breeders had seen others being abused, and immediately took action. This happened very nearly right after establishing the Status laws, and has never been challenged. As Membayar, Owners et al, they are entitled to vote, run for office and do all the rest of that boring stuff, but only rarely are Breeders seen as public figures. Breeders don't always have a lot of time on their hands, though it seems they ought, if all they're doing is arranging things. Breeders are the least stable individuals, they are under a lot of pressure to make better or fertile offspring, and often feel personally responsible for the failings of any of their Stock. They can Own and Bond as their other Station with the added numbers their Breeding offers, with full rights to Breed or not Breed of course. It should be noted that just as many Breeders are infertile as anyone else, but the 6th Degree ones can actually do something about it.

Problems...
You figure it out. They can even be mad scientists if necessary. They do not always have to Breed Stock, they can also specialize in ear-nose-throat and other more mundane things -- see the short description for that information.

"It's not hurting because you aren't doing it right, Morgontain. Let me show you."
-BreedMaster Vanya Sengihr (mad scientist), Breeder 6th Degree/Membayar, Zerin/Ka/Emer

Lands Held Rates Bond/Own
1d20+1d6 1-4 Per Other Status + d10 each/year

This amazing mess is actually one man's "born" offspring. Vanya Sengihr, hyperfertile, used in a tremendous number of breeding experiments by anyone who could afford him. Plus - these are just the kids he went out and physically sired HIMSELF. The old fashioned way. This is a fanciful picture, because during his 250 year life, these children were sired from his 14th year all the way on up to his 248th. Many of those on the left (it's in roughly chronological order) had died long before those on the far right were born. Note well that only 2 of all these children are sterile, and one of those is immortal so it doesn't even matter. She finds ways...