Mating
It is very common for evines to date and have multiple partners prior to finding a life partner. Evines are not required to mate for life, nor are they compelled to, but it is very common behavior as pregnancy can only occur between two evines who are deeply connected (see reproduction and pregnancy for more information).
Evines may choose to mate with another species, but they will not be able to become pregnant, even with the aid of magic. There are no hybrid evines.
Reproduction
Without the aid of magic, impregnantion can only occur between a male-born and female-born evine. Additionally, while the act of impregnation does require specific physical biology, it also requires an exchange of energy via the threads of both parents during mating. This means that in order for pregnancy to occur, both parties must be deeply bonded and connected via threads. Typically this type of bond only occurs in couples who are mating for life, but it is not a requirement. Magic does not allow reproduction to take place without the bond, however magic can be used to artificially create bonds beforehand. This type of magic is considered rather taboo, but is sometimes taken advantage of by black-threaded evines and those in positions of power.
Same-sex or nonbinary couples are able to reproduce with the aid of appropriately skilled pink-threaded evines. Although only female-born evines are able to carry children, it is possible for a pink-threaded evine to perform a type of "in vitro fertilization" so that a womb-bearing evine can carry a child whose DNA consists only of it's parent's DNA (not the child-bearer's DNA). This is considered very complex magic and is not common.
Pregnancy
Evines have a gestation period of 18 months. During this time, only the child-bearing evine will exprience physical body changes, which become noticable after 6 months. During the firstsix months, it is said that the world threads of the child are taking root. This requires the energy of both parents, who will experience a general decrease in energy during this time. It is recommended that both parents get extra rest and nutrients during the rooting period.
The remainder of the pregnancy follows a cycle similar to that of a modern human pregnancy. The child-bearing evine will experience the harshest effects, but it is very common that the non-bearing parent will also experience 'sympathy pain' as a result of the threads that connect both parents and the growing child to each other. The strength of the bond between parents has a direct impact on the strength of the sympathy pain the non-bearing parent feels.
During the final three months of the pregnancy, the mother's threads will often become intertwined with the child's threads. As this occurs, the mother's magic can become unstable and may intermittantly display unexpected traits from the child's magic. It is recommended to minimize the use of magic during this period. At this point, thread-seers will be able to identify the color of the child's threads and pink-threaded evines will be able to identify the gender of the child.
Birth
The birth of an evine requires a tremendous energy transfer from both parents. During the birth, the child-bearing eivne will feel the physical pain of childbirth, but both evines will feel the deep pain and discomfort that comes with the reorganization of the world-threads between the parents and newly born child. It is critical that both parents are healthy and well-rested during childbirth - as a result most evines will remain secluded and low-energy during the final week of pregnancy. While cloistered, one to three close family members or friends will provide care for and support for the two parents.
Upon birth, the threads connecting the newborn evine to it's bearer are effectively torn apart - the threads themselves are not damaged, but the act is emotionally and physically painful for both parents (even though only the bearer's threads are directly impacted). New threads will begin to form between the newborn and it's parents within 15 minutes of childbirth and will be fully formed after 48 hours. It is vital that the child remains close to both parents during this time, as children whose threads cannot properly form often experience terrible impacts... From death to malformed emotional capabilities.
In the event one or both parents are unavailable following childbirth, a skilled pink-threaded evine can form a faux-bond between the child and surrogate parents.