Okay so Moon and I both came up with this idea. But like we have no idea how it's gonna work yet. We've thrown around a few concepts but nothing solid yet.

THE BASICS:
You start with Generation 1, two Gembounds born at the same time (or roughly so). They can be whatever species or gender (more on that later), or Magic, but the goal is to have them make babies the second they're four cycles old. Their species has to be different from each other so that the babies are hybrids. The little family would then make an official group, and the only Gembounds allowed to join are the future mates of the offspring.

The idea, I think, is that each new generation has to "mate" with a species that hasn't been used before, until we have a large family/family tree with crazy-looking hybrid babies (imagine a cat-dog-bird-lizard-monkey-anteater-thing).

ON SPECIES: *I* was thinking only carnivores bc that's my comfort zone but I could just personally only play carnivores and whoever else joins could play w/e they want.

I was thinking only two Gembounds/players at a time would be introduced, so like, no more than two babies or something. IDK.

Anyways, that's all I've got for now!

I was thinking it could be a bit of a survivalist society, with the parents' initial goals being to put together their strength, and the heirarchy of the children settled by individual strength and scuffles between them. They could be a comparatively primitive group but value family over all else, even if that's forged more on blood than attachments made between them. The mates of the children must be approved by the founders of the clan.

Possible other suggestions/ideas could be:
Romeo/juliet scenarios with children and their mates. A piratey sort of affair where everyone has their role and the group can often steal, such as other gems' stones. Taking prisoners.

@Fira

I like that! Also I was thinking something like each character has to focus on Magic, Physical Combat, or Strategist roles, and their goal, aside from growing to the age of four cycles to "mate" would be attaining mastery over whichever one they choose. Also, each new mate brought in should have a different Focus and/or Element whenever possible. @Kin-Kin

I like that idea!

Perhaps dominance scuffles would be overseen by parents or a creature selected specifically for that role and they could even build their own training/combat arena!

I'd love to throw Andromeda into this! I've had similar plans for her before (she's poly and will, if everything goes right, have lots of lovers, out of which she'll pick the best to create heirs and basically flood the caves with her kin) so I think she'd fit into this quite nicely?
It'll definitely become a bit elitist with Andromeda as a member, since she's, above all else, proud. She'll urge their heirs to master their abilities and find suitable partners as well.

Right now, she's still a tiny pup (not even emerged lmao) so if you'd want to kick this off soon with older gembounds, she could always slip in later - as long as one of the Family's descendants appeals to her. why tf do i suddenly feel like a matchmaker for medieval nobility?

I'd be interested in adopting a child from this!