- Wreaves
"Wreaves" are a fictional species of sentient beings in the
Frank Herbert science fiction novels "The Dosadi Experiment " and "Whipping Star ".Wreaves are approximately humanoid, but resemble insects in the way that the
Gowachin resemble frogs: they have insectoid mandibles in place of mouths, faceted eyes, and a chitinous exo-skeleton.Nonetheless, they are sentient, and take full part in the ConSentiency, or the collective of sentient species in the narrative universe in which the novels are set. They have a highly developed culture that involves
clan relationships extended to the whole of the species by means of, essentially, wife-swapping: breeding females are traded between clans, creating extended family relationships between all wreaves. The 'distance' of the family relationship is immaterial. They have a strict code ofhonor , and to offend one wreave is to offend that wreave's family, which is effectively all wreaves, everywhere. Settling the dishonor means killing the offender, so to dishonor a wreave is to invite the wrath of the entire species upon oneself.Wreaves are not known to
gamble , so the expression "a wreave bet" means "a sure thing".
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