The Geant

All faeries age at the same rate as humans do until they undergo a natural physical change called the geant. This usually occurs when a faerie is in their mid-twenties to mid-thirties. After they go through the geant, they age twice as slowly as humans. Many faeries can live well into their 200s. 

Hoklas

Hoklas are the woodlands equivalent to a human spouse, though the term translates more closely to the human word "soulmate."  Woodlands faeries place great importance on selecting a suitable hokla, and they have distinct courtship rituals and rules. 

One of these rules is that woodlands cannot select a hokla until after they have undergone the geant. Though faeries consider themselves to be adults by the human age of 20, clans do not allow their members to make such an important and permanent decision until after they have reached full mental and physical maturity through the geant. 

Woodlands may select any type of faerie to be their hokla so long as the prospective partners exhibit a certain compatibility level. Woodlands matriarchs perform complex spells to get a read on the hopeful couple to determine their compatibility. Clans only allow couples with a certain compatibility level to engage in a binding hokla ceremony. Couples who don't exhibit an acceptable hokla level of compatibility are allowed to stay together, but they can't become official hoklas.