Sailors kiss
History
Since ink, pigment and needles, tattoo's have played an important role among many people and cultures. Some to invoke the magic of spirits, others to look fearsome and dangerous, a few even mark their criminals to make out the scum from ordinary citizens.
Some even have all of these tattoos. Namely, the pirates of the high seas are known for spreading fear and awe with their many colourfull symbols and words that paint their skin. A tradition which sailors all over the seas soon embraced as a sign of toughness, danger or simply to look cool. Something which soon escalated into tattoo's for brotherhood, relationships, even mandatory ones for different naval regiments and finally, through it's popularity evolved into a maritime nations cultural tradition. Although a painfull one.
As mighty seafarers, one can not simply depend on modern medicine to be within arm's reach in a cabinet. They need to learn to embrace the pain, or at least find other methodes of coping it. Hence, comes the sailor's kiss into play. A concoction drank during the process which mark the grown adults from the younglings. Only those able to sink the drink down without writhing in agony as they're marked, are able to become proper sailors.
Execution
The tradition of the aptly named sailors kiss always starts when a youth bound to spend a lot of their lives at sea - which makes up almost all Paragians except nobility and some who live within Normania - reaches their twentieth birthday.
They are then granted a shot of the drink, which consists of random shit found within the ocean. Namely rum, seawater, rum, lime, more rum and a good pinch of chili powder. Then, a tattoo artist will start to needle in the shape of a sea monsters head, of random or chosen design, unto the shoulder of the person. For every time they whine, complain or groan in pain, they'll be served another shot untill they're either done or blackout drunk.
This rite also continues for every fifth year, where the head of the monster is crowned in different symbols like crowns of fire or thunder, or with a halo of stormclouds and black skulls, signifying titles such as a captain, or high officer. The body of the creature is also painted out downwards for a full sleeve tattoo, which grows every fifth year untill the person is within their fourties. An age where the tattoo will be formally finished as it is considered to be the most ripe years in an ordinary humans life.
This rite though, is far more important than to just look cool, or get shitfaced by weird cocktails. Every ingredient in the drink is a lesson within itself. How dangerous the sea is, as the storm rocks the hull of the ship. The food mostly being bland and with a lot of spices to keep it fresh. How important it is to find and forage for fruits and supplies on islands, as well as trade in local markets to avoid scurvy and going broke. The pain of the tattoo being a trial of grit, patience and to even be resourcefull as the aim of the game isn't to drink as much as possible, hence the seawater. It is to drink as little of that bile as possible, unless they get upset in the stomach.
Components and tools
Beyond the obligatory ink, nails and tools used to pierce and dye the skin, the rite focuses more on the components of the drink, which normally is the same blend stated above. Nowadays though, it doesn't necessarily require to be rum, or chili. Rather, it's a better idea to use whatever cheap swill that can be found as the alcoholic component. Be it rum, whiskey, vodka or a really powerfull ale or wine. The spices and fruit juices can also pretty much be anything, as long as the prior packs a powerfull punch.
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