The Courting of the Cymat Archipelago

The Cymat archipelago sits just outside of both the northern Twilight line and the Meridium Marum, allowing it to enjoy the best of all seasons. This clement atmosphere extends its influence to the locals who enjoy bountiful harvests, beautiful evenings and cool winters in an air of relaxed bliss.
The marriage arrangements of the islanders however, can be far more serious. When one of the couple plucks up the courage to ask for the hand of the other in front of the whole town, the two are cast away, left on a small island, with nothing but a knife, a waterskin and their wits to sustain them. They must endure not only the insects, wild animals and lack of shelter but each others company for an entire week before being picked up again by the villagers.
If they can survive this ordeal and still wish to marry, then they are wed at once, without bathing or dressing, on the deck of the ship that picked them up which is usually crewed by friends and family. Of course this can make for an embarrassed journey home if the couple do not decide to wed.
Despite its apparent barbarity, the marriages of the Cymat archipelago tend to be the longest and happiest found in Errilor.

History

It is a custom believed to be started in the earliest days of the settlers of the islands, as a way of proving that couples could provide for each other, even in adverse conditions. There are many historical examples of where this tradition has gone awry, from the sudden appearance of a huge storm which wiped out several young couples in one evening, to one pair's island being lost for several months , leading to some grizzly discoveries when they were eventually found.