Razidian Marital Ceremony

History

Although they are loathe to admit it, the tribes of Shef Razid originated from a common culture. A few artifacts of this culture remain, such as the marital ceremony, which has only minor differences from tribe to tribe. The exact origins of the ceremony have been lost to time. It is possible that it is one of the few traditions to survive the Darkness.

There is even evidence to suggest that this common culture stretched beyond Shef Razid--even beyond Auzera. Marital ceremonies on the other side of the Shattered Peaks and ceremonies across the Sanori Grasslands mirror the same steps and concepts of the Razidian ceremony.

Either each culture came up with the idea on their own, or there was something unifying them long ago, before the Darkness broke them apart.

Execution

Razidian marital ceremonies all follow the same general concept. The order in which the steps are performed, the people involved in the ceremony, the location where the ceremony is performed, and any additional flourishes all differ from tribe to tribe.

The foundational principles are as follows:

• Clothing. On the day of the wedding, the bride and groom wear simple, colorless clothing, meant to represent their equality to each other.
• Vocal Ceremony. A cultural leader gives a speech detailing the responsibilities that the bride and groom will owe one another. This sometimes includes the bride and groom vocally promising their loyalty.
• Blood Drawing. After the speech, the bride and groom each present the leader with a decorative bowl, usually crafted by one of their elder family members. The leader uses a ceremonial daggar to pierce the hand of the bride and groom and guides their blood into their respective bowls
• Bondstone Creation. After the blood is collected, the leader takes the bowls and the daggar and leaves to a private location. The bride and groom are bandaged
• Period of Patience. While waiting for the leader to return, the wedding patrons will either sit in reverent silence or begin the celebrations. In some tribes, the leader will not return until after sunset or another significant time marker.
• Presentation of Bondstones. The leader returns with two edylium stones, each crafted with a portion of the bride and groom's edylium mixed together. The leader presents these stones to the audience, then to the bride and groom. After the presentation of the bondstones, the bride and groom are considered officially married. Celebrations commence.

Primary Related Location

Shef Razid

Bondstones

A bondstone is a stone created by mixing the edylium of two different people and allowing it to harden. The crafting of bondstones is a sacred duty that is performed only by the most revered members of society. The secret to crafting bondstones is kept closely guarded and passed on by oral tradition.

The state in which the bondstones are presented to the bride and groom varies from tribe to tribe. In some tribes, they are fitted into pendants, which are then draped over the heads of the wedded couple. In others, a special pocket is sewn into inside the wedding garment. The wedded couple will place their partner's bondstone into their pocket for them.

Whether or not the bondstone is worn visibly after the wedding depends on the culture.