wedding rains and floods

Not every Scarterran wedding tries to invoke Nami's blessing because it is believed that Nami is not necessarily fond of monogamy.   If asked, most Rovers asked will say that Nami is not anti-monogamy, she is okay with it as long as both parties agree to it without coercion.   That's a guess though, as Nami or her sprit messengers haven't spoken about marriage directly. It is rare, but not unheard of, for arranged marriages to incorporate beseeching Nami's blessing in the ceremony.   Regardless of the circumstances of a marriage, if Nami's blessing is sought, a symbolic wedding rain is usually used. Throughout all of Scarterra and especially in arid regions, soft rains are associated with the kind and benevolent side of Nami's personality.   It is common at some point in the wedding procession that a wet evergreen branch or something similar is shaken over the bride and groom. Sometimes the entire wedding party is "rained" on. The point is to give them a light drizzle and not a thorough soaking.  

Marriage Floods

  Nami is associated with both beneficent and destructive weathers. Some regions of Scarterra have "wedding floods" in addition to "wedding rains."   Essentially at some point shortly before or shortly after the ceremony the bride and groom's friends will try to sneak up behind them and dump a bucket of clean water over their heads or toss them in a clean river or pond. This is the wedding flood.   Usually but not always the pranksters will enact the wedding flood when the bride and the groom are not wearing their formal clothes.   Symbolically, the wedding rains represent the good times and wedding floods represent the bad times in a marriage. Ideally the couple weathers both in good humor.   Marriage rains are a common element in Scarterran weddings among many lands and many peoples, both nobles and commoners are alike.   Marriage floods are almost exclusively seen in regions of Scarterra that have frequent literal floods. Marriage floods are normally considered a commoner's tradition. It is uncommon but not unheard of for nobles to practice this tradition. When nobles do this, it's usually not a surprise dousing, but a planned dousing where the couple gets to change out of their formal regalia first.   If a noble couple's marriage is accompanied by a feast or festival given to the peasants than the marriage flood is often the kick off event commencing the festival.
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Cover image: Symbol of the Nine by Pendrake

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