Townsfolk Marriage

Contents

Background

For Townsfolk, Marriage is a very important business. It is important because it is performed under the eye of The Protector and cannot be undone. It is business because within the culture of the Townsfolk it is a power exchange and is often connected to economic or social gain.
While many of the Townsfolk are fervant worshipers of the Religion of the Towns, there few who are able to recognise that this belief structure benefits some more than others.
As such, with all of their ceremonies, there is a religious reason for them and a perhaps less obvious social reason for them.

Purpose

Officially, within the Religion of The Towns, which is followed by all Townsfolk, Marriage is about creating an authorised union between a man and a woman, overseen by their god, The Protector. This is ostensibly so that the couple can reproduce and raise good pious children who will join their parents in their worship of The Protector.
In actuality, it also serves as a way for families to climb the social ladder, to solidify business connections, to fund the man's family and to provide a level of security to the woman's female relatives.

Rules

• Marriage is between one man and one woman
• The bride's family pays the groom's family for the cost of taking on their daughter
• The bride's family pays the church and the cleric for the cost of performing the ceremony and to bless the newly married couple in their union
• One moon prior to the ceremony, the cleric announces the date of the wedding and the intended couple to the congregation so that any objections can be raised

Ceremony

The ceremony is conducted by a Cleric, and requires at minimum that in addition to the bride and groom at least one representative from each family. It is usual that all family memners from each side attend, as well as the normal congregation for the church where it is held.
During the ceremony, the Cleric will ask the couple to commit themselves first to The Protector, second to the fight for Good over Evil and third to each other. The couple will make vows to both each other and the Cleric to avoid the temptations of The Forces and work together on the side of Good. Then the couple's family members or representatives will vow to watch over the couple and help keep them on the path of the righteous. Finally, the Cleric will ask The Protector to bless the union between the two, and bind it in eternity.

Married

Once they are married, there are a lot of expectations on the couple. It is expected that:

• they will have a baby within the first two years
• the man will provide for the woman and their children
• the woman will not need to work but will provide a good home to her husband and their children
• the couple will house any unwed female relatives should the need arise
• the couple will always be in agreement publicly

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See the Nomad equivalent