TarkXT |
1 person marked this as a favorite. |
A bit of fun exercise. But I like how a wedding ceremony can reveal much about a culture.
Desna
Desnan's favor small bonding ceremonies performed before a priest of Desna and a few immediate family members.
The real celebration comes after the ceremony where the happy couple travels from home to home in their respective neighborhoods and announce their love and bond to the occupants, typically friends and close neighbors.
The people at the homes in turn congratulate them, offer gifts, sometimes shelter depending on the time of day.
Depending on the influence of the couple and the size of the community this journey can take a few days to weeks of celebration that culminates in the couple settling into their new home, or continuing the journey as part of a caravan or wandering band depending on the family and culture.
Calistria
As one might expect a Calistrian wedding isn't necessarily a strict bond between lovers but a sign of strong devotion and feelings between a pair of lovers. The feeling itself is difficult to communicate in the common tongue but the result are a bonded pair that do not so much love each other exclusively but trust one another completely and swearing to avenge the other should they become a victim of some sort.
Most ceremonies typically end with a grand party which will usually have an orgy.
Iomedae
Iomedaean weddings resemble tradtional Aroden weddings wiht the exception that everyone is expected to come armed in some form including the bride and groom (or bride and bride or groom and groom Iomedae is not particular on that). The tradition started in armies where most Iomedaeans can be found and expanded into the civilian realm shortly after Iomedae took Aroden's place as the prime god for a lot of his former worshipers.
The ceremony itself consists of solemn vows of devotion, protection, and faith followed by celebration adn festivities afterwards. However unlike many faiths Iomedae expects her worshippers to have no more than a single day afterwards for the pair to consummate and celebrate and even this is given begrudgingly as she expects the pair to return to their duties as soon as able.
Abadar
More than love Abadar values financial stability. Thus each of the happy pair is expected to pay off the potential value of the other to their respective family who is expected to set that value upon the announcement of the proposal.
Though cold sounding the adherents to the faith claim that the surest way for a home to be secure and happy is financial stability and much of the money is typically returned to the pair in the form of gifts and property.
Lamashtu
Lamashtan weddings are rarely witnessed by civilized folk. No oaths or devotions are sworn and the ceremony itself is relatively simple. Before a priestess of Lamashtu the couple imbibe a potent aphrodisiac and hallucinogen that supposedly gets them closer to the goddess as they consummate their bond before the whole congregation. Should the couple survive the ceremony a child is all but guaranteed, as does the child's inevitable deformities.
InVinoVeritas |
Asmodeus
Most likely an arranged affair, Asmodean weddings are, ultimately, more about the nature of the contract between lovers. There are passages of the ceremony describing the dowry, rights of each party's family within the marriage, agreements to what property is owned individually and jointly, events consummating dissolution of the marriage, the rights of third parties to the soul of the spouse given the actions of one member, duties enumerated of each party, and so on. When both parties sign their name to the contract in their blood, the marriage is created.
Although the ceremony itself is highly ritualized and rather dry, the parties afterward are lavish, and as much about showing off one's wealth as they are a celebration of love. Bards have written of wedding parties so Bacchanalian that the bride ends up paying for it with her soul--and by the terms of the marriage contract, the groom's soul, as well.
Astral Wanderer |
Rovagug
The two meet on their own, in some place away from any form of civilization, and possibly an arid one. Each brings a living prisoner that will be killed over the "lover", bathing them in blood. At that point, both become excited and frenzied, and they either run somewhere to wreak havoc or mate violently until at least one of the two is killed by the other.
David knott 242 |
I think you would need to have secondary dogtags that are easily distinguishable from standard dogtags made. Otherwise, anyone finding the dead body would be unable to identify him or her.
And I could definitely see some story potential if you cannot remarry until you have recovered said secondary dogtags from your late spouse.
Simeon |
Erastil
Erastilian weddings are often held in the main church of Erastil in the town or city. If a church is not available it would be often held in a place of natural beauty. The couple's vows are said and simple rings, often made of iron or similar metal, are exchanged. The celebration after tends to be modest at best.
Shelyn
Shelynite weddings are aimed to provide an atmosphere of love and beauty. Shelynite weddings are often held in a temple of Shelyn, but if no temple is available then any beautiful area will do. The couple professes their love for one another often through poetry or song, and elaborate and exquisitely made rings are exchanged. The ceremony tends to end with a party where gifts are given to the couple and dancing and song is common, usually brought on by fine wine or mead.
Cayden Cailean
The ceremony tends to be similar to a Shelynite weddings, with elaborate professions of love for the partner. However, the best part of any Caydenite wedding is the after-party. There are often boasting or storytelling contests, dancing, and of course, copious amounts of alcohol.
Ventnor |
Pharasma
In the past, couples who wanted to get married would visit a fortuneteller or an oracle to divine the future of their relationship. If it was good, the marriage would take place. However, ever since the death of Aroden and the failure of prophecy, this practice has fallen out of favor. Very few Pharasmin couples nowadays observe this tradition.