I like it,

About the part about the gender of the couple not being cared for. I assume by this you mean a family would marry their son off to another families son if the family is rich or influencial.

I would love homosexual betrothels to be as common as straight ones but for this to work the NPC need to all be bisexual so they wouldnt automatically refuse to marry a same gendered character.

I think all NPC will be open to romantic advances from either gender but I've created a few forums threads on this matter and the devs never give us a solid yes or no.

As for reproduction and having heirs, a same gendered family could pay a wetnurse to carry their child. (You could make a business out of that).

To'resk are the best negotiators in game. I bet the deals that are made proceeding a marriage will be the best there is up to the periods and commas. With their ability to read one's mind, I can't imagine that something goes wrong. That is unless someone doesn't keep her/his part of the bargain.

I don't know if we need this in game and what stops players making baby contracts just for profit like baby merchants and selling them for their dowry?

Posted By Athad at 10:13 PM - Sat Oct 21 2017

I don't know if we need this in game and what stops players making baby contracts just for profit like baby merchants and selling them for their dowry?

This wouldn't be game mechanics. I mentioned on the OP this would be just a lore discussion. But I can edit the title to make it clearer.

Edit: It seems I cannot edit the title to make it clearer, but my intention is to approach this from a purely lore perspective.

@MusaKn, I was actually thinking of how in our world who gives and gets the dowry is determined by the gender of their child. In India. for example, is the parents of the bride that have to pay. Unlike in real life though for the To'resk the dowry would be a way for the losing family to be compensated, regardless of whether they were marrying off their son or daughter. If your child has to leave your family to join another, then you get something in return.

As for the question of homosexuality, I think the To'resk would be accepting of it and they could use surrogates. I imagine that this could even be an alternative to the couple exchange I mentioned before. So a family with a gay couple accepts their son or daughter leaving for a different family if in turn they could get a surrogate.

I understand this might sound a bit strange, but considering the social dynamics and the low tech available at the time, it would probably be more prudent to have a surrogate from a trusted family than a stranger you knew nothing about.

Actually from the write up of the To'resk marriage will be a game mechanic in that they are more willing to share information with family members, and it is also mentioned that divorce is almost out of the question for the tribe as they see it as treason to the family. When it comes to surrogates and what I understand about the children contracts it does not matter if it is a close family friend or a stranger in the contract you can specify that the child belongs solely to you and your spouse. While the To'resk might be conniving they also respect the law and contracts so I would not see a problem in this.

Looks at thread replies

Perhaps I should explain myself better. I know there's a marriage mechanic in game. It's the same mechanic for all players. But knowing the 12 tribes are all so different they would certainly have different customs. My idea was to speculate only about the LORE, NOT the game mechanic we will be using.

I think it's fair to say that even a game like CoE cannot replicate all the aspects of a culture. Specially one like marriage that will influence gameplay directly. So tribe identity suffers a bit for playability, which is not only fine, but probably the only realistic way of doing it.

So it's up to written lore to fill in the gaps, not for the sake of changing the game but to flesh out it's identity and story. I expect the devs will eventually give us a more detailed cultural background on all the tribes. But in the meanwhile I thought it would be fun to make up our own stories :)

Speculation about the To'resk seems very fitting in my mind. They once toyed with the idea of making them both gender in one body if I remember correctly, so any gender specific differences in culture would seem odd.

None of the other tribes really gives me any ideas about possible marriage habits, exept the Janoa. I would think they would be really focused on fighting and hunting skills, would not be accepting of much weaker partners.

Trial by combat, defeat me or highest ranked family member and you are worthy to join the bloodline sort of thing.

With kypiq it will involve a lot of pranking! The family that can outwit the other will have the other family's child handed over.

Lots of nut wine, fruits and plants will be served at the ceremony. We kypiq love to eat plants and get drunk! (nothing from or out of animals! That would be disgusting )

Lots of flowers and leafy designs/nature art will be present as decor and both spouses will be wearing silk and petaled outfits. We respect the trees and the animals so animals will be part of the witnessing of the wedding. 😊

While actual marriage contracts as well as child contracts will be interesting to see since they vary from tribe to tribe, the actual courtships will also be interesting. I mean what is desirable as a mate in one tribe may not be so in another so as I said it will be interesting to compare and contract different courtships from different tribes.

I hope we get a design journal on love and merraige, so we see how courting NPC and PC will work. Plus I want a answer to wether or not all NPC in game are bisexual or if they have a sexual preference.

The devs always pussyfoot around that question!

Man, marriage... i'm just wondering how it will go XD hopefully it turns out well.

why love and marriage are indeed important elements for the game and indeed needs a design Journal i feel its not high on the list of important dev journals we should be pushing for. maybe if it is needed in order to complete some other important element of the game but i would hate for the devs having change there production cycle for it.

but back to the topic. yes i do like the idea of each tribe having there very own marriage traditions.

Hrothi could Exchange Cermonial Hammers for instance as a sign of there vows.

there use to be this awesome marriage tradition in the wheel of time where the wife wears a Marriage knife and if the husband acts up they could cut them and if they betray them they could kill them with that knife and it would be legitimate.

Kypiq could plant 2 trees one for the husband and one for the wife then spend there life intertwining the tree's to represent there bonds for each other.

lots of scope for original ideas with this stuff. but also dont want to overload the devs to much.

we do want the game shipped after all hehehehe

Now you got me wondering!

How on Earth do Janoa get married if all they can think about is:

a) He's either worthy and his head would look great on my totem. Good husband material.

or...

b) He's not worthy, unlikely to be killed and will serve me. Good husband material.

Although I'm sure, if you're good on your feet, you can work something in.

"Damn gurl does your face look as good as it tastes?" ^ Raunchy Janoa

Why has no one made a raunchy janoa meme..?

@Sagan, you mean like a praying mantis thing? If the husband doesn't get away the wife will do away with him? :D

I don't think that would be a problem. I do think though that a culture like the janoan might consider some individuals as exceptional and so worthy of many partners and others and as incapable and so worthy of having their bloodline extinguished from the face of Elyria.

If we think of the many marriage traditions in our world, of all the starting tribes, the janoa seem the more likely to allow polygamy as a prove of status and prowess of an individual. If not by actual marriage, then as a tolerance for the best hunters to have multiple partners. After all, they are all about having the most and obtaining as much as possible. I would imagine that would extend to their relationships. The more conquests, the more status.