In the RW, some tribes of Alans (nomadic tribes that ranged from Crimea to Spain, from the 5th century BC to the 10th AD, although most disappeared crossing the Alps to invade Italy) required girls to bring the head of an enemy before they could marry.
This would fit well in the patchwork of Pent tribes, with several mythical reasons (control of Death before giving life, requirement after the Night of Horrors to be one of the chosen to bear children, etc.). Think about girls only bands looking for foreigners to kill, or even better, a Lunar caravan. Some girls would reject marriage and keep on the martial life, so some war god (North war wind, who they marry?) or goddess (Kargzants wayward daughter) would be appropiate.
Of course, as the Praxian initiation ceremony (an interesting parallel) demographics would require that one dead is worth several marriages, or that many children are born outside marriage, which means there should be some advantage (ownership of cattle possible only for married couples?).
Which fits with my second point. Jane assumes that the Solar Pentians are as stuck up with sex as the Dara Happans. If nomadic tribes are like in Earth, that is doubtful. When you have a lot or freedom, and equal roles for both adolescents, you have to be tolerant. And even if they weren't, the recovering of the Nights of Horror (we need kids, we need them now) would have relaxed the rules.
And it is one more reason why the DH detest the nomads, and it makes them more interesting to play. All IMO, of course.
Jose
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