We run it according to King Of Sartar: if the people are both adults, (ie, initiated), they may do whatever they like. Remember the Orlanthi saying in KOS: "Sex is easy, marriage is hard." Sartarite women are aware enough to practice at least rudimentary contraception, and, at the ref's descretion, their knowledge of or magics for contraception could be quite sophisticated.
Also, in some cultures on earth, (Swaziland, for example), women are more desirable marraige partners if they have had a child before marraige - it proves they are fertile. There is nothing to keep this from being true among the Orlanthi.
Cultures that are against extra-marital sex tend to be big into patriarchy, patrilineal descent and inheritance. (The primo example of this sort of thing in Glorantha is, of course, the solar cultures.) Orlanthi culture is more fluid than this. Women have the same freedoms and rights as men do. They can inherit a stead and stay in the clan and take a husband from outside the clan if they are influential enough. And because Orlanthi practice a wide variety of marraige types, including year marriages, it would be quite common for Orlanthi men and women to raise children that are not biologically their own.
Given these examples, I feel that there are few barriers to pre-marital sex among the Orlanthi. Types of courtships would vary greatly, as individuals prefer different things.
>I do not care for men as there are Uleria temples.
Not so many and not in the countryside. Besides, are you really going to promote the old sex double standard among the Orlanthi? Nothing I have read about the Orlanthi implies that this exists. Heck, Ernalda has SEVERAL husbands, though usually only one is recognized in an area. If you're going to have Uleria temples, be sure to include some men for the women, (or for men who prefer men).
>I think that most Sartarite women are heavy romatic and would
>want a marriage and of course a proper courtship before.
A proper courtship? Of the three Varmandi courtships I can think of, Vigdis wanted a husband who spoke fancy poetry and boasted of brave deeds, Theya wanted one who could farm well and kill Orlevings on the spot, and Vargast's wife (a chief's daughter) wanted a chief's son who proved himself to be brave and wealthy.
I would think that Orlanthi men would also be individual in their courship preferences. People are people.
Pam
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