Re: Women in the clan

From: bethexton_at_...
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 2004 14:06:33 -0000

>
> One of the NPCs that has impressed them has been a woman
> tradethane called Halorica. They asked if she was married (no)
> and then they said "So if she marries we lose her? Why would
> the clan spend effort and resources training up a woman if
> she's going to leave and become a resource for another clan?
> Especially someone as sneaky as Halorica..."
>
> What incentives are there for a clan to spend time and effort
> training women in specialist roles if those women will be lost
> to the clan when they marry?
>
Just my thoughts, take or leave as you desire....
• Do you have kids? Can you imagine not teaching them? When they are good at something, how do you stop them from excelling at it?
• It is a religious duty to initiate your children, all of them, and to educate them.
• Of course you will be sad when your daughter leaves you....but you know full well that the more skilled and capable she is, the better her life will be in her new clan. She'll get a better marriage in the first place, and will more quickly make her own place there.
• When your daughter is in her new clan, what do you want her saying about you, or about her brothers? Do you want her to love them and argue for her new clan to help them? Or do you want her bitter and glad to see them taken down a notch?
• There are dowries and there is a bride price. These are nominally considered to be about equal in value, but in the cases of exceptional brides I'd assume that they aren't really, at least in terms of 'family' goods.
• Such a marriage may well come close to forming an alliance between clans, or may be an important step along the way.
• If she marries within the same tribe (which would be most typical), it is very possible that arrangements will be made, formal or informal, for her abilities to be used "for the good of all." Something like your traders will go to market with her and bargain as a unit, or else both of your clans will lobby to have her be given a tribal post.
• If she is that capable, she will obtain a leadership position in the new clan. What a coup, to have your own daughter helping lead the neighbors! Why that long standing issue of fishing in Black Creek might finally get settled _properly_!
• She will no doubt marry someone of high standing. He will be obligated to you. Nice to have access to such a person.

Having said all of that, if you look at traditional rural china, girls were not valued as much as boys because they would marry away. They weren't educated, and often weren't even fed as well. So no doubt some clans, or bloodlines, or hearths, don't treat their daughters as well. But that would be tempting the wrath of Ernalda, which really would be a foolish thing to do.....but it could make for a great story line!

Note also that I think most women marry fairly young, probably in their late teens. I think that after their second initiation the marriage hunting really begins, it probably takes a year or two on average to settle on a likely groom, then another year or so to court and negotiate.

For what it is worth, I really recommend the "Little House on the Prairie" series for one look at the life of girls in an agricultural setting. With regard to marraige, especially "The Long Winter" and "These Happy Golden Years" (as an aside, read her book "Farmer Boy" for a good idea of the education of a young Barntari). I know most people are mostly aware of the deadly dull TV series based on the books, but my wife recently read these books to our son, and I was quite impressed by them, and picked up a lot that seemed relevant to Orlanthi life.

Alsomt all of what I wrote above applies to the 'usual' case. I'm thinking that Halorica is far from typical. To have become trade thane, even though single and therefore liable to move away, suggests a lot of ability and drive. I would guess that she is the sort that will make her own rules to suit herself.

However, she is an NPC. I could see a great story arc where she meets another impressive NPC, is smitten, makes life very interesting while they court each other, then finally marry. From a campaign perspective this could be a hood to help move the group onto wherever the narrator feels they need to go....her groom could be in the rebellion, frex. Or if you want to play up the internal conflicts of the Heortlings under lunar occupation, he could be a lunar convert. Or he could come from another country altogether, giving the heros a reason to travel there. Or....

Whatever happens, having the players care about an NPC has to be a good thing, as is them trying to drive plots, so it sounds like your game is going well indeed!

--Bryan