Haat Matka
When the Northern winds brought the First Snow months ahead of when the flakes should have fallen, the mothers were inconsolable. For mere weeks before, the carriages had been laden and sent out bearing their sons and their futures as they ventured forth to find their new wives and make family in distant lands. With these snows, many of those same lands would be broken and buried in the mountains and lost to the ages of the Giants.Every year; hundreds if not thousands of young men start out on the traditional Renan 'Marriage Quest'. This is the pre-marital tradition in which young men that have been pledged to pre-arranged wives in more distant locales, set out to make their way to their newfound love on the other side of the world. Generally a bride will have sent a request for multiple things that the suitor will have to gather in the form of the Bridal Condition.
History
According to marriage records, while this is a Renan tradition, many parts of the continent have benefited from the intermixing of blood. With people dating their genealogical records as having bounced across the continent multiple times in the previous millennia. This evidence generally supports that the origin of the ritual far predates the Landing of the Fourth Fleet of Iwa until it is lost to the shadows of time. In modern day, the tradition has been the subject of a large amount of critique as death-tolls rise up with many would-be suitors dying on the dangerous roads to their destinations in and out of Renai.Participants
Generally the Haat Matka is a private affair, with details rarely known outside of the immediate family of the participants. Rural Tribes across Ithungsida are typically the ones making the most use of this to manage their populations and balance the number of mouths they have to feed. However, in Renai, the upper class has long adopted the tradition and taken to it as a matter of pride. The scion of a prominent house is often expected to undertake this ritual for the entertainment of the many. Even those that aren't pre-betrothed are often forced into seeking out a wife on a dangerous journey.The Bridal Condition
The most important part of the Haat Matka is the Bridal Condition. The stories hold that this became an integral part of the tradition after a rash of false marriages by those pretending to respond to the call of a Haat Matka, but taking the place of the intended suitor instead. So the bride is expected to send a secret missive to their would-be groom with a list of conditions for them to meet. Ideally, these conditions are only to prove that they are truly the person that received the letter, however, the higher end of society will often put crazed and extremely difficult tasks in front of suitors they don't actually want to wed. These conditions can vary from the simplest of "Enter through the East Gate on Wednesday", to such ridiculously complicated matters that they inspire plays and stories about the Groom and his accompaniment as they struggle to accomplish seemingly insurmountable tasks.My liege, Should thou be-est the fate of my heart, then harken to my words and then shortly depart. For my need is great and your travels will be vast, my requirements are only things that you have. One, for the heart of mine father, a Drake's Tooth such as the one that has been around your neck since birth. Two, for the heart of mine mother, a cup from the stream that flows by your house. Tainted as it is with the flower of the mad. Three, for the heart of mine future, a carriage to ride away with you so that we may leave my family behind. Four, for mine understanding and ears, a set of trumpets as you enter from the land and a kind kiss upon my hand. Wear scarlet my love, for mine eyes to see you at long last. Should thou be-est the fate of my heart, then these words will be only the start.
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