Marriage, Children and Bastardry on Hollow.

Few cultures place as much importance on the visibility of upheld oaths as the people of Hollow. And few times is this fixation more commonly expressed than in the customs regarding bastardry, name-giving and marriage conjoined into the so-called 'Oath Binding' ritual. This ritual is endemic across most of the planet, although its specifics are known to vary somewhat according to the circumstances and cultural idiosyncrecies of the given people.
In essence, it is best understood that a marriage on Calengwag is not held as truly legitimate until a child is born to it. This being seen by the community as both the solidification of the ties between the individuals, their kin and a guarantee of the continuance of both bloodlines. Specifics regarding this waiting period vary, although it is known that there is considerable indignity associated with long wait periods as well as the markers of this early period. One such example is the singular use of topknots by women and Affaran men to indicate their wait. Long topknots in particular often being a story-telling que for a sour marriage.
While this is often an uncomfortable period, the most perilous aspect of these customs comes with the birth of the child itself. Once a child has been born, the couple and their families will present themselves at the nearest shrine (which I have been informed is not indeed some sort of fane) to attend the year's Oath Binding.
The ritual is typically conducted by the keeper of the shrine using a commonplace piece of archaeotech called a 'Roaring Life Scepter', a prod with a head usually worked to resemble a beast with an outstretched tongue. During some sort of ritual dance, the wielder ceremonially chants what I suspect to be a sequence of activation codes to the device before pricking the child and each parent in turn. The Scepter issues a purring like sound for each positive match and a terrible dissonance for a mismatch.
A fully positive result is seen as either a true confirmation of the marriage or a reaffirmation in case of a subsequent birth. In either case, this is typically seen as a great moment for both the couple and a boost to the prestige of their kin groups. A name is usually forthcoming for the infant, along with the kin-name of the socially superior parent.
A fully negative result is surprisingly not a negative thing in most cases. As this is common to adoption rituals among the Hollowborn and the only acceptable avenue for couples which for any reason might be deemed infertile. This is typically followed by each adopting parent offering a further portion of their blood to the scepter, symbolizing their offering of blood to their new child.
A partial result however, is a thing of catastrophe. As might be expected however, it is not unheard of for Oath Bindings to end in at least some bloodshed.
To the Hollowborn, bastards are deeply humiliating but there is a curious and sharp divergence in the status of both the bastard and the parent.
A bastard born to an unwed woman is an embarrassment to be sure, but not one which is in itself damning or even deeply problematic. Although it is custom for that child's Oath Binding to entail every man in the community until a father is found or every man is exonerated. Should the man be unwed, then the situation is much the same. These cases see the youths (and one consequence for even older culprits is being deemed a child) sharply reprimanded and the child offered for adoption elsewhere should a marriage not be seen as appropriate. In either case, it is not seen as any more negative than foolishly ignoring a prohibition which sees them maimed by an Ur-Beast or the like. Something to be punished, rectified but forgivable.
Bearing a bastard with a wed man or woman? This is not easily forgiven. The shame on the clan is second only to treason and is usually merciless to the culprits. Shameful death is common, so much so that it is not unheard of for men that leave for any circumstances in the preceding months being deemed outlaws until exonerated. More honorable men and women expecting such a revelation are known to attempt suicidal feats in the hopes of new prestige to blunt the shame. Families are even known to flee if the possibility is strong enough. Curiously, this stigma is not so severe on the child. While shame tends to hang onto such unfortunates, blame is not laid at their feet and they are adopted elsewhere whenever possible. In cases where their parents not possess the decency to die or their fathers be unfound, it is typical for such children to dream of finding and ending their wayward sires.
Children born of forced circumstances is not seen as a shame upon the mother however, although this escape is only available early on. An incentive which sees such shames given voice very quickly, but the customs regarding such affronts is a different subject.