Thoughts on Chapter 43: The Lemussa Yardwife and Lashunta Sexual Politics
So in yesterday’s new chapter of A Castrovel Adventure: Part 5, Lady Vaeol witnesses her flag rather blearily recovering from Kaure’s bridetide celebration, wherein safe to say that things got a little wild. This includes the fun they have at Sievae’s expense, who comes downstairs too sore to walk on her own, and whom they label ~Ridoale Yane Lemusse~ - the New Lemussa Yardwife, implying she has taken over running the Lemussa Weaponyard, although not by virtue of qualifying as a weapons-mistress. Sievae has been lovers with Meiss from the Lemussa (where Lady Vaeol and the rest of her flag have been training) for a while. For the bridetide, she (with Meiss’s consent) saw fit to expand her goodwill, apparently to a good number of his yardfellows.
On the surface, let’s recognize this exchange for what it is: a bunch of soldiers after a wild night talking trash (maybe not so different from humans). Yet the joke is only possible because of the cultural framework it exists within: namely, Lashuna society is a matriarchy, and when a male sleeps with a female, he is obligating himself to a social debt, which, at its most basic, stems from an assurance of possible future children’s welfare. Yet if enough of the Lemussa yardmates have slept with her, that gives Sievae a claim not only to them personally, but could give her a claim upon the whole weaponyard. It could also threaten Master Evauess’ authority as the yardmaster, and if wielded by a sufficiently toxic female (which fortunately Sievae is not), could threaten the weaponyard’s existence.
More seriously, however, Master Evauess sends a treeword note later that day, basically asking Sievae to tone it down. This indirectly acknowledges the social debt his weaponyard students have undertaken, and also beseeches that she not inflame the risk of the yard’s disruption, especially within context of the city at large. Even if Sievae claims no obligation, outsiders may still perceive it as an erosion of Master Evauess’s authority as the weaponyard’s head.
Why is this a concern? Probably because it has already happened before. The Lashunta concept of a femme fatale is so universal (stereotype: they’re all femme fatales!) that it doesn’t even get recognized but instead gets broken apart into sub-variations. Female Damaya often assume they can turn a male Korasha’s head whenever they wish (in PF1E, Charisma bonus meets Wisdom penalty) even before the social paradigm exerts pressure. This may be why cities like Qabarat organize separate training facilities for Damaya and Korasha, exactly to avoid this kind of situation, including the distractions and disruptions it can cause, and maybe also why Master Evauess initially hesitated at Vaeol, Sievae, and the others joining the yard.
As a last note, Lashunta understand the concept of ~Kissi~ - wantonness/intemperance. Although it may apply to Sievae’s case, it does not reach the vulgar, derogatory connotation as such behavior might be labelled in English, especially as unfortunately is often applied to shame women. If anything, and even if Sievae has a reputation for intemperance, her social status is enhanced. After all, and even if she never calls in the favor, it is not nothing to have a whole weaponyard of highly trained warriors at her beck.
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