Marriage

Maybe it is due to the long-lived nature of most sentient species on Eien - but the populations of Eien have taken a dim view of 'marriage' in the classic sense. The sovathy tend to live in family groups, with females of the species taking on political and homemaker roles while the males live their lives elsewhere. It is far more common to see bonds of love and attachment without the accompanying red tape; though some still cherish the tradition.

Among the 'old fashioned' humans of Larane, the tradition of marriage is alive and well - if viewed with dubious acceptance by other species who call the country home. Inter-species marriage is uncommon, but not unheard of. Given humanity's short lifespan, it's a bit of a running joke that the longer-lived species are simply 'humoring' their human partners for the duration of their lifetime. When brought up seriously, the conversations tend to get heated and controversial quickly, leading most non-humans to question the tradition itself, while the humans who cling to it cite needing 'something' to prove to the rest of the world that there was something to the relationship beyond the physical. Sucerans in particular tend to view the practice as a means for humans to remain relevant long after their physical bodies have perished, with some detractors going as far as to call the practice of 'marriage' as a means of trapping other species into political entanglements.

The humans of Kejas utilize marriage strictly for political alignments and business deals, earning the tradition a formal flair that has nothing to do with romance. In Kejas, it is considered 'old fashioned' to marry for love - or really, any reason other than money or social climbing - and tends to be restricted to the lower classes. Ceremonies are all about flaunting the wealth and status of the couple and their families. Invitations are a serious business, and failing to invite the right people can be just as devastating as not being invited to the biggest wedding of the season.

Romantic bonds among the sucera run either icy cold or fiery hot - with younger members of the notoriously uptight species falling hard and fast when they allow themselves to indulge in feelings of love. Among the older generations, platonic love and cohabitation is far more common, with the pursuit of a suceran's spirital ascendance being the top priority. Family ties are important to sucerans, though not nearly as important as one's clan and lineage. Reproductive matches are carefully chosen and both partners typically agree to part ways once the progeny is born, with partner's deciding custody and clan alignment of their progeny long before the child draws breath. These matches are often related more to magic and spiritual essence then to politics, but given the power and prestige vested in the most magically capable of sucern society - distilling strong magic and spiritual wisdom in a few single clans tends to bring political power with it.