The Perdurian Bands
The Perduro Tradition of Marriage
So I've been dating this nugget of a girl for... what five years now? Best years of my life. I'd spend every waking moment topside with her. Dance, drink, game, watch the Asteroid Drags. I think it's high time to look for my rock o' life.
Overview
Being a Perduro Miner is more than just a career for most. It is a tradition and lineage that has been omnipresent since the discovery of Perduro itself. With such pride in their mining, the career soon began to creep into other traditions of life. Marriage was one of the first aspects that began to meld around the Miner. It became tradition for a miner to provide his own ring from scratch. Gunkoon ties, as they came to be known, were forged by hand from the abundant Platinum group Metals found in Mount Dau-Sajhrashi. The Gunkoon was responsible for the ring from mining and refining the ore to smithing the ring itself.I always dreamed about making my own tie since I was a kid. The thought of the planet itself providing its blessing in the form of a wonderful piece of ore feels so genuine.
Proposal
The first stage of marriage is the proposal. No ring is presented during the proposal, as it becomes the duty of the miner to find the ring after finding someone to spend their life with. After talking to their mineshaft superintendent, they will receive a writ of marriage, allowing them to keep a piece of ore they find suitable for their rings.It took me only three days to find a beautiful nugget of Rhodium. I remember when a cleaned it off and lifted it, it felt like lifting the world; heavy, gratifying. First time I think my Gunkoon squad saw me tear up.
Finding the Ore
The stage of finding a suitable piece of ore is also known as 'getting Mothers blessing' as Mount Dau-Sajhrashi translates to Mount "Your Mother," and the marriage can not be held until good ore is struck. This process can last anywhere from a single day, to years. Some even give up on marriage during this period, fearing that The Wheel itself does not condone the wedding if they can not find their own ore.Crafting the Tie
When a suitable piece of ore is discovered, the miner takes the ore to his local refinery. They have to refine and separate the metal from the ore, craft the mold for the ring, and perform the casting. If the ties comes out broken then it will have to be reforged as many times as it takes. When the ties are complete, then the marriage can commence. The rings are presented during the miners next topside, and the pairs preferred ceremony can be arranged.Hosting the Deep Rock Bash
After the bands are worn, and the wedding is scheduled, the miner celebrates the successful endeavor with their fellow miners. On the final evening of the mining tour, the soon-to-be-married miner plays host to a party for their mining team. The Barracks of the mine shaft come alive with alcohol, music, games, and good times. The party can last through the whole night, leaving the miners to stumble out into the sunlight with fair wishes to the engaged. The marriage is held during the next rotation to the surface, the ceremony differing depending on the individual cultures of the married.I don't even remember my Deep Rock Bash all that much. Jul brought enough Kail to make sure none of us would remember the evening. I think some things happened that I shouldn't tell my love about. I guess passed-out Gunks tell no tales, right? I can't believe I'll be married in a week.
Jargon Used
See Miners' Cant for more
I like this article, sounds like a good way of mending two aspects of a culture. I really like the detail of having to find your own ore and not finding a suitable one being seen as the marriage not being condoned by the cosmos
Glad you liked the article, its fun to write about superstitions in a futuristic setting :>