Nubiles

Young women undergo a ritual when they become adults: when a girl turns eighteen she presents herself to the leading men of the community, who then judge her beauty and sex appeal. If they deem her to be Nubile, she receives a token (sometimes a small tattoo, sometimes a piece of jewelry or a collar; customs differ) and a celebration is thrown in her honour. The custom is derived from the ancient practice of Emperors selecting sex slaves. Nubiles are expected to adhere to certain grooming and dress standards - specifically, they are expected to dress revealingly (half or more of their bodies on display at all times is considered fashionable). It is therefore extremely bizarre for an attractive young woman to be covered up; she would certainly be the subject of public ridicule if she were to overdress. Being Nubile is considered a slight increase of social rank, but there are no real roles or privileges attached to it. It's primarily just a coming-of-age tradition.

Becoming Nubile

On average, only a quarter of women in Kothrend are judged Nubile. By the time a girl turns eighteen, it's usually obvious what the decision will be. If a girl is not attractive enough to be recognized as Nubile, the ceremony is a quick and quiet affair in the girl’s home, a mere formality with little ritual and no public event. If a girl is attractive enough to be Nubile, the full ceremony is conducted. It is intended as an homage to the story of how the God Drekd, seeking revenge against the wealth god Bolren for slights against his father – kidnapped Bolren’s daughter and forced her to dress and dance for his and his father’s pleasure as she begged to be released.

The Ceremony

The details of the ceremony will differ between human settlements. A typical village ceremony is described below. On her eighteenth birthday, a council member will take the girl from her home and bring her to the council chambers, before the full council of elders. There, she will go behind a curtain and change into her Nubile costume (the girl and her family will have purchased a set of skimpy clothes in advance, designed to be as flattering as possible and highlight the girl’s best features). The area behind the curtain should be brightly lit, so that the girl’s silhouette can be seen through the curtain as she changes. She will emerge from behind the curtain in her new costume and present herself, surrendering the clothes she discarded. She will perform a sultry choreographed dance. Following the dance each council member will instruct her to perform a certain pose. Then the council members will form a circle around the girl and begin rubbing a thin layer of oil onto any bare skin exposed by her costume. During this, she will ceremoniously plead to be released and for her clothes back. The village leader will refuse and throw the clothes into a fire – thus recognizing her officially as Nubile. She will then kiss him, completing the ceremony. At that point she may receive a tattoo. Customs differ between villages as to the location and symbol of the tattoo.