Arranged Courtship

Noble Vnou Tradition

Related Organizations

While this is primarily a noble tradition, it is still rare even amongst them. Only those families that are extremely particular about their bloodline and children still try this method of Connection.

Zhu'Shpazh, Sid'Thovaych, Pra'Stazrach, Zhu'Zmoh, Zhu'Drahinuaw, Pra'Viyk, Sid'Blemang, Sid'Shrie, Pra'Haje

Probability & Execution

A Connection cannot be forced, not even for the powerful nobility. The practice of arranged courtship is an old tradition of pairing up children in the hopes that proximity and time will encourage or increase the chance of a Connection. While this tradition isn’t exactly guaranteed, it does have a high success rate. The resulting Connection might not be in the relationship the nobility would want manifest – a Connection might be between best friends instead of a future spouse or even a more master / submissive relationship – but it’s the Connection in and of itself that frequently matters.

The inverse of this tradition is that these families will sequester their children away from any that are not Connected and heavily monitor their interactions until they are so no unwanted Connections can be made. This is to steer their children in a direction the family would approve of or at least benefit from. These families tend to believe in the concept of Shra compatibility over soulmates.

Observance

Arranged courtship involves frequent exposure between the two vnou after there has been a lot of discussion between their families and contracts have been signed. The contracts include Representations and Warranties that detail specific facts of the vnou writ in the contract. It will include the Shra, family name, education, and specifics regarding their exposure to one another – often an expected schedule or required amount of time per week or month as well as the duration the families intend to wait for a Connection to be made. The Warranties is the section detailing what will happen should they not Connect. Generally, one family may owe another compensation – monetary or otherwise – or a future arranged courtship but this section can contain anything so long as it’s arranged beforehand, agreed upon by all parties, signed, notarized, then filed in triplicate – one copy for each family participating and one copy for the Library of Archived Records. Electronic records can also be filed but they aren’t as binding or official as the papers filed.

Once the paperwork has been filed and the match made, the two vnou in the arrangement are then chaperoned and monitored. While this can happen at any age, the contracts are usually completed around the age of 10 or so. The pair will attend events, classes, and other minor social outings together. They’re given opportunities to interact with one another to the exclusion of any other Unconnected.

It should be noted…

While there are some noble families that do not practice arranged courtship, and common vnou do not at all, there is still frequently contracts involved in marriage and Connections made between noble families. For this reason, most noble families will prefer Connections to be made with established Fa – this grants the noble family all the bargaining power in the contract so they can fill it out however they wish.

Cannot be forced

Just as Connections cannot be forced neither can they be broken once they are made. Ideally for the noble families, Connections are made after paperwork has been filled out and the terms and conditions have been agreed upon by both parties. Connections made before this paperwork has been filed can complicate matters and turn into a bureaucratic mess – especially if one vnou is a common vnou or one is from a noble family that is particularly unhappy with the match. Vnou have been disowned because of Connections that have been made – though this is incredibly rare for families that practice arranged courtship since they tend to place an insurmountable amount of importance in maintaining and preserving the bloodline over the individual.

Parts of a Contract

A contract can contain any number of components and be any length, though many have reoccurring provisions.

Preamble & Words of Agreement

Definitions

Frequently includes Representations

Considerations

Covenants & Rights

End Provisions

Frequently includes Warranties

Failure to Connect

After the outlined time, if the pair have not Connected, there are details in the Warranties and End Provisions of a contract that will list what will happen – this usually affects the family of the vnou involved, not the two mentioned in the contract specifically. Compensation of some form is awarded one way or another, favors owed, and future terms might be writ here. The End Provisions details what might happen should one vnou Connect to another during the duration of the contract. While a Connection cannot be forced nor broken once made, vnou families are still punished if one of their contractually bound Connect to another outside of the contract while it’s active. This is usually seen as a dereliction of duty by one party or another and thus the remedies and damages here-in tend to be more severe in one direction or another. Land and estates, treasured relics of family lines, public humiliation and shame, and great debts owed in the form of business favors tend to be the most common things detailed or demanded in the Provisions – though like any other part of the contract, anything can be here.