Recreational Marriage

There are two commonly identified types of marriage in Runo Culture; procreational and recreational marriages. They both involve pledging some form of loyalty to another partner, but the marriages themselves work entirely differently.

Concept

The more important of the two marriages, recreational marriage is the legal binding of two runos based on mutual attraction. Runos make it a rule not to marry someone from the same tribe, so that families in the same tribe may remain separate. Breaking a recreational marriage by engaging with another runo is one of the worst things you can do, and is even punishable by death in some regions.

It is important to note one can be procreationally and recreationally married. Having an affair in a procreational marriage isn't breaking any moral codes, but it does make people question "why", when the perfect partner is right there. Having an affair in a recreational marriage is obscene, with severe consequences. Recreational marriage has no gender bounds, while procreational marriage is between runos of opposite sexes, purely for the purpose of having children. Polyamory can occur but it's very rare, more common in lowland runo culture.

History

Ever since runos first appeared in the Maze Forests they have been on the run, fighting against the countless predators that lurk behind the fog and the foliage. As time passed, runos became more physically powerful, at less risk of being hunted by these animals. Their position in the food chain shifted from a secondary consumer to an apex predator, however still competing against other apex predators.

Less stress from being hunted gave forest runos more freedom for developing their own cultures; enjoying art, dance, music, countless other forms of entertainment, and all the things in life many other people take for granted. Recreational marriage came to be a couple thousand years ago on Maloruno. People that found partners would start to pledge their undying love, and soon enough it became a trend to "marry" their partners.

This coincided with the invention procreational marriage, another form of marriage that wasn't so legally binding. Laws aren't a thing on Maloruno; the closest they have are moral codes, considered "false laws" by runos. To break a recreational marriage by having an affair was considered the ultimate betrayal, harshly punished by almost all tribes and can result in catastrophic consequences.

All the while, lowland runos had been marrying each other since they first appeared in the Equator Range lowlands, long before the modern recreational marriage was ever a thing.

Execution

The typical ceremony for a recreational marriage is short and sour. The two tribes of the partners intent on marrying will gather in an outing picked out by the couple. The tribes will work together to decorate based on the couple's fashion sense and favourite aesthetics. The centre of the ceremonial outing is a noble maze pine, with a portrait of the couple carved deep into its bark.

The couple will bow down facing each other in front of the tree portrait, while the tribe members gather round each other. The couple hold hands as the two tribes will throw fruits at them, symbolising the couple can survive anything together. Hundreds of years ago stones were used, but fruits are favoured now as it is much less painful.

Sliced Rosefruit by Mochi

Primary Related Location

Maloruno

Related Ethnicities

• Lowland Runo

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