Hospitality in Brevoy

Hospitality is sacred in all of Brevoy, with both hosts and guests obligated to abide by traditional rules or risk severe social consequences. A host treats their guest like royalty, offering the best of what their house has to offer, including food, drink, lodging, and physical companionship. Sexual hospitality abides by the same traditional rules as other open, casual encounters in Brevic culture, although due to legend where weary travelers are often gods or other supernatural beings in disguise, it is permitted for the woman of the house to conceive with a guest she takes into her bed, and the child is to be raised as one of that family's own. It is also a host's responsibility to both ensure the safety and comfort of their guest, as well as be responsible for guest's actions in the community if the guest comes from outside of it (such as a foreigner).

Taverns exist in the larger towns and villages, but it is not uncommon for a wealthy person to make a show of largess by inviting a traveler to stay with them. In the smaller rural settlements, this generosity may be the only way to get a roof over your head as you travel through a hamlet or thorp. A number of traditional reasons exist for extending this invitation, even to a stranger.

First and foremost, it is considered pious in the eyes of Abadar to offer safe refuge and relief to travelers. Many fables, parables, and legends exist where a weary traveler in a dusty cloak was actually a deity (or an agent of one), testing the good-will of the people. If sharing your roof, table, and bed with a traveler can mean a possibility of divine blessing, and turning one away can court holy wrath, most prefer to err on the side of piety.

Secondly, showing off to your neighbors that you have the means to house, feed, and protect a guest raises your standing in the community, and increases your chances of making good business deals. Likewise, you never know what connections the traveler might have that could benefit you in the future.

Thirdly, hosts relish the opportunity to hear the stories that guests bring, especially if the host is from a provincial area and the guest is well-traveled. Such word-of-mouth is often the only way that news of the outside world reaches the ears of rural citizens.

A guest's responsibility is to be as gracious and polite as possible, bring a gift for the host if they can, not overstay their welcome, and return the favor when applicable. Upon entering a tavern or someone's home, you wipe your feet and check your weapons at the door (and armor, if you plan to be staying a while - the host or their servant typically helps you out of your armor), as this shows trust and respect - you neither plan on engaging in hostile behavior, nor do you expect to be attacked while under your host's protection.

Repeatedly refusing someone's invitation of hospitality is seen as extremely rude and insulting, and carries serious social consequences such as being ostracized from a community.