Marriage and Sex in Brevoy

Sex
Brevic sexual attitudes are very open and the pleasure of sex is considered a gift from the gods (thus, making love under the open sky is seen as a form of praise for this gift, especially to deities of pleasure or sexuality, like Calistria or Arshea). As with many societies across Golarion, having easy access to reliable contraceptives and cures against disease meant that Brevic culture never had much of a need to develop strict rules regarding abstinence until marriage and monogamy as a way of guarding against accidental pregnancies and STDs (as real-world cultures have). Like certain Pacific Islander cultures in our world, where fertility-inhibiting substances are found in the food, casual sex in Golarion is relatively free of adverse physical consequences, and is thus engaged in freely as a traditionally accepted form of recreation and social interaction.

Such encounters often carry no more formality than sharing a meal with a friend (and often the one follows the other). Virginity and celibacy are given no special importance in Brevic culture. In fact, both genders traditionally value experience and sexual adventurism in a partner. As in most of Golarion, same-sex activity bears little to no social stigma (except among the more hidebound noble caste), but is far more common among women than men (especially when men are conscripted to go to war and their wives "keep each other company"). Likewise, Brevic culture has no problem with group sex - in fact, it's a popular way to keep warm on cold winter nights. Even incest, while not openly encouraged, carries no particular stigma or legal penalty. As long as it's consensual, most Brevans really don't give a fuck who you fuck (except when it comes to keeping score of how often you score).

In the status-driven Brevic culture, the citizens engage in frequent casual sex for more socially complex reasons than simply "it feels good, and there's no reason not to". Firstly, a person seen being sexually active in the community is regarded as healthy, and since good health is a sign of blessing from the gods, associating with them is considered desirable, in hopes that some of that divine favor will rub off on you. It is also particularly important to a Brevan looking for a spouse to flaunt their talent as a lover, as this will elevate their worth to a potential marriage arrangement. This is one of the reasons that prostitution is so prevalent and not the least bit frowned upon - even a low-born lass can elevate her status in society by gaining renown in the boudoir, and then attract wealthier and more influential clients, some of whom will inevitably want to marry someone so skilled in bed.

Secondly, public promiscuity and group sex are signs of social prowess - a person with many partners shows themselves to be well-connected and charismatic, thus attracting even more contacts and business deals. Having inherited the old Taldan tradition from that empire's occupation in ages past, most Brevic celebrations, be they holidays, dinner parties, masquerade balls, jousts, or weddings inevitably turn into orgies as the night wears on and drinks flow, and it is at this stage of the evening that the revelers speak more freely, alliances and business arrangements are struck, and oaths sworn. Given the oft-literally cut-throat nature of Brevic politics, it's easy to see why all parties involved would prefer potential rivals and tenuous allies to meet them skyclad (though jewelry and headdresses [often enchanted with protection or prowess-improving magic] are still often worn at such events - you have to show off you're better than the Joneses somehow).

Thirdly, when companionship is paid for - such as hiring a prostitute or hosting an orgy - it shows off wealth, which attracts partners of the business as well as the intimate variety. Like with nearly all things that Brevans do to boost their status, these actions are carried out in a conspicuously public manner, hoping to draw the attention of as many witnesses as possible. Few Brevans would waste their money soliciting a prostitute in some dark alley - rather, they make a show of it, rubbing it in the faces of their peers that they can afford to pay for a higher-class doxy than their drinking buddies.

Marriage
One of the most honored and traditional aspects of Brevic life is the institution of marriage. Marriage provides avenues for alliances to be forged or renewed, to move up the social hierarchy, for heirs to secure lines of succession, for family business to continues, oh, and for that thing called... love?

Within proximity of one's general social caste any adult person of any gender, race, ethnicity, occupation can propose, accept or reject a proposal, and enter into a marriage. Typically officiated at a temple by a cleric of Abadar (or Erastil, in more rural areas), marriage can occur as early as age 15, though most people wait until they are older, more well-established financially, and more sexually experienced.

The exact details of the ceremony itself differ based on caste, family traditions, and region of the people getting married. A noble wedding is typically a lavish ceremony arranged by the parents of the bride(s) and groom, spanning a celebration of several days, with decadent feasting, dancing, sports, and courtly intrigue - a chance to rekindle old alliances and awe rivals.

Meanwhile a commoner wedding in a village dedicated to Erastil will be a humble ceremony celebrated earnestly by the community - simple, yet meaningful - with a pot-luck feast and gifts to aid the new couple in their livelihood provided by their neighbors, and the newly wedded couple taking the rest of the day off to consummate the marriage and produce a child.

The middle-class' weddings tend to be somewhere in between - having more social mobility, urban professionals tend to marry for love and mutual interest more than the nobles or commoners, and their weddings are often the most personally-planned, with potential for departing the furthest from tradition and incorporating elements from faraway lands.

Whether the newlyweds move into their own house or remain in a big family dwelling is typically a matter of pragmatism and financial circumstance. The lower end of the socio-economic spectrum, as well as wealthy nobles, tend to remain in ancestral homes, while the urban middle class tend to get their own place in town.

Gender or number of people in a marriage is largely irrelevant to the law, as it is in much of Golarion, but there is considerable social pressure for at least one sibling of a family line to produce heirs and carry on the name. Even Erastil is accepting of a same-sex union as long as the couple adopts a child and raises them to be a productive member of the community. Group marriage is not unheard of (requiring unanimous agreement by all individuals in the marriage), but remains uncommon due to the logistics involved - more than one spouse typically means more people to support, more children to feed and educate, etc. Thus, it's more commonly found in the upper classes that can afford it. Although given the nobility's bullheaded support of the patriarchy, while it's common for a lord to have multiple wives, it's nearly unheard of for a lady to have more than one husband. Some group marriages can result without intentionally seeking such a union - for example, it is traditional to marry a deceased sibling's widowed spouse after they have their month of mourning to support them in their time of tragedy and keep family ties strong.

Open, casual sexual relationships are culturally expected before and during marriage, with most people (men and women alike) visiting prostitutes on a semi-regular basis as part of traditional recreation. This casual, extramarital sex is traditionally regarded as honoring one's marriage by gaining more experience, thus making yourself a better lover, and more adept at pleasing your spouse. Like Djinn, Brevans do not discard lovers but collect them, relationships growing together in ever more complex ways - as with many such overtures in the competitive Brevic culture, having multiple lovers - or at least many partners - bestows greater social status on a person.

But there are, like with all things Brevic, traditional rules for properly doing so. Responsibility to a spouse always comes first, with any side-whatever seen as carefree leisure after proper duties have been attended to, and the spouse always having veto power to send away any paramours they don't approve of. Deference to the spouse is also obligatory in granting them the opportunity to join in with the extramarital encounters - many stories of divorce across Brevic history are not because there was a third person involved, but because one spouse selfishly did not invite the other to partake in the liaison. And of course, one is expected to prevent conception of bastards from such rendezvous, (Bachelor's Snuff or Night Tea are popular contraceptives), although special and discrete arrangements for "outside help" might be made if a couple is having difficulty producing an heir. A notable exception is when a lady of the house invites a traveler to her bed - since stories of wandering strangers seeking hospitality often portray them as agents of deities, it is considered honorable and auspicious to conceive from such a visit, and the child is raised as an equal member of the household with no social stigma.

Any member of a married union can put a temporary moratorium on extramarital activity, as is traditional to do following a death of a friend or relative, major illness, destruction of a home or business, or other family tragedy.

Divorce, while uncommon, can be initiated by any member of a married union for a valid reason, and the proceedings and division of property is adjudicated by the clergy of Abadar.