Greybar said:
Had the players realized Hurath wasn't coming back by the time the big battle came along?
The players suspected. Greppa continued to hold out hope, even there at the end.
And of course, my players know not to trust me until they see the body.
Best of luck to the captives! They may be back to buck naked soon for incognito's pleasure. No wait, that sounds wrong.
He he he. The captives do all right for themselves, but the bargain they make is costly.
Seriously though, I think that Greek approach to body consciousness fits great into your setting. My current game world is set in a warm climate and the "nudity taboo" is more about the implied prosperity then about sexuality. It's better to look prosperous, healthy, and nude than to look dirty, rough, and wearing coarse clothing. But it's better yet to have beautiful, brightly colored clothing well cut.
That sounds cool! I don't suppose you have a website for your setting?
Given Merideth's reaction upon seeing Athan, I'd say the more important issue is what taboos exist about relationships between enlisted men and women (or same sex couples, given the Greek theme you mention).
Well, I'd hoped to dodge Eric's Grandma, but...
Firstly, both Merideth
and Greppa have been admiring Athan's (admittedly admirable) physique. With that said:
Everyone in Theralis is enlisted during their youth, so quite literally, everyone the three friends might get in a relationship with, who is their age, is enlisted. It's not a real issue.
However, physical relations are forbidden during the term of Service. Ostensibly this is to focus people on their duty, but there is a more practical reason: half of the soldiers are female, and pregnant soldiers don't fight.
Aside from that, thus far they're both out of luck where Athan is concerned. He's evinced a complete lack of interest in sex, regardless of gender. If you've read
The Deed of Paksenarrion, I think that's what he's aiming for
.
As for the Greek theme... it's complicated (culture usually is), but in essence:
Family:
* Families require heirs; this is a duty of the oldest living child.
* Marriage is always male-female, and is the "balance basis" of a new family.
* Family is a very different beast from love.
Lovers:
* The concept of a lifemate exists, but they're rare.
* Same-sex love is reasonably common, about 6% of the population.
* Love is a very different beast from family.
Philosophy:
* Egalitarianism is very, very strong in Theralis.
* Male/Female is not a dichotomy, but a careful balancing.
* There are hero legends where gender has
changed; in one or two, this was willing (and necessary for powers to be gained).
Exceptions:
* There are male-only and female-only mystery cults, usually oriented around Atmos and Demis.
* Men are more commonly wilderness-oriented. Women are more commonly community-oriented. However, female scouts, hunters and hermits are not uncommon, and neither are male politicians, civil servants and engineers.
