Courtship Offering

The Umber Wild is a difficult region to live in, freezing temperatures and hard, barren soil unsuitable to farming. Despite life's many shortcomings, love is always a gift.

But how do you bag yourself a new lover? Life is fast paced and survival focused, making casual flirty conversation hard to instigate and maintain, long term relationships can be hard to establish if you could die at any time.

So how do you show someone you are:

1. Capable to caring for offspring
2. Able to generate resources to make life comfortable (not just survival)
3. Worth spending your life with

In the Umber Wilds, this is done through 'Courtship Offerings'. This is the act of approaching a prospective partner with gifts in exchange for lifelong commitment. You can't just gift any old crap, but luxuries like jewellery and gold aren't what matter to these people, the gift has to be useful (some gifts aren't always physical materials). There are some traditional items that are commonly used in these offerings. These items are common as they have certain meanings behind them:

• Shelter - Caravan or housing (promises a life of protection and resilience).
• Skills - Certain skills necessary for survival that can be taught to the spouse and offspring.
• Pelts - Warm pelts that can be used to make clothes and blankets (promises a life of warmth and comfort).
• Ivory - Seen as a luxury by most and not commonly gifted among tribes, Ivory is more proof of strength, showing you have the skills and determination to sruvive.
• Livestock - Travelling livestock are vital for food and warm fur (promises prosperity and health).
• Horses - A strong, reliable mount is an invaluable resource, and commonly traded among caravans (promises a life of freedom and adventure).

Whilst these are traditional gifts, not everyone is as wealthy as some Horse-Lords, so smaller, sentimental gifts may be offered instead. In some dire circumstances the gift giver may gift themselves with the promise that they will provide for their spouse and their family, or else face great dishonor.