Lemon Boy
~Brilliantly Bitter~
I can already see how comfortable all our characters shall be, sand in their armor as the scorching sun bakes them alive whilst something presumably tries to kill them because Welian is sadistic.
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Remember! Sand gets everywhere! EVERYWHERE!I can already see how comfortable all our characters shall be, sand in their armor as the scorching sun bakes them alive whilst something presumably tries to kill them because Welian is sadistic.
Kinda like an environmental equivalent of living in the basement?The desert used to be an ocean a hundred year ago until the Abyss opened, so like.... maybe the ocean just moved to under the desert?
Basically what welian means is, "don't fuck with my settings by toying with anti-feminism because I'm trying to narrow down the scope of the RP, not widen it.
"Feminism" (it's actually closer to matriarchy here) is not so much an ideal in this setting, as it just, doesn't exist. There's no need to "fight for equal rights" in a society you already rule, therefore "feminism" and anti-feminisim is a moot point.
Likewise, As for "anti-matriarchal" factions as I'll call them. Women in RW's settings are literally better than men, literally. There's no societal viewpoint that they are, they just are. Women can fuck men up without touching them, men are literally a second class of being in this setting. So, on that note, think very carefully before you try to make a men's rights group of people... they wouldn't last long.
Plus that's not the plot under discussion, it wouldn't be much use to start up a sub plot like that when the plot is focused elsewhere.
Anyway, that's the harsh bit out of the way.
What's a better plan is to just work with what the setting provides, and then, like a woman from the times before they had any rights at all, make your man like that. They could be a warden. A fighting soldier with depths of skill with a blade, but they're still going to have to deal with societies expectations of a man, and how he should be strong, dependable, a good husband, pretty/handsome, subservient to his wife, and a good cook. Then, then you can let him moan about it as his Wife goes to elder meetings and runs the country as it's attacked by an unknown evil rotting force.
1) Perhaps a woman should still be the primary caregiver, as that's purely biological, but of course, if she's rich enough she can use a wet nurse and avoid the husband having to go and get a job for a while.A subject that Welian saw fit for me to put over here. And something to hopefully kick off a bunch of questions about how society and culture works in this RP.
1. How does maternity(leave) work in RW?
If men are the primary caregivers, homemakers, and such, the one thing they can't do is feed the kid.
Meaning the mother will need to take not only pregnancy leave, but also an extended leave to nurse the child. The whole shebang could be up a 1.5 to 2 years, depending on when she wants to ween the child.
Now during this time, would the male be at home taking care of the child while handing her to the mother only to nurse?
Would the mother care and nurse the child while the husband goes off to work in her absence until weened?
Though i could see wet nurses being a pretty common profession to get around that issue.
2. How does engagement work?
Obviously, we can most likely say that women are the ones who pop the question. As well as, women are likely the ones going on the prowl for a hot piece of ass. And even though women are in control, the societal relationship between men and women, as I am lead to believe, is on good terms. And while we could go the route of a more dominant sort of engagement, such as marks or adornments. I offer something different. And the reasonings behind it could vary, but I will just give an example of a reason.
The idea I proposed for engagement was simple enough. Rather than a ring or ornament. What she gives to the man is what let's him know the worth she places in him as well as giving him a sense of purpose he might not have without being married. This engagement gift could be anything. But here are some examples of what i mean. these "rules" below should apply.
The gift should not be superficial, but instead should be something the man would hold dear and use. With thought and reason behind the gift.
For a soldier this could be a sword, one sturdy and of fine craftsmanship, so that he can outperform his fellow soldiers.
For a warden, maybe a custom armor or shield from a witchy wife. So that she can protect him as he has always tried to do for her.
For a farmer, perhaps a fine horse or tool, so that he can better apply himself to his trade.
For a builder or engineer, perhaps a set of tools well beyond the quality that he might normally be able to get ahold of.
Even a homemaker, perhaps a fine set of clothes, or even on the extravagant side a home.
Regardless of the occupation or the man, the general theme of the engagement gift is for it to be heartfelt, and that it is something the man can make use of in a way that benefits their relationship. With thought and effort put into it.
This, of course, is all based on the assumption that marriage within RW has some value to the women. And just like in today's world, the men try to impress the women, that the inverse happens here.
However if men were seen as truly worthless, then it could just as easily be said that men still are the ones who have to impress the women, since women don't need men and that only the ones who impress them should be chosen. Yet, with the lack of animosity between the sexes, and that the focus seems to be more on a switching of the roles rather than fem domination, I would think this particular course would not work as well.
This brings us to
3. How do women and men treat each other, in and out of courtship?
Rather than going on a long explanation, I will instead just ask a series of question to get thoughts rolling. Some may have already been answered or brought up, but I forgot.
Are the females the instigators of courtship?
Would they be the ones trying to impress the men?
Would they be the ones flirting while the men try to shake it off and save themselves for a worthy woman?
In child rearing, would the father be seen as having the more important role of caring and teaching their children as well as being responsible?
Would men be given any favor under the law in a way to protect or account for them being the "lesser gender"?
Would women protect their men from being disrespected?
Would it be rude to hit a man?
Would men be allowed to slap women that touch their butts?
Are men treated respectfully by hosts? Including, but not limited to, holding doors open for men, pulling a chair out for them, etc.
When warriors come about, do they spare the men and children?
Would gentleman's clubs be replaced by ladies clubs?
Would sports be a past time dominated by females with males only having a select few appropriate for them to join? And what sorts would that be?
Do women have to carry their men across the threshold?
What qualities of men do women look for in this society?
What qualities of women do men look for?
Are men expected to act certain ways, such as more subdued, as well as societal restraints of dignity and how to act like a proper gentleman?
What would be considered a proper gentleman?
How are the tastes of society? For example, are women known for drinking whisky and beer while the men favor drinks like wine and tea? Or have the tastes changed to reflect the switching of roles?
Do girls pull the ponytails of cute boys they sit behind in class?
welian
1) Perhaps a woman should still be the primary caregiver, as that's purely biological, but of course, if she's rich enough she can use a wet nurse and avoid the husband having to go and get a job for a while.
2) I love this idea, as expressed in Discord.
3) I think that, in initiating courtship, men would still have to impress women, as that would be stemming purely from biological factors. Same goes for the flirting and all that.
Post-weening, perhaps caregiving should be taken over by the man, as women would be the breadwinners.
I'm not really familiar with such laws, perhaps you could explain further?
Yes, they would protect them, out of love and image concerns.
Maybe it wouldn't be rude to hit a man, as they're meant to be tough and burly.
Not sure on slapping and butt-touching.
I doubt they'd be treated as respectfully as women by hosts, and they're meant to be tough, thick-skinned, etc.
They would spare the children. As a man is meant to be big and tough, they could still pose a threat, especially since there are so many males in jobs like the Wardens.
Sports would vary. Men would dominate in more physical pursuits as that's just biology.
Is the threshold some archaic marriage thing? I've never heard of it before.
Men should definitely be seen as emotionally duller, expected to shut up and take it, be thick-skinned, stoic, etc.
A proper gentleman is a restrained, strong, stoic man who respects his wife.
I imagine tastes would be the same, as women are still meant to seem more sophisticated.
They totally do I love this idea.
Keep in mind, since all the leaders and bosses and bigwigs are woman, many of whom are mothers, attitudes around childcare are much more lenient and sympathetic than historical IRL. Pregnancy is pretty damn romanticized in this world as well, many people think that children are a gift from the goddesses, and that it's a very noble sacrifice to give up your magic to bring another life into this world - especially since magic in this world cannot heal or create life. No one would blink twice, I think, about a witch disappearing for two years after her service is up because she's gone and starting a family and needs to nurse the kids. It might even be seen as analogous to a sabbatical.How does maternity(leave) work in RW?
I really like your idea about pragmatic engagement gifts! IIRC, some of these traditions stem from the age of the dowry. For those of you reading along who might not be in the know, a dowry is a gift of money or goods (such as livestock or gold) given to the groom from the bride's family. I forget the finer details, but the idea is that since women were traditionally seen as a less valuable addition to a household (or even a drain on resources), a dowry was given to the groom to offset the cost of the bride's existence. Although, in some cultures, it's instead/also seen as a gift that the bride can easily liquidate in case of financial emergency.How does engagement work?
Usually, yes. Upper classes and nobility, it would be shockingly rude for a man to make the first move and make his affections openly known. Lower classes, fancy manners don't manner as much, and you end up with like... farm and shepherd culture where it's usual for the woman to instigate, but not unheard of and not really a negative thing for men to instigate, unless the family is super conservative.Are the females the instigators of courtship?
God, I hope so.Would they be the ones trying to impress the men?
At least in the middle to upper classes!Would they be the ones flirting while the men try to shake it off and save themselves for a worthy woman?
Yes! Fair is fair, and I think this setting should have a much, much larger emphasis on paternal figures as foundational to the family.In child rearing, would the father be seen as having the more important role of caring and teaching their children as well as being responsible?
Yes, the man usually have special protections, especially against magical abuse. It's uncouth to attack a person in a manner in which they cannot defend. Women should never raise their wand to a man, and a man should never raise his hand to a woman..Would men be given any favor under the law in a way to protect or account for them being the "lesser gender"?
Yeeeep.Would women protect their men from being disrespected?
It depends. I hate to say it, but women in this setting get away with a shitton of abuse if they can argue that the man needed to be reminded of his station. It's unfair, and men will often get together during lunch and commiserate over not being able to fight back against a vicious wife without incurring singed hair.Would it be rude to hit a man?
Yeeaah... it depends, again. Men are physically stronger than women still, so it's not as "cute" when they fight back, unless magic is involved. That being said, if there are witnesses, and the man doesn't unreasonably escalate the physical force, than I think he'd be in the clear as far as most people are concerned. After all, a virtuous and modest man needs to protect himself!Would men be allowed to slap women that touch their butts?
Yes but no? Men are treated respectfully by hosts, but that respect isn't shown by holding open doors and pulling out chairs, per se. Those traditions are associated with the assumption that woman are physically weak and need to have things done for them, right? But here, even though women are physically weaker, they're seen as stronger because of magic. In a weird roundabout way, I can see NOT using magic in the house as a way of showing respect to the man. By not using magic, you're sort of saying "this is your turf, and I will not flaunt my power in your turf, it would be rude to appear more powerful than you even though we all know i am". What traditions do you think would make sense here?Are men treated respectfully by hosts? Including, but not limited to, holding doors open for men, pulling a chair out for them, etc.
Raiding and pillaging witches typically spare men and children, so long as the men appear to be unarmed.When warriors come about, do they spare the men and children?
Ha! Yes!Would gentleman's clubs be replaced by ladies clubs?
Dunno. Men would still be better at a lot of sports because they're still stronger, right? But we have like, lingerie football. So maybe there are "respectful" women's sports like magic dueling and fencing, and more "gimmicky" men's sports... like shirtless, oiled wrestling, that is seen as promiscuous and make negatively impact a man's reputation... but damn if he doesn't get a lot of attention from adoring female fans who want to send him gifts.Would sports be a past time dominated by females with males only havingea select few appropriate for them to join? And what sorts would that be?
No, not carry. Unless she wants to and she can. BUT, the man should always be the first to enter a new home, for sure! It's his domain! His castle!Do women have to carry their men across the threshold?
I'd imagine they'd look for a strong, quiet, hardworking man who is responsible, and careful. Cleanliness and obedience would be very important as well. A man should be well-groomed and know when to only show off just the right amount of muscle and no more - gotta leave that strength to the imagination, and let his work history and craftsmanship speak for him instead. A woman would probably not be comfortable with a "smart" man. Like, you want a husband who is smart enough to take care of the house and kids, but if he's too smart... he'll start asking questions about magic, and that's not right.What qualities of men do women look for in this society?
I think men as a whole in this setting are a bit more metrosexual than what we'd consider typical for the archetypal high fantasy setting. Men who are "tomgirls", that is, effeminate and act more like women, are hit-and-miss - some women might be amused or especially like a femme man who tries to elevate himself to a woman's level. Other woman might disapprove and think it's unmanly for him to reject traditionally masculine interests, and how on earth will he find a wife at this rate? But yeah, men are expected to defer to a woman's judgement in this setting, even it goes against something the man is perfectly competent in. Woman-splaining is totally a thing. Men who aren't remotely interested in helping raise children as seen as odd.Are men expected to act certain ways, such as more subdued, as well as societal restraints of dignity and how to act like a proper gentleman?
Bonus: instant respect for a man, if he outwits a woman with a sarcastic and witty response. Double bonus points if a bitchy woman was flirting with him and he shot her down. Triple bonus points if he happens to be holding a wooden object that he can snap in half, such as a broom or wooden cutlery or something. It's totally not a visual shortcut for "I will fucking break your wand and make you the laughingstock of the village if you keep messing with me."
I'll make you co-GM.What will you give me if I can make all of the above happen in my first 10ish posts? (10 because I feel such a feat would be worthless and weightless without proper setup)
*gasp* A man co-GM?I'll make you co-GM.
You're right, I rescind my offer. King needs to wear a dress first.*gasp* A man co-GM?
Preposterous.
You're right, I rescind my offer. King needs to wear a dress first.
Smackdown!And here I thought with one so superior and secure in your femininity as yourself, that you wouldn't need men to prance about in dresses to make you feel comfortable. But you go right ahead, dear. Don't let me stop you from thinking that men make better women than women.
However, as my title suggests, I am not one to beg. If you can't handle a spirited and masculine cohort, then I can simply take my skills and talents elsewhere. There are plenty of GM's out there... but there is only one King M.F. Hink.
*breaks the broom you flew in on in twain*