Avvar: General Culture

Marriage and relationships
Permanence is a foreign concept to the Avvar. Nothing in the Frostbacks stays the same forever, and nothing in Avvar life is permanent either. Avvar settlements are temporary (apart from the holds and the closest villages to them - even then the individual Avvar themselves are often not stationary); their agreements are temporary; even their marriages are temporary.

When two Avvars get married, during the ceremony the bride will sing a hymn to a select god while the groom attempts to undo a series of knots in a long rope. The number of knots the groom manages to undo will determine the years that the marriage will last. Therefore, it is not uncommon for an Avvar to have more than one marriage in their life.

Avvarian Holds and Marriage
Since each Avvar hold is made up of several extended family clans, Avvars often have to marry outside their hold to avoid their relatives. This is seen as a good thing, for it brings in new blood and extends the ties among Avvars. Avvar men go about securing brides by kidnapping them. This is partially arranged in advance by approaching the elders of the target clan and announcing one’s intention. Failure to do so can lead to a blood feud.

Once permission has been given, a warrior is expected to prove his skill by slipping into the hold and removing his new bride. A warrior who is caught on his first try can expect a severe beating, but nothing worse. If he is caught again on the second try, though, he is likely to become lunch for the clan’s sacred animal. Avvarian men may approach a lady directly if they wish to secure her agreement (or assistance), whilst some Avvar women make it known that they desire a specific man.

Avvars are expected to put loyalty to hold before blood. Even a kidnapped bride is expected to renounce her former ties and cleave to her new clan. Indeed, her old clan and family are forever-after slightly suspicious of her, even if she was taken against her will.

Trade
Between villages: generally if there is a shaman present they will determine a fair trade between Thanes. However, in the absence of a shaman the Thane and a visiting proxy can deal. The idea is to trade what is needed and respect the resources of the other tribe. Conflict is often over broken trade agreements and resources, especially in the winter months and during bad weather. When resources are low the Avvar tend to raid the lowlands or war with each other over resources.

The Holds have stores where villages can go to trade and ask for what they need. The Elders determine this case by case.

Exiles
On occasion an Avvar who committed a crime will be exiled instead of punished or killed. The exact nature of the exile can vary, depending on the crime and the ones that determine the punishment. Since Avvar don’t believe in permanence, exiles can last from less than ten years to more than thirty or even a lifetime in rare cases. There are two different forms of exile for the Avvar. Being exiled from a specific hold or tribe means that one is banned to enter their holds or settlements vicinity, but one may be allowed to stay with other tribes or holds if their thanes give permission. A much rarer alternative is being marked as ‘Unwanted’. The ones that receive the mark are not tolerated by any tribe or hold. This punishment is considered equal, if not worse, than death, and the harsh conditions in the mountains often lead to a lonely death for those marked. The mark is rarely chosen as punishment, likely in cases where a quick death is considered too merciful.

Exceptions to this are shamans. Since they already spent most of their life wandering around the mountains and visit different tribes, a simple exile is often not considered much of a punishment. This does not mean that there are many marked shamans to be found, but those that are exiled normally receive the mark. The mark itself is a simple tattoo; three vertical red stripes, about an inch and a half in length, under the exiles eye, normally the left.