Xian Romance

Marriage in Xian tends to be monogamous, albeit occasionally customs vary among small groups of refugee descendents. The wealthy will often take concubines as a show of status, with both males and females serving in the role. Goblinoid and half-goblinoid thralls are particular status items, both for their value and for their owner's obvious self-confidence in keeping such a potentially dangerous concubine.

Sexual orientation is a point of irrelevant personal minutiae to most locals. While marriage is only permitted between a man and a woman, a spouse who naturally prefers their own sex is not considered scandalous to seek companionship more to their taste, provided it's done discreetly. As such, however, it's expected that all men and women will marry. Those who reach late adulthood without having done so are generally assumed to be defective in some way as a spouse. Being an adventurer is one of the less embarrassing defects to be assumed.

In the modern decadence of the city, numerous tastes of less socially acceptable kinds are spreading throughout the city. So long as these indulgences take place behind closed doors, no loss of face is entailed. Discussing them in public, or worse yet, being seen to indulge in public is an occasion for great embarrassment, and a commoner may be hauled before a magistrate for creating a disturbance.

As a general matter, citizens of Xian are expected to comport themselves gracefully and modestly in public, with no more than a kiss or a suggestively gauzy blouse to imply their habits. Private indulgences pass without comment, but those who overstep this in public can expect to suffer for their indiscretion.

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