The Establishment of the T.I.F.
or
A Look at Sexuality in Carador
by Lady Emily
The T.I.F., of course, is a “tumble in the furs”. More specifically, it is rather noncommittal sex, usually between friends. As it is rumored to be a somewhat common practice today, most of us take it for granted that the T.I.F. has always existed. But that is not exactly the case.
For most of Caradorian history, sexuality has been the subject of rather strict taboos.
Let’s begin in Masalla, for it was in that esteemed province that the noble concept of sexuality began to really confuse things.
Name was all important there, or rather family lineage. And so with the establishment of land ownership and title, it suddenly became extremely important to know who your parents were. Because there were no effective methods to control getting pregnant save abstinence, the choice was an easy one – young people were simply denied sexual relations until they were married.
It is difficult to say just how this policy was first received, but history does tell us that it was strictly enforced, often with loss of title if virginity was not protected. The burden of this stricture fell upon the women, for it could be more easily ascertained whether or not they were maidens on their wedding night. Besides, in a male-dominated culture, it was a forgivable offense if a young man ‘fell to passion’ once or twice before he was wed. A woman who did the same, of course, was ‘ruined’.
This stricture leaked down into the lesser classes over time, since the nobility were more apt to respect, and thus give benefits to, lower people who behaved according to ‘noble virtues’.
During the Masallan expansion, this stricture was carried upon the ships to provinces such as Moraithe, Velsuna, and the New and Old Worlds. Sexuality outside of marriage became more and more taboo, and in some locales, such as Velsuna, sexuality in any form began to be seen as improper and unclean. Doubtless this sprang from the thwarted desires of the nobility, who, in their frustration, could only say that the act was somehow wrong.
How then, have we come to our modern times, when twylahs enjoy free practice of their trade, and commoners are known for their rather frivolous habits?
For as long as can be remembered, even back in Masalla (and this accounted for much of their ill reputation), the gypsies have enjoyed a free and open sexual lifestyle. This was due, primarily, the use of herbs which decreased a woman’s fertility to the point where she could sleep with someone every night with little fear of getting pregnant.
It was only a matter of time until the gypsy secret became known to others.
Because it would have met with scathing resistance in Masalla, the recipes initially were marketed for public use in Masalla’s first territory – Moraithe.
Although the noble class condoned the use of ‘herbs’ (as they soon were referred to), the free-spirited lifestyle of the Moraithians, where one hardly needed do anything but pick fruit from wild trees in order to live, quickly made the use of herbs commonplace. Moraithe’s reputation as a place of ‘loose morals’ spread swiftly.
As other territories became their own provinces, the new rulers did their best to keep herbs out of their realms, fearing to earn the reputation that Moraithe had. But the market for the concoction was too great, and provincial leaders battled between the decision to allow the herbs to seep into the market, or outlaw them altogether.
Velsuna outlawed them, as did the Goddards here on the Old World. On the New World, Faol and Casara outlawed the mixture (it is still so in both holdings), while Cuan, Auralae, and, of course, Antara, made the herbs readily available.
Queen Lillian complicated matters, for upon the establishment of her reign, the ban on herbs (along with thousands of other laws) was eradicated, and people were free to make their own decisions regarding sexuality.
Thus was born a revolution in sexuality which challenged established cultural ideas constantly. Was affection in public an acceptable practice? How much promiscuity was too much? And what happened when the herbs failed, and a baby was made despite the efforts of the woman?
It’s a revolution that is, even now, in the process of solidification. On one extreme are those who still hold to noble values, and stress the importance of maintaining a virtuous lifestyle, not in order to protect lineage so much as to promote discipline, honor, and virtue for its own sake. On the other extreme are those who have plunged into the new sexual freedom with tremendous fervor, sometimes to the extent of public displays of impropriety. Although the guards of various cities have been seen to step in when a display becomes too offensive, most such displays are moderated by surrounding people.
A sage friend of mine, Lajaad, had this to say.
“Sexuality is a complicated subject. Many feel that our sexual habits have a profound effect upon our other social habits. That sexuality is the root of morality. And that if we grant freedom, people will be completely out of control. But the stories we hear of rampant, loose sexuality are heard mostly because they are dramatic – most of these are actually isolated incidents. If you do your research, you’d find that in fact, most people still believe in rather monogamous and romantic ideals of sexuality, equating it with love, and holding to rather strict values concerning who they do or don’t sleep with. If things are really out of control, it’s among certain groups in the large cities, many of whom are not even acting upon their own moral structure, due either to the potent social pressures present today, or to other effects, such as drug use or need of gold.”
How the morality of sexuality will continue to grow is among the many intriguing subjects we can watch today, as Queen Lillian’s Renaissance continues to affect the minds and souls of people everywhere. But for now, we can be sure that some people will continue to practice “Moraithian Morality”, while others look down and criticize from afar.