Editing Dolsia (section)

=== Romance ===
In the early days of Dolsia, all marriages were arranged. With the small population they started out with, this was a practical necessity--as well as giving certain families leverages in leadership, thus leading to the aristocracy Dolsia still has today. To help facilitate these arranged marriages and allow the bride and groom to get to know each other, long periods of courtship were a prerequisite. A good show of courtship showed a willingness to cooperate and helped ensure a prosperous match. Nowadays, arranged marriages have fallen out of fashion--although they are still practiced in more traditional families--but the art of courtship remains alive and well. 

Courtship typically takes place after a couple becomes engaged but before marriage. These days, it's moreso a game and a way for a couple to celebrate their love. During courtship, the couple embodies a pair of archetypes and plays out a traditional Dolsian love story. There are a number of stories for couples to choose from, but some examples include:

* The Lovers: The most obvious archetype. Couples exchange small, sweet gifts, write love notes, and spend a lot of quality time together.
* The Rivals: An archetype for lovers with a shared interest. Each lover makes loud proclamations of superiority over the other about a shared interest or skill, and they host some sort of duel or competition that allows them to showcase their ability as a public spectacle.
* The Princess and the Dancer: An archetype that's all about the chase. The Princess plays hard to get, while the Dancer puts on increasingly grand shows to get her attention. Sometimes, he brings in his friends to help, but it almost always ends with the pair dancing together.
* The Archivist and the Coquette: Similar to the Princess and the Dancer, except in this one, it's far more about banter. The lovers pretend not to know each other, and the Coquette wins over the Archivist with her enticing conversation.
* The Maiden and the Turncoat: An archetype for more private couples. The Turncoat seeks out silent, secret trysts with the Maiden. In a perfect performance of this archetype, no one knows they courted at all.
* The Architect in the Cold: Far less roleplay-based, in this archetype, the Architect makes a home or designs a room perfect to the desires of his lover. The lover comes in when it's done and judges if it's to be a suitable home for them. 
* The Happenstance Singers: Each lover embarks on a journey through Dolsia, ending at a common meeting place. When they arrive at their chosen destination, they sing, and use that song to find each other.
* The Debutante and the Dressmaker: This archetype can involve many aspects of mutual grooming, from baths to clothing design to hair brushing to nail care, all that and more. It's all about making the Debutante feel pampered, comfortable, and beautiful, whatever that means to them. This archetype is one of the few where it's very common to see the couple switch roles and perform it again.
* The Chef and the Starved: In spite of the name, in this archetype, the couple typically works together to cook a number of meals. The meals are all extravagant: it's a time for a couple to make a feast of their dream meals. Friends and family are invited to eat and sometimes help with the meals.
* The Fallen: This archetype is rarely seen anymore, given how few caelians are capable of flight these days. In this, the Dolsians fly up to the top of the cave, then let themselves fall while holding each other. They fall for as long as they can safely, then pull away and separate sharply.

Courtship archetypes are chosen based on what the couple would most enjoy. If it's not fun for both parties, then it's a failure of a courtship. Some prefer to talk out and plan out the whole process, while other couples are more spontaneous about it. While there are traditionally female and male roles, that matters very little in practice. Crossdressing and gender performance are very typical, and often taken to such extremes it could qualify as drag. Dressing as extravagantly as possible--even crossing the line into silliness--is an expected part of many archetypes. Ultimately, roles are flavored to the individual's tastes and personalities. For example, in "The Princess and the Dancer", the Dancer may choose a different skillset to display to woo the Princess. Fighting is a very common variant for this one.