What cults forbid marriage and/or require celibacy?

[Scorus]

In another thread, Richard clarifies from the upcoming cults book that Babeester Gor initiates cannot marry but are not required to be celibate, as they can have children (which they give away).

What other cults DO require initiates or priests to not marry? Which ones require celibacy?

The only ones I see in RQG are Maran Gor G-T must not marry and Priestesses must be celibate (not including geases and restrictions on who one can marry). But over the years I've seen interpretations that include some kinds of marriage or sex restrictions for several cults including Chalana Arroy, Humakt, Babeester Gor, Lhankor Mhy, some of the Seven Mothers, etc.

[Leingod]

Several cults that incorporate individualized geasa/taboos often seem to include celibacy or some other restriction on sex or marriage as a possibility. It's one of the possible four taboos for a Golden Bow shaman, and the cult of Yelmalio has celibacy requirements of five different levels of severity that can be imposed upon them (every Fireday, every Truth Week, every Fire Season, all of the above, and total celibacy), plus the "never love any but Earth cultists" geas, depending on how you interpret that (that is, would a loveless marriage with a non-Earth cultist count?).

EDIT: Also, Light Priests can't marry after they're ordained, but preexisting marriages are fine... unless they're married to an Earth cultist, in which case they have to divorce exactly five years later, symbolizing the sundering of Sky from Earth when Air drove them apart (i.e. Orlanth stealing Ernalda from Yelmalio). This also leads to the ritual of the "Three Blows of Anger," where in revenge Yelmalio struck down three of Orlanth's allies, and which is recreated when the divorcing Light Priest slaughters some random prisoners ("prisoners" sometimes being "whoever we can grab," as Biturian Varosh found out) who happen to be members of Orlanth-aligned cults like the Lightbringers.

Edited February 19, 2021 by Leingod

[Trotsky]

I am interested in shaman - do they generally follow the traditions of their cults and marry and raise children or does this vary between different spirit cults?

 

[jajagappa]

7 hours ago, Scorus said:

What other cults DO require initiates or priests to not marry? Which ones require celibacy?

Dayzatar, I believe, and possibly Ourania.

[soltakss]

According to the Cults Compendium, but these might have changed:

• Rune Lords of Storm Bull can only marry Priestesses of Eiritha, may marry many but cannot have concubines (p70)
• Rune Priests of Storm Bull may only marry members of associate cults and may only take concubines from member of friendly cults (p71)
• Waha Rune Lords may not marry a woman not a Priestess of Eiritha or her associate goddesses (p76)
• Waha Rune Priests may not marry foreign women (p77)
• Rune Priestesses of Eiritha may not marry Lay Members of Waha (p83)
• Rune Lords of the Seven Mothers cannot take anyone as a permanent wife or husband (p97)
• Lay Members of Yelorna must receive permission to marry from their High Priestess (p123)
• Initiates of Yelorna may not marry and must break and marriage vows taken before initiation (p123)
• Unicorn Riders of Yelorna must be virgins pledged to celibacy (p123)
• Shield Maidens of Yelorna may not marry but do not need to be celibate (p124)
• Rune Ladies of Yelorna may marry, but not of a Unicorn Rider or Shield Maiden, may only marry once and may only marry an earth or sky priest, if already married she can keep her husband if he is an earth or sky initiate and must divorce if the husband has not become a priest after two years and cannot marry again. (p125)
• Rune Lords of Yelmalio may not marry a member of another cult, except a priestess of an earth cult (p137)
• Priests of Yelmalio cannot marry, but can remain married if married beforehand. If their current spouse if an initiate or rune level in an earth cult they must divorce after 5 years. (p137)
• Rune Lords of Kyger Litor may not only have one spouse but must marry two at a time, neither can be a priestess of Kyger Litor but can be a priestess of an associate, friendly or neutral cult(p180)
• Rune Lords of Caladra & Aurelion may marry members of any friendly cult but not priests or priestesses of Caladra & Aurelion (p226)
• Acolytes of Caladra & Aurelion may marry members of any friendly cult but not priests or priestesses of Caladra & Aurelion (p226)
• Priests of Caladra & Aurelion may marry members of any friendly cult but not lords, priests or priestesses of Caladra & Aurelion (p226)
• Rune Lords of Krarsht may only marry Initiates and higher of Krarsht (p316)
• Priests of Krarsht may only marry Initiates and higher of Krarsht (p316)