Prostitution

In general, prostitution is tolerated by the men of Ymirea. It is quite common for young men to lose their virginity at a brothel, and for men of all ages to frequent them. Noblemen often keep concubines and war wives.

In the Free Kingdoms, prostitution is regarded as a fact of life, but frequenting prostitutes and keeping concubines should be done discreetly, and should not go at the expense of one's wife needs and rights.

Clemencians, with their polygynic ways, see concubines and prostitutes as just one more example of female chattel.

The barbarous men of Bôth frown on all secular prostitution, maintaining that only temples are fit places for the sale of sexual favours.

Governments tax brothels eagerly, and play an intricate game of cat and mouse with hetairae and other freelancers.

Dicteriades: The dicteriades are the common whores. Brothels are also known as dicteria. Dicteriades have little or no proper training in eroticism or the arts, and their main qualifications are being female and not too old. They mostly lead squalid lives as streetwalkers or in brothels, usually most of their meagre earnings are taken by pimps or madams.

Auletrides ("flute-players") are far above the dicteriades. They are trained in reparterie and erotic technique, as well as in music, singing, dancing and stripping. Auletrides often have above-average appearances. Auletrides may be hired to entertain at parties, as well as for more sordid purposes.

Most auletrides have been apprenticed at a young age, usually they are pretty girls from poor families who are bought by madams and trained for years.

Accomplished auletrides may be showered with gold and jewels by enthusiastic patrons. What distinguishes an auletride from a hetaira (see below) is that while they may grow famous and rich, auletrides remain sextoys and arm-candy, without the refinement and social presentability of hetairae.

Hetairae: The hetairae are true divas. Renowned for their beauty, charm, wit and elegance, the hetairae are fit companions for nobles and princes, as well as rich merchants and the higher clergy. Hetairae are risen auletrides or fallen noblewomen, in addition to being beautiful, they tend to be intelligent and well-educated.

A hetaira will usually have at most six or seven lovers, whom she attends to at separated days of the week, and whom all pay her a monthly salary. A hetaira is not someone to be hidden away, she often accompanies her patrons at public functions or acts as a hostess to their guests.

The mark of a hetaira is a yellow veil, but they wear pretty much what they like: Outrageously cut dresses, exceedingly high-heeled clogs and shoes and profuse makeup. Some hetairae even crossdress.

Hetairae run their own households, have servants and guards, and tend to own both property and stock. Hetairae are often artistic, writing songs, poetry and novels. They have also been known to dabble in politics.

The hetairae's life is not without its downsides however; They are separated from most other members of their sex, as respectable women will have nothing to do with them, and other hetairae regard them as competition. If they contract veneral disease they are doomed, and slighted patrons (or patrons who believe their hetaira has infected them with VD) may subject them to mutilation, murder or gang rape...

Catamites are young boys kept by pederasts. The term is also used for male prostitutes, most of them resemble dicteriades. In the Cargan Empire and in Haram, catamites are quite common, are socially accepted and may be as trained as auletrides, In Clemencia and the Free Kingdoms, as well as in Algica, catamites lead a perilous existence, condemned by sacral and secular authorities.