Originally Posted by
ObsidianFire
It would probably depend on if breaking the tradition led to that particular Xaela being stronger then if they hadn't broken the tradition. The Xaela value strength as much as the Garleans do (and have been doing so for much longer). So if doing something makes them weak, they probably aren't going to want to do it. If doing something nontraditional leads to them becoming stronger as a whole, I can see them deciding that is going to be the new tradition just fine.
While the Xaela do uphold traditions, the oldest tradition is to be strong (for whatever definition of strength the differing tribes use). I get the idea the worry isn't so much that people are following traditions in and of themselves, but that they won't end up being strong enough in the eyes of the Xaela around them. How they go about proving they are strong seems to differ by tribe (what the Dotharl see as strength vs what the Oronir see as strength).
There's also at least fifty tribes. So I could see Xaela that don't like their tribes' traditions not so much getting kicked out of their tribe as leaving it for another tribe that has a definition or standard of strength they like better. We see at least one Mol getting married to people outside of her tribe because the gods told her to do that, so it looks like switching tribes is something that does happen.