First Blood
The ritual of First Blood is as old as trollish culture. A young person who is to become an adult is brought into the fold by hunting for their tribe or learning their role in it. Though the writing assumes that most hunters are male and most villagers are female, since there is little sexual dimorphism among trolls, there are also few gender roles, and any gender can fit into either role.
History
For as long as the Ice trolls have gathered in tribes, they have observed this ritual. Even given its long history, the trolls have changed it little since its inception.
Execution
The execution of the ritual depends on whether they troll is a hunter or villager.
For a hunter, on the first full moon following the youth's 13th birthday, the hunter's family takes him on a hunt which the youth leads. The youth is ritually marked by the tribe's witchdoctor with red ochre signifying the blood of the prey, then they are given a spear and shield and with any who will join them, they set off to bring down prey. The larger and/or more dangerous the prey, the greater the omen of the young hunter's success. The blood of the prey is collected and brought to the witchdoctor.
For a villager, the village's women collect the youth on the first full moon following her 13th birthday, or first menstration, whichever comes first. They are taken to the home of the witchdoctor, who slaughters one of the village livestock and reads omens in its entrails. The blood of the slaughtered livestock is also collected by the witchdoctor.
In either event, the blood is poured over the head of the new adult then omens are read in the patterns it forms on their bodies and in the snow. These omens will determine the young adult's course in their village and hunting party.
Afterward a feast of the slaughter is held.
For a hunter, on the first full moon following the youth's 13th birthday, the hunter's family takes him on a hunt which the youth leads. The youth is ritually marked by the tribe's witchdoctor with red ochre signifying the blood of the prey, then they are given a spear and shield and with any who will join them, they set off to bring down prey. The larger and/or more dangerous the prey, the greater the omen of the young hunter's success. The blood of the prey is collected and brought to the witchdoctor.
For a villager, the village's women collect the youth on the first full moon following her 13th birthday, or first menstration, whichever comes first. They are taken to the home of the witchdoctor, who slaughters one of the village livestock and reads omens in its entrails. The blood of the slaughtered livestock is also collected by the witchdoctor.
In either event, the blood is poured over the head of the new adult then omens are read in the patterns it forms on their bodies and in the snow. These omens will determine the young adult's course in their village and hunting party.
Afterward a feast of the slaughter is held.
Components and tools
The ritual requires a killed food source (usually an animal, but a good elf will do in a pinch) and its collected blood. The witchdoctor will have accoutrements to aid in their work, but these are very personal and individual to the witchdoctor in question.
Participants
Participants are the youth, their family, and the witchdoctor
Observance
These rites are observed within 1 month of the youth's 13th birthday or her first menstration/his first kill, whichever happens first.
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