Summer Rite
The Summer Rite is an Elven ritual recognized most famously in the Mastery of Annwyth, though it is also observed by Elves in the Kingdom of Tenebron and other lands where Elves are found in notable numbers. Held on the Summer Solstice, all Elves who reached the age of 22 that year-- The year of physical maturity among Elvenkind --are presented traditionally to the city of Tirna on Annwyth, though this may be substituted for other public locales like Tide's Shadow. After being welcomed into society, newly-adult Elves are encouraged to intermingle and celebrate their maturity, giving thanks to the land and the spirits of their ancestors for granting them life through them. The Summer Rite also represents the severance of the bond between a parent and their child, letting the child live their own life outside of their dependency. It is the most important Elven coming of age ceremony.
For many young Elves, the Summer Rite is their first true introduction to other Elves their age. As a result, many Kindred Bonds are usually found during the Rite, to the delight of many. Female Elves who have gone through the Summer Rite are considered appropriate for courtship and marriage, and any who have not are not considered to be available. It is very frowned upon to attempt to court a woman who has not had her Rite yet, as these Elves are still seen as immature.
If an Elf is born after the Summer Solstice, in the autumn and early winter months, they will participate in the following Summer Rite. If an Elf does not participate in the Rite due to illness, absence, or other extreme circumstances, they are not considered adults by Elvenkind and must participate in the next Rite as soon as possible to earn this recognition. If no parent or guardian is available to participate, an honoured stand-in may be selected.
After the Rite is complete, a young Elf is considered mature and is afforded much more freedom by their family and their people. They may be employed and own property on Annwyth, and can be married and have children. These legal ramifications associated with the Rite are usually only observed by the Mastery, and in other parts of Alatoria the Rite is less a lawful entitlement and more a cultural ritual.
History
Like almost all Elven tradition and mythos, the origins of the Summer Rite is shrouded in mystery and unknowns. It may have originated with the ancient Fae, who lived even longer lives than their Elven descendants and surely valued the maturity of their kind in the same way.
The Rite also might have had ancient fertility implications, though now it is more of a formality between kin. Ancient writing and depictions of the Summer Rite support the scholarship of it once having a greater emphasis on mateship and romance, sharing similarities with a Human debutante ball. Over time, and under the cultivation of the Mastery, the Rite became less-focused on childbearing and partnership and more on the community as a whole.
Execution
Each Summer Rite is the same as the last, following the same steps that have been practiced since the beginning of living memory. Elves participating in the Rite that year are isolated from the rest of the preparations and the guests, and are only permitted to see their family. They are to fast the day and night before the rite, only permitted water, and their parents and caretakers must seek out the branch and stone their children will carry during the Rite whilst their charges cleanse their bodies. It is unofficial tradition to bathe in salt water before the Rite, to wash away the struggles of childhood, though this is usually only seen in Tenebron.
At sunrise, with branch and stone in hand and dressed in clothes woven from plants, so no living thing died for their garments, the partaking Elves will gather and see one another for the first time, and will enter the chosen clearing for the Rite, witnessed by the denizens who helped raise them and the rest of the observing town and leadership. Each Elf will be blessed by their parents, and let go by their family to begin their own life. This is seen as a symbolic severing, as many children still keep up with their family after the Rite, though staying with them after the severance is very unusual. After each Elf is 'released' from their parents, the revelry begins, and the participants are free to feast and drink and dance until sundown.
It is not official tradition, but an expected side-effect that so many young and of-age Elves together will find Kindred Bonds among another. Though sex and intimacy is not a part of the Rite traditionally, a descent into extravagant voyeurism and hedonistic practice is common on Annwyth, and not observed typically elsewhere.
Components and tools
Each Elf participating in the Rite is given a tree branch, taken from the earth they were born on, and a stone from the closest body of water. Both of these items are procured for the Elf by their mother or father or guardian. The branch is to keep the Elf connected to the land they came from, and the stone is to represent the new lands they might visit, carried there by oceans and rivers. The branch and stone are meant to stay with the Elf for the rest of their lives, and many families display theirs prominently in their homes.
Another key part of the Rite is the clothes. Elves may only wear dresses and tunics spun from plant fiber, because the Rite is a celebration of life and should carry no trace of death, even an animal's. This is also why meat is not traditionally served at the Rite. Only herbivorous offerings are provided, though usually in great quantity.
Participants
The participants of the Summer Rite are exclusively Elves who have turned 22 the year of the Rite. Elves born after the solstice must participate in the following Rite, and if any Elf has not yet had the Rite but is passed the age of maturity, they are permitted to participate as well. Usually, only other Elves are permitted to observe the Rite, though non-Elves may be invited at specific request. In the actual Rite, only an Elf and their family truly participate, as other guests serve as witnesses to testify to an Elf's maturity.
Observance
The Summer Rite is religiously observed on Annwyth, with each Rite a grand affair hosted by the Mastery Council each solstice. Large elven populations in the Kingdom of Tenebron and the Cyrhan Republic also observe the Rite, though with less pomp and circumstance. In the event it is only one or two singular Elven families observing the Rite in any given area, the affair may be held at home away from prying eyes and is treated more as a quiet celebration than grand party.
Summer Rite by minervamagicka
A Cyrhani Elf performing the Summer Rite
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