Heldua

The Time of Change

Among a few sentient species native to the continent of Arrhynsia, the process of becoming an adult can be quite complicated, involving not just sexual reproductive maturity, but also the ability to work magic. This is particularly true for species where the ability to work magic has been viewed quite favorably, and natural selection by females preferring males who have magic working abilities for breeding partners has brought the recessive genes for the presence of a Magei System including the presence of a mageiakysti to be a persistent and racially defining characteristic. Sentient species where this selective breeding has occurred include elves (of all sub-breeds), dragons, and dragonborn.
All three of these species practice a secondary coming of age ceremony associated with the young person gaining their ability to perform magic at will - that is, their mageiakysti supresses the production of madrone which inhibits the use of magic while they are children. This biological and societal rite of passage which is extremely important in terms of the person's status in the society and their future abilities and limitations within it, is referred to in elven cultures as the Heldua.

Gender Differentiation

The Heldua is markedly different for females and males. Females have a well understood trigger for the onset of magical maturity, while males seem to have a great deal of variability in when they are able to perform magic at will.

Females

Females will typically begin being able to work magic when their first-born child is between six months to a year old. When the female first exhibits magical ability, she is taken by her female relatives and friends to the community's local water source. There the women will float boquets of flowers on the water and offer thanks in song.

by Terry Cassis using Imagine AI

Hymn of Women for Hedula*

Life in the darkness, as day followed day,
Light shone upon her for now and alway,
Grace in her childhood and joy in her smile,
Others for blessings, none who have guile.
Beauty in flower, as fair as the light,
Chosen and cherished and loved in the night,
Fruitful and blessed with joy in her charms,
Gift of life breathing, in cherishing arms.
Fierce as the fire, cool as the breeze,
Power incarnate to shield as she needs,
Gift of love softly to hold and protect,
Child and beloved, in safety are kept.

The young woman will demonstrate her new magic abilities, typically using transmutation to move flowers from the water and presenting each woman present with it as a gift. The women will designate a Nona who will bless the young woman and mentor her in the use of her magic. The entire community will celebrate at a feast in the young woman's honor, at which there is singing and revelry and dance. It is not uncommon for a young elven woman to find she is expecting another child shortly after her Hedula as female magic is typically opinionated on the importance of bringing forth children.
Inherent magic working is a recessive genetic characteristic, and while the elves have worked hard to ensure that all their people manifest the genes on both sides, occasionally, a young woman will not manifest any magic working abilities. When that occurs, her mate is allowed to take a second mate should he desire to do so, although he is not permitted to abandon her or her children.
(*sung to the tune of "Be Thou My Vision")

Males

Unlike females, males have readily identifiable biological triggers that reliably invoke their magic abilities in the normal course of events though fully half will spontaneously experience Hedula by the age of 20. For the remainder, the ability to work magic does usually emerge when the young man is placed in high pressure life and death situations. Since males are not permitted to take a mate until after Hedula, a young man will often find a mature (magic working) female sponsor and request a quest or trial to invoke his magic working abilities. The elder men in the community who have been through the trial/quest process themselves will determine if a trial is warrented. Typically, the elders will not allow a trial/quest until a young man is over the age of twenty five as the trial/quest is extremely dangerous and is not necessary if the young man's magic abilities manifest spontaneously which happens for large proportions of the male population.
A trial usually consists of surviving in a hostile wilderness setting for a period of two weeks, subsisting on the land, having no weaponry, no fire, and no clothing except that which he wears on his back when he begins the trial. The men will blindfold, gag and bind the young man, then carry him to the location where he will be left alone, bound. The binding is not sufficient to keep him immobilized for more than a day, typically less, but that period is extremely dangerous as the young man is defenseless against any predators who may find him. Most young men who die during their trials (about 10%) do so during the binding period. It is also the period in which their native magic use abilities are highly likely to be triggered.
When a young man returns alive from his trial, whether his magic abilities have manifested or not, a celebration is thrown, and should he so desire, his female sponsor will move into his residence, engaging in sexual activity with him for a period of six months, and using her magic to ensure that she will not have children. If the female is unmated and both are agreeable, and the young man's magical abilities have manifested, they will be mated. If his magic has not manifested, or if they do not desire to be mated, or if the woman is already mated, she will return to her previous residence after six months. The vast majority of young men who go through a trial will acquire their magic abilities and will take a mate shortly after Hedula. For the very few who are not successful, they are allowed to repeat the trial up to twice, with a minimum of five years spacing between attempts. Until they are successful in manifesting their magic abilities, they will not be permitted to take a mate or father children, and are not considered desirable sexual partners.

The Effects of Hedula

This formalized tradition of enforcing selective breeding has ensured that the elven hereditary lines breed true with native magic working abilities. Other species, such as dwarves, half breeds, kobolds, haflings and goblins manifest magic working as a rareity. Humans, interestingly, have gone through significant gyrations to breed inherent magic working into their bloodlines, most notably in pre-cataclysm times through the institution of the Arcane Brothel associated with the University of the Arcane.