Moldbreaking
"Within each child lies potential and dreams we cannot possibly measure or expect. We, as the ones who come before, must hold them up on our weathered shoulders, and allow them to pierce the layers higher and higher, until they pierce the very skies."Dwarves are seen as full adults at the age of 21, and there is a whole slew of possibilities for them afterward. Over the centuries, Dwarves have led innovation and discovery in more industries than can be reasonably counted, so there are a million paths for a young Dwarf to walk down. So, those closest to them, including themselves, perform an act of half-divination, half-prayer, in order to wish the best for the future and all its myriad paths. That is Moldbreaking, also known as BrismĂșnlaigh, and it's a popular activity for those big 21st birthdays. Not only is it an act of divination to bless the child-becoming-adult with various qualities and desires, but it's also a symbolic promise to shed who they were before in favor of their new self in the future.
History
This particular tradition seems to have gotten its start as a divination ritual, in which clay tablets were consulted and broken in various fashions. Over the years, it transferred from a tool to see the future to a tool for praying toward the future, especially as the Mother Dragons' Faith became more powerful across Agartha. It wasn't until the dawn of the Eternal Era that it became a popular birthday activity, roughly 1000 years ago, but it quickly took off in popularity and form, being widely used to even non-Agarthan dwarves across Edda.
Execution
In its modern interpretations, Moldbreaking is only a small portion of a larger 21st birthday party, similar to blowing the candles off a cake. The intended person takes the ceremonial tablet and shatters it with a hammer. Some parties include a prize of some sort within the tablet, or have a layer of chocolate inside as a treat afterward. It might only be a small part of the wider celebration, but for many, it is one of the most key components of what it represents.
Components and tools
The key component of the Moldbreaking is the ceremonial tablet. It begins with two clay tablets crafted by the parents of the adult-to-be, who inscribe wishes and prayers for their child onto them, sometimes as long poems but usually as just singular words or phrases. The child in question will also make one of these, designed to go in the center, for what they wish for themselves in the future. Other family members or parental figures usually get in on the action with smaller plates that go in between the three main ones, especially in the modern fashion where they store presents within.
Once it's all assembled and forged, the tablet is stored until their birthday, during which they will break it. After it's been broken, some people take the broken pieces and see which words have remained whole, supposedly meaning they will come to be true, or which can be recreated, meaning they will require more work to achieve.
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