Seabirth

It's a new beginning for those who need it most.

A seabirth is a ceremony practiced by individuals who, despite years of practice, do not connect well with the forms in which they were born. It is not the most common of ceremonies, but also not the most rare, and those who undergo it are hailed as brave survivors of their struggles in their former selves, who found the strength to find their new, kinder pathway forward.
It is a divine ritual, and one considered to be sacred across Laminaeles and other settlements that also practice it. Whilst it did originate as an undersea ritual, it has in recent years spread across the land-dwelling nations through traders and cultural exchanges, and is now practiced near-globally. Some cultures must adapt factors to their own idols and customs, but many still retain the exact steps of the original ritual.

History

We are those divine accidents who found our own selves. We do not exist in defiance of the gods - we have found their mistakes, and been granted our reparations!

— delighted cleric

The history of diverse individuals across Istralar stretches back countless millennia, from when mortal life first began. There have always been those who realise their bodies do not necessarily suit them, and there have always existed solutions.
Early no-magic solutions, many still used today in areas of lower magic, included fabric binders to wrap around the chest, knitted devices to mimic genitalia, and many forms of wig and makeup to adjust one's method of being perceived to one's own liking.

Proud by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

The rise of magic - first divine, then arcane - provided a wave of new methods for transgender, nonbinary, and other diverse individuals to change themselves.
Gods would occasionally grant prayers with miracles, and early wizards quickly found ways to harness transmutation magics into spells, clothing, and devices that would work not only for themselves but for others - no deific intervention needed. Whilst clerics were able to replicate some of these feats themselves, the bulk of this inventive period was largely arcane in nature.
Seabirth arose as a natural progression of this. Requiring only a moderate spellcaster and a reasonably-priced ritual, seabirth allowed seadwellers to easily take on their ideal forms without losing the features that marked them as recognisable.
Seabirth didn't take away their resemblance to their families, nor did it prevent them from starting their own families in the future if they so wished.

The involvement of prayer and divine magic meant that seabirth, too, did not have the risks of arcane magic's occasional instability, though the ritual could still fail relatively harmlessly. As it grew in popularity, the knowledge of it slowly began to spread across land. Now, seabirth is well known as one of the easiest ways to transition, so long as one can find an obliging body of water and can summon up the courage to gather up those needed for the ritual.

Execution

Preparing the Ritual

Like all rituals, seabirth has its requirements. These are relatively simple, and the first is merely a social requirement rather than something demanded by magic itself. Anyone going through seabirth should first undergo a period of counselling with trusted healers or elders, typically of at least six months, to be sure that seabirth will be truly healing for them.

Whilst it is possible to go through a second seabirth to make further changes, it is a hassle and an expense, and the mental damage of being changed into a form that does not quite fit in the end would not be worth it.
Thus: discussions happen first, to ensure the individual seeking their seabirth can truly gain what they want from it.
From there, the process is easier. The individual must find someone capable of casting the ritual for them. This does not necessarily need to be a spellcaster, but it most often is - those with significant power over magic are much better at understanding it, and such is the case for rituals like these. They should also find at least four secondary casters, who similarly do not need to be able to truly cast spells.
Whilst secondary casters are not technically necessary, their inclusion is such a boon to the ritual that it has become understood as a requirement over the years.

Ritual Preparations by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Once the caster and secondary casters are secured, and gemstones to a worth of 20 gold pieces have been found, the remaining components are somewhat more personal: a set of clothing that represents the former, unfitting self, and a set of items - clothing or not - that represents the future ideal. These items are consumed by the ritual, so it is advised to not choose anything too important. These last components allow the ritual's magic to draw more easily on the participant's inner thoughts, aiding the transition.
Additionally, some cultures require the primary caster to collect a piece of turf from the land above to destroy during the ritual. This is said to aid in protection and luck.

Readying the Site

Blåhaj Idol by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

It is customary for the ritual to be performed under the careful watch of a shark idol of some sort. Whilst it is not entirely certain how a shark has come to symbolise transition and change, it has nonetheless been tradition for centuries, and so a statue, knitted toy, or other representation of the shark is set up at the ritual site as the designator of the site's existence.
At its base, as offerings to a shrine, the ritual's components are placed by the primary caster. As these rituals are performed underwater, they are usually secured in place with some kind of netting or are otherwise weighed down.
No circle is drawn to represent the ritual - indeed, it would be hard to do so in the water - so instead, the secondary casters create the circle. At its centre, the primary caster and the target of the ritual float together, hand in hand.
When all of the casters and especially the target are ready, the ritual may begin.

Performing the Ritual

The primary caster, their hands around the ritual's target's, start with chanting as soon as the ritual commences.
They and their assistants, the secondary casters, must succeed in shaping the magic with careful, coercing words and strong performances, re-enacting the struggles the ritual's subject had likely gone through in learning what their new self should be like, repeated once an hour for the three hours of the ritual's full duration. It is not an easy task, but it is worth it.
The rest of the time, the primary caster spends quietly chanting, and the secondary casters call out affirmations of self to the subject. The subject holds their image of their truth tightly in their mind, fixated.
When it is finally done, all casters slump in exhaustion, and water swirls around the ritual's subject. None see the change save for the subject themselves, and when the waters recede, they are changed. They are themselves, but are now fully realised - shaped to match the image they should have been born with.

Seabirth Ritual by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

Typically, this is cause for a long rest for all involved, and then a party for the subject, casters, and friends at which the subject may reintroduce themselves to the world.

Newly Shaped by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

School

Transmutation

Level

3

Casting Time

3 hours

Components

V, S, M (a set of clothing representing your former self and a set of items representing your ideal self, gemstones worth a minimum of 20 gp), SC (minimum of four)

Skill Checks

Diplomacy DC 28, Perform DC 28

Range

Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./character level of the primary caster)

Target

One creature

Duration

Instantaneous

Saving Throw

Will negates (harmless)

Spell Resistance?

Yes (harmless)

Backlash

All casters are exhausted

Failure

The caster and target creature are rendered unconscious for 2d4 hours

Primary Related Location

Luari Ocean

I usually don't like the sea but I heard the water sometimes changes colour if there's a seabirth going on. The ritual even causes a glow. It's so pretty - and I'm so happy for him!

— observer

Feelings of a New Self by Hanhula (via Midjourney)

You mean... no matter what, we can be our true selves...?

— excited adventurer being told about the ritual

In Case of Failure

As the level of focus required for seabirth is quite intense, the ritual does fail on some occasions. This is not a rejection of self, this is not a true failure, and it should never be seen as one.
In these cases, the ritual's casters and subjects awaken after a few hours in the nearest safe area - it is said that the watching shark idol is the one to bear them to safety, even - and may prepare for the next attempt. Even their offerings are returned, down to the last gem. It is very rare for a ritual to fail more than once; some odd luck seems to activate on subsequent attempts.

Fuck yeah! Ritual of Trans Your Gender!! I'm so ready!!!

— exuberant kitsune

It's lovely to meet you all - again! I'm... Asita! Call me Asita!

— a post-seabirth Asita, glorying in her new self