Isawai’taki
History
The Aakaipokaiksi Atotáán inherited the tradition from the first inhabitants of the Dust, and since neither group utilized writing its significance and origin were lost in the transition of oral traditions. Since its stabilization after adoption, it has been one of the least changing aspects of their culture. Many traditions and oral deliveries use entirely different language compared to their initial use even if the message remains the same, but only a few words have changed in the administration of Isawai’taki. The ceremony of growth from childhood into adulthood is taken quite seriously.
Execution
On their last morning of childhood, a member of the Aakaipokaiksi Atotáán will awaken to find that all of their possessions have been removed. They are expected to leave even their clothes behind when they leave their quarters. Nothing from childhood is brought into adulthood. They will not encounter their parents or siblings on that day, as it is time for them to stand without support. They will spend the day finding a place for themselves in the tribe, and though it is not necessarily binding, the majority will spend their first years of adulthood in whatever niche they discovered on that day. As evening approaches, those who have found a place will be ushered together for the ceremony, while those who have not are kept away. They must repeat the day until they find a place. Those who do not will eventually starve or be forced out into the ash wastes.
Those gathered together are given their first drink of water of the day, and told to mingle and relax in preparation for the ceremony. When that ceremony begins shortly before midnight they are brought back into the public square before their entire tribe to be welcomed into adulthood by consuming the chrysalis of the drakemoth, signifying the profound change in their role. Most see this meal and the celebration after as the ritual even calling it informally the feast of the drakemoth, but known only to the priests, this is untrue. The water given to the inductees beforehand and their time left among one another are the true ritual. The water is laced with activated Red Ash, and the shared experience together molds the next generation, and often conceives a significant portion of the one to follow.
Components and tools
On the actual day that Isawai’taki is performed, no instruments or tools are used, or in fact permitted. In order to prepare the ritual many specialized tools are needed. Harvesting the chrysalids from the walls of the Channel is an extremely difficult and dangerous job, even with those tools. During the performance of the ritual, only the chrysalids to be consumed are provided. Afterwards the new adults will be gifted new clothing and tools associated with their new role by their new peers.
Participants
The final ceremony is attended by every member of the tribe, barring only those potential inductees who have not yet found or made a place for themselves. The true and secret ceremony is initially administered by the priests of the tribe, and then participated in only by the successful inductees.
Observance
One of the few influences of the rest of Khthon on the Aakaipokaiksi Atotáán was the move from the traditional days of the year to perform Isawai’taki to only on the first of the year to align with Edrannon. A festival of thresholds matched well with the purpose of the ceremony and was helpful for integrating new converts with some familiarity.
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