Mastery of Schruichterta
Structure
Absolute Monarchy Checked by Tradition
Though the Ving wields absolute power, their rule is deeply embedded in clan consultation, religious legitimacy, and guild consensus. No ruler can long survive without the support of the great clan-guilds and the senior clergy in the Temple District.
Nobility and Clan Structure
Schruichterta’s nobility arises from ancient craft-clans, also called guild-clans, which intertwine lineage and profession. Each noble house is typically rooted in a specific trade (e.g., smithing, architecture, gemcutting). Family names are not used; instead, one’s profession and sner (descriptive nickname) identify them. Succession within clans is not strictly hereditary. Rather, senior clan members select successors based on merit, leadership, and honor, with no gender restrictions.
Council of Masters: A formal body of elder clan leaders and guildmasters who regularly advise the Ving, especially on trade, defense, and law. The head of each clan, as well as the heads of the few independent guilds, all are members.
Succession of the Ving
When a Ving dies or abdicates, the Council of Masters nominates several eligible candidates from noble lineages. The Voices of the Gods (high priests) perform a series of rituals to divine the favor of the Khuldaag. The chosen Ving must then undergo the Rite of Investiture at the Oath-Wrought Forge. Then the Scepter of Stone is passed on to them.
Culture
Religious Structure of Schruichterta
The Faithful StonesPrimary Faith: Worship of the Khuldaag
There are temples to Mortag, Essera, Amurg, Efinecta, Khronin, and Zhegarol in the city. There is a tiny shrine to "the Forgotten One," though none living knows who that may have been.
The Temple of Mortag is the spiritual center, housing the Hall of the Forge-Wrought Oath, where public vows, blessings, and rites of passage are performed. It is also where a newly-ordained Ving is crowned.
Religious-Civic Integration
The Cultus does not hold formal legislative power, but it has substantial formal and informal authority:
Formally, the high priests of the Temples confer with their gods to select which of the nominees sent by the Council of Masters will be Ving. Additionally, the Temple of Mortag, in particular, serves as the place of ordination and coronation of the new Ving.
Informally, the Cultus is deeply woven into civic life. Blessings from priests often validate civic or political actions. Public contracts and treaties are sealed before shrines to Zhegarol or Amasar. And civic festivals are usually tied to holy days, with temple processions and open-air sermons held in the Temple Distric plaza.
Worship
Religious Rites and Holidays
- Urbramimeft ("the Hardening"): Baptismal rite for nine-year-olds.
- Kvors ("Arrival"): Mandatory adulthood rite on a Spou’s 50th birthday.
- Urbravokt: Vigil and remembrance ceremony held before cremation or entombment.
- Seasonal Rites: Held during solstices and equinoxes, usually invoking Essera and Mortag.
- Craft Consecration: Before beginning a major work, artisans perform a brief prayer and offer scrap or shavings to the shrine of their patron deity.
The Rite of Investiture
When a new Ving is chosen by the Council of Masters and ratified through temple divination, they must undergo a formal investiture ceremony at the Oath-Wrought Forge, located within the Temple of Mortag in the Temple District.
Ceremony Details
The incoming Ving dons a ceremonial apron and places both hands upon the Anvil of Deeds, a sacred relic said to resonate with the divine essence of Mortag. Before the gathered Loultpe (Council), clergy, and public witnesses, the Ving swears the Oath of Bearing—a sacred vow to uphold the unity of the Spou, protect Schruichterta, and honor the gods of stone and craft. A crown of burnished iron, quenched in the forge itself and bearing the sigils of the Khuldaag (excluding Ehkehn), is then placed upon the Ving’s head by the Voice of Mortag, the senior priest of the temple. The forge flames are briefly allowed to rise unnaturally high during the moment of crowning, a phenomenon believed to signify Mortag’s acceptance—or disapproval—of the new ruler.
When all of these steps have been taken, the Scepter of Stone is passed to the new Ving.
Significance
The forge serves not only as a ritual site but also as a metaphysical crucible: only those who pass the Oath unflinching are considered worthy to wield the authority of the Ving. Refusal or failure to complete the ceremony would invalidate the ascension.
Priesthood
Priesthood
Priests are selected by guild-clans or local congregations, not imposed by central authority. Each temple maintains a senior high priest, who is referred to as the Voice of their deity (eg. The Voice of Mortag). Temple responsibilities include officiating life-cycle rites, interpreting omens, hosting festivals and mediating disputes with divine implications.
May Zhegharol Defend
Council of Masters
A Formal Advisory Assembly of the Ving
Composition
- Clan Heads: Each major clan-guild (families defined by both lineage and profession) is represented by its elected or appointed head.
- Guildmasters: A small number of independent guilds—those not bound to any clan—are also entitled to a seat. These include guilds of scribes, masons, runespeakers, and others.
- Each member is referred to as a Loultpe (IPA /'lɑ͡ʊltə/) ("Stone Voice") during council proceedings, though they do not carry that title outside of those deliberations.
Function
- Advisory Role: The council convenes at regular intervals in the Stone Hall of Judgment, located in the Mastery District. Though they do not have legislative power, the Council's unified opinion can stall, shape, or hasten Ving decrees in practice.
- In times of succession, they serve as the nomination body, butting forth candidates for Ving and initiating the ritual consultation of the Temple District clergy.
Comments