Dimension Dance

The legend of the so-called 'Dimension Dance' concerns a purported means by which a properly-attuned individual, by reaching every face of ever layer of every cube under the Manifold Sky, might successfully escape into the celestial realms and the The Curved Time beyond. Through a combination of a byzantine route through the lands of the Manifold and careful ritual work at every step, one who undertakes the pilgrimage through the 'stations' of the Dimension Dance are said to find the final commissure to lead to a place beyond the Manifold rather than simply another adjacent cube layer.
The Dimension Dance legend is a relatively recent addition to the cosmology of Rostran Esotericism, becoming popularized by the exploits of the now-beatified explorer Eqai Voiranoi. As one of the first Courtiers of Ironies, Voiranoi's exploits are similarly legendary, and some of the more poetic musings from his journals have become reinterpreted over the years by those looking for a spiritual connection with the famous Rostran's via Esotericist ritual work.

Effect

Like all 'magic' in the Manifold Sky setting, there is no empirical evidence that the Dimension Dance has any supernatural effect. In truth, the Dimension Dance serves as more of a pilgrimage for those Esotericists with a zeal for adventure, the wealth to support it, and the courage to commit to it. The 'real' effect of the Dimension Dance is often either an awakening or, alternatively, a crisis of faith; indeed, previous aspirants to the Dimension Dance count a large number of both atheists and extraordinarily well-versed Hierophants among their number. Each seeker with the time and resources to undertake the journey does eventualy become a Seeker of Misfortune and a Courtier of Ironies, which may grant social and organizational benefits in addition to any spiritual enrichment.
While there are no known cases of individuals successfully executing an efficacious Dimension dance, it's likely that anyone who did would no longer be around to tell the tale. There may also be more plausible examples of individuals escaping the Manifold without resort to any such ritual. For example, it may well be that the anomalies reported deep in the Glass-Block Fortress actually do lead into the Celestial Realms, and that the path taken to get there is superfluous to the end result: becoming lost beyond the possibility of rescue.

Related Deity/Higher Power

Eqai Voiranoi

Related Organizations

• Rostran Esotericism

Material Components

Seekers of the Dimension Dance carry personal ritual journals, seal sticks, and copies of the Ixaba with them at all times so that they can take notes or perform the required rituals whenever inspiration strikes them.

Gestures & Ritual

To those who believe in the power of the Dimension Dance, merely touching every face is not enough. There is a specific order in which each face must be touched, and a ritual sigil beseeching the guidance of the powerful spirits of the Rostran venturer-ancestors must be executed on each face. The order of faces and the means by which the spirits must be bound varies from seeker to seeker; it is considered knowledge rare or fragmentary even among well-practiced Hierophants, and must be discovered through long study and meditation.