The Rising

The Rising is a pilgrimage one makes to a sacred cave at the top of one of the great mountains, it is there that they perform a ritual to choose their Dawnstone, Bond to it, and receive their vision.
One will attempt to complete The Rising when they reach adulthood. The typical age is 18, but the age may differ depending on the race of the individual. While most young adults are excited to complete The Rising, it is also usually where one will discover if they are Fateless or not, thus creating some anxiety for those about to complete it. Some cultures also associate Dawnstone ability with rank. So after The Rising, ones social status could potentially change dramatically.
The difficulty of The Rising varies depending on which mountain it is performed, but on average it usually takes 2-3 days to complete. The way that The Rising is performed also changes depending on which culture is completing it. Some cultures perform it alone, while others perform it in small groups. There is even a culture in the North that makes a sporting event out of it, adding difficult obstacles and tasks for the young adults to overcome.
In most cultures it is not required to complete The Rising, but if one does not complete The Rising, they do not bond to a Dawnstone. So most people still complete it and it is very uncommon to find someone who has not. The only culture not know to take part in The Rising are the Yoxai.
Most cultures also believe that the ability you get from Bonding with your Dawnstone is chosen specifically by the Goddesses themselves.
The first Rising was completed by Eioc and his tribe in 1266.

History

The Rising was first completed by Eioc and his tribe of Vucboon in 1266. Eioc found a Dawnstone in a lake at the base of the Tamrian Steps and received a vision, which lead him and his tribe to the top of the mountain. The tribe ascended the Tamrian Steps together and upon reaching the top found the first Dawnstone Cave.

Execution

The Tamrian and Kestramore Steps: Performing The Rising at either the Tamrian or the Kestramore Steps is the most traditional way to complete the rite of passage. Once a month, all of the children who have recently become adults gather at the base of the mountain. From there they are separated into groups (usually of 10-15) and then they ascend the mountain with nothing except the clothes on their backs. While it can be difficult to survive on the mountains for the time required to complete The Rising, very few actually die during the pilgrimage. Typically it takes 3 days to climb to the top of these mountains.
Cloud Scrapper: Performing The Rising at the Cloud Scrapper mountain is arguably the most difficult Rising to complete. The weather can be very harsh in the south with lots of precipitation, and the lower altitudes are inhabited by various forms of dangerous flora and fauna. The Rising in the south is particularly difficult because it is usually completed alone. 3 days leading up to their Dawnday, a child will start to ascend the mountain, hopefully bonding with their Dawnstone on their Dawnday, and then descend the mountain after. In southern cultures one must "Start as a child and return as an adult". There are some cases where people have completed The Rising in pairs or small groups in the South, if for example, one of more people share the same Dawnday. It is especially common for twins to complete The Rising together. It is not uncommon for this to happen and it is revered in the same was as if someone were to complete The Rising solo. There is the occasional death when performing The Rising in the South as it is arguably the most difficult. It typically takes 5 days to complete The Rising on Cloud Scrapper as it is the tallest mountain from base to summit.
The Reach: In the North The Rising is seen more as a sporting event as than it is a pilgrimage. Usually in the North, The Rising is completed between the ages of 18 and 24, though some train for even longer. In the North, it is not required to complete The Rising in order to Bond to a Dawnstone, instead The Rising is treated like a great competition that happens once a year during The Meeting. The specific Meeting and the rules of the years Rising are chosen by the previous victor. Contestants all start at the base of the mountain and race through a themed course to the peak of the mountain. Whoever reaches the peak first is granted a large sum of money as well as a noble title. The rules of the race change each year and so the prize pool and the number of contestants varies depending on the year and the previous victors. The Rising however is always a huge spectacle in the North and people come from all over the world to view it. The only consistent rule of The Rising on The Reach is that you are not allowed to have already Bonded to a Dawnstone. The Rising on The Reach usually takes 1-2 days and the number of fatalities varies greatly depending on the rules of that year.