Anasefak

Anasefak are ritual tattoos which can be found upon the skin of almost every subject of the Magdalen Empire, and often their descendants outside the Empire itself as well. These tattoos appear as true black lines on the skin of their bearer. 
The common elements that each Magdalen has in common are the ‘life-line’ and ‘heart-name’. The ‘life-line’ is a band of writing which encircles the neck of every Magdalen. The ‘heart-name’ is a circle of similar text which simply names the individual who bears it, which lies over the sternum. 
There are no other required elements, but there are several other common elements which appear on many people. For example, many have the names of their children etched into their flesh, and some soldiers mark the number of kills they’ve made. There are also more supernatural purposes that the tattoos can be turned to. When allowed to absorb a certain amount of Abyssal energy, some configurations of the writing can be used as stored spells, like with other forms of tattoo based magic. The ‘heart-name’ is in fact part of a spell to help the bearer resist the effects of Abyssal Poisoning, and the ‘life-line’ is a spell to help the body harmlessly process Abyssal energy.

History

The tradition began perhaps a decade after the Abyss appeared. The method itself was created by one of the Council of Nine, known best by the Alesians as Avis, the goddess of life. It was originally used exclusively as a method for increasing resistance to the Abyssal Poisoning but remained within the culture of the south-eastern Nacreous Coast for some time. 
When the Magdalen Empire first began to form, there were a lot of early attempts to find shared culture between the various disparate tribes of the region, so as to encourage better relations as well as a sense of unity, and this somewhat older practice was settled upon. It was treated as a passport of sorts - due to the secretive methods of the Anasefi and the fact that all legal Anasefi are effectively employed by the Empire, it is considered a pretty strong sign of being a subject of the Empire. There were a number of fiscal benefits to obtaining the base pattern, and government employees were required to wear it. Eventually, it became a cultural hallmark, and eventually it became traditional to also use the technique to record significant events of one’s life within the ink. 
Nowadays, the first inking is considered a rite of passage from childhood to young adulthood, taken at age 17. Afterwards, each individual can choose whether they are inked further or not, as well as in what ways. As is always the case in Magdala, the extent varies from clan to clan, so that despite this intended symbol of unity between the clans, it is still perfectly possible to tell who is from where at a glance.
In addition, there can still be found in today’s rituals a plain resemblance to some kind of liberation ritual for the Alesians who fled the Regnum Caelorum 800 years ago, such as the cutting of the hair.

Execution

The first inking is quite ritualised, since it’s considered a rite of passage from childhood, but it it intended and enacted in a more joyful fashion that some other rites. Several weeks beforehand the appointment will be booked with an Anasefi and the child will have a little blood taken to check how Abyss-Touched they are. On the day, the child is woken before dawn and given a concoction of herbs, before being taken to the workplace of an Anasefi. The Anasefi will have prepared the night before, and will symbolically take the child’s name by cutting their hair and taking a little blood. Then at dawn the Anasefi will begin to tattoo the skin with the most basic Anasefak markers - the ‘life-line’ about the neck and the ‘heart-name’ placed over the sternum. This symbolically returns the child’s name to them as an adult, and marks them as Magdalan, and a subject of that empire wherever they are. The child’s original name is normally the same one given back to them, but there are a number of exceptions to this practice.
After the ritual the new adult will be taken home, usually with much fanfare on the part of their relatives, to sleep off the experience. A dreamless sleep is considered auspicious. Usually the child wakes up by evening, at which point a huge party is thrown.
Later additions to one’s Anasefak are added with much less fanfare, as they are usually taken to celebrate some accomplishment or change within an individual’s life which usually come with their own traditions. Not to say that is isn’t ever a reverent experience, but more that it varies from person to person. Some people will never return for more ink, and others will cover their entire bodies.

Components and tools

The herbal drink given to the child before the ritual is intended to minimise the risk of Abyssal poisoning. This is aided by the testing of the child’s blood before the ritual, which allows the Anasefi to create an ink-molten Black Ice mix which will not exceed the child’s tolerance. However, a certain potency is required, and the herbs within the concoction, which promote calmness, are thought to ease the symptoms. Many report waking dreams during the process, which are thought by some to be a form of augury.
The blood taken later in the process is also used in the ink mix, to make the body more accepting of the new intrusions. There are also the tools of trade for tattooing, which are usually relatively typical in make.

Participants

The child themselves is the key participant, naturally, as is the Anasefi who creates the Anasefak. An older relative is usually allowed into the room to calm and distract the child, as well as to help should Abyssal Poisoning take hold after all.

Observance

The ritual is usually observe on the child’s 17th birthday, but can sometimes be delayed for various reasons such as illness or other disaster. It is perfectly acceptable to wait for up till three months after the child’s 17th birthday before they gain their Anasefak, but after that any further delays are socially frowned upon.