Rite of Declaration
The Rite of Declaration, or <Error: Data Not Found> in High Arnan, is an annual event held on the summer solstice within the Spire. It represents the only chance for a student within the Spire to advance within the Mag'Arnan Court.
The ceremony marks the conclusion of the Summer Ball and is presided over by the Master of Ceremonies. It is typically attended by representatives from each Mag'Arnan House, academy students, and members of the Archmagis' Court (although the Archmagis themselves rarely attends).
In response to these cues, the gathered Mag'arna move away from the center of the room and instead arrange themselves by House in a large circle facing the center. The arrangement of Houses is a complicated but smooth political dance that often goes unnoticed by the less astute, but the overall trend is decreasing importance moving in a counter-clockwise direction (i.e. a House will generally be less powerful than the House to its left and more powerful than the House to its right) with the most senior member of the Court's House positioned to the north of the center point. Unaffiliated Mag'arna of any rank (primarily students, though unaffiliated Mages do sometimes attend) gather immediately to the left of the most senior House.
Once all of the Mag'arna have positioned themselves, the Master of Ceremonies will turn, moving around the basin in a counterclockwise direction as they call on each House. Traditionally, the representative of the House (typically the most senior member present, although this is not always the case) responds and is acknowledged by the Master of Ceremonies responds in some way to indicate their presence. In the instance that multiple people respond for one House, the Master of Ceremonies will respond with the name of the one they will consider the representative for the remainder of the ceremony. Participating in the ceremony without the Master of Ceremonies' acknowledgement is a severe faux paus.
The Master of Ceremonies then begins the rite in earnest by calling the first participant forward. The named participant approaches the brazier and attempts to grasp a portion of the alchemical fire in their hand. Once they've taken the flame into their hand, they have until it goes out to complete the rest of the rite.
Fire in hand, they turn to face the House they wish to join and declare their intention. The flame is presented as a symbol of their ability to contribute to the House. The House then has the opportunity to either accept them, refuse them, or remain silent.
If they are accepted, the representative of the House accepts the flame from the student and declares them a member of their House. The student then leaves the center of the Consortium and stands with their new House.
If they are refused, the student then declares another House, and the process repeats.
If the representative of the declared House neglects to respond, the student cannot declare for another House. Instead, representatives for other Houses may declare their own interest in the student, who is free to accept.
If the student is not accepted into a House before their flame burns out, their attempt is considered a failure.
The Master of Ceremonies calls each participant in turn as they are either accepted or rejected. After the last participant has completed their declaration, they extinguish the alchemical fire and allow the natural fire to reemerge, signifying the end of the ceremony.
Being accepted into a House also carries its own host of consequences. The Declaration is viewed as the student's first public political act, and who they declare for and who they accept can have long-lasting and unforeseen repercussions.
The high cost/high reward of participating in the ceremony parallels similar dichotomies in Mag'Arnan politics and reflects their approach to magical advancement as a whole. Nothing can be gained when nothing is risked, and the magnitude of what can be gained is equal to what is risked. In this case, the participant stakes their life and existence as a mage on their own skill in the hopes of gaining a future as a Mage.
The Rite of Declaration is the only method for students to join a House and leave the academy. It is intended to provide each student with a chance to display their magical talent before each House and provide them with some amount of say in which House they join. Students themselves decide when to undergo the Rite, although instructors at the Academy have been known to offer advice.
It is generally looked on as a poor idea to enter the Rite against the advice of the instructors, or without the approval of the Master of Ceremonies. It is also common practice for students to secure a promise of acceptance from a House member prior to attempting the rite, and such negotiations are seen as good practice for future political endeavors.
The most recent change in the practice is represented by the Master of Ceremonies figure. Prior to <Error: Date Not Found> of Archmagis Alarana's reign, the rite was presided over by the highest ranking Mage in attendance. This changed the year following the assassination of one of Alarana's closest advisors. There are many retellings of what occurred, but they can be summed up most concisely by noting that the Archmagis attended, did not preside over the ceremony, and that the man who did survived until at least the next morning.
Some scholars also believe that the chemical formulation of atyiki may have changed over the years since the rite was first performed, due to conflicting descriptions in Court records and depictions in murals. The color of the flame in the brazier is always white, but in Arnikari glass panes believed to depict the same ceremony, it is also shown as white when it is in the hand of the participant. It is a well noted phenomenon among the modern Mag'Arna that the color of the flame is in some way influenced by the student who holds it, but it appears that this may be recent. That, or the original observers of the rite never cared to notice.
The ceremony marks the conclusion of the Summer Ball and is presided over by the Master of Ceremonies. It is typically attended by representatives from each Mag'Arnan House, academy students, and members of the Archmagis' Court (although the Archmagis themselves rarely attends).
Etymology
<Error: Data Not Found>Location
The ceremony is held in the center of the Consortium, a large multipurpose room positioned near the top of the Spire. The room is notable for its high walls, tall and thin stained glass windows, and the Sky Vault.Practices
Role Call
As the Summer Ball comes to a close, the Master of Ceremonies proceeds to the center of the Consortium and tosses a handful of atyiki [at.ji.ki] into the Stone Brazier that dominates the precise center of the room. The natural flame housed within the brazier transforms to alchemical fire, accompanied by a loud cracking noise. The fire also burns a brilliant white, though the heat given off falls to nearly nothing.In response to these cues, the gathered Mag'arna move away from the center of the room and instead arrange themselves by House in a large circle facing the center. The arrangement of Houses is a complicated but smooth political dance that often goes unnoticed by the less astute, but the overall trend is decreasing importance moving in a counter-clockwise direction (i.e. a House will generally be less powerful than the House to its left and more powerful than the House to its right) with the most senior member of the Court's House positioned to the north of the center point. Unaffiliated Mag'arna of any rank (primarily students, though unaffiliated Mages do sometimes attend) gather immediately to the left of the most senior House.
Once all of the Mag'arna have positioned themselves, the Master of Ceremonies will turn, moving around the basin in a counterclockwise direction as they call on each House. Traditionally, the representative of the House (typically the most senior member present, although this is not always the case) responds and is acknowledged by the Master of Ceremonies responds in some way to indicate their presence. In the instance that multiple people respond for one House, the Master of Ceremonies will respond with the name of the one they will consider the representative for the remainder of the ceremony. Participating in the ceremony without the Master of Ceremonies' acknowledgement is a severe faux paus.
"House Tokir?"The final person called on and acknowledged by the Master of Ceremonies is the most senior Mag'Arna present. Once they have responded, the Master of Ceremonies turns and addresses the unaffiliated guests. Those who wish to participate respond by stepping forward and into the empty area around the brazier. Any unaffiliated person present may participate, though typically only students currently studying within the Spire do so.
"We're here, Lord Balatz, thank you!"
"Brevity is a virtue, Lady Khot. House Korhati?"
*grunts*
"My sentiments exactly, Lord Ghok."
Declarations
Once those wishing to participate step forward, the Master of Ceremonies addresses them concerning the Rite of Declaration. The content and length varies with the personality of the Master of Ceremonies, but typically includes a reference to the purpose of the rite, the potential outcomes, and the significance to Mag'Arnan society as a whole.The Master of Ceremonies then begins the rite in earnest by calling the first participant forward. The named participant approaches the brazier and attempts to grasp a portion of the alchemical fire in their hand. Once they've taken the flame into their hand, they have until it goes out to complete the rest of the rite.
Fire in hand, they turn to face the House they wish to join and declare their intention. The flame is presented as a symbol of their ability to contribute to the House. The House then has the opportunity to either accept them, refuse them, or remain silent.
If they are accepted, the representative of the House accepts the flame from the student and declares them a member of their House. The student then leaves the center of the Consortium and stands with their new House.
If they are refused, the student then declares another House, and the process repeats.
If the representative of the declared House neglects to respond, the student cannot declare for another House. Instead, representatives for other Houses may declare their own interest in the student, who is free to accept.
If the student is not accepted into a House before their flame burns out, their attempt is considered a failure.
The Master of Ceremonies calls each participant in turn as they are either accepted or rejected. After the last participant has completed their declaration, they extinguish the alchemical fire and allow the natural fire to reemerge, signifying the end of the ceremony.
Consequences
Failing the Rite is akin to death among the Mag'Arna. The participant is not allowed to return as a student at the Spire and can never again declare for a House. They are barred from Mag'arnan society and exiled from the Spire, and most perish in The Dust while attempting to flee.Being accepted into a House also carries its own host of consequences. The Declaration is viewed as the student's first public political act, and who they declare for and who they accept can have long-lasting and unforeseen repercussions.
Significance
The ceremony encapsulates several key traits and concepts characteristic of Mag'Arnan philosophy.- Self-reliance
- Power as Worth
- Self-awareness
- The Price of Power
The high cost/high reward of participating in the ceremony parallels similar dichotomies in Mag'Arnan politics and reflects their approach to magical advancement as a whole. Nothing can be gained when nothing is risked, and the magnitude of what can be gained is equal to what is risked. In this case, the participant stakes their life and existence as a mage on their own skill in the hopes of gaining a future as a Mage.
The Rite of Declaration is the only method for students to join a House and leave the academy. It is intended to provide each student with a chance to display their magical talent before each House and provide them with some amount of say in which House they join. Students themselves decide when to undergo the Rite, although instructors at the Academy have been known to offer advice.
It is generally looked on as a poor idea to enter the Rite against the advice of the instructors, or without the approval of the Master of Ceremonies. It is also common practice for students to secure a promise of acceptance from a House member prior to attempting the rite, and such negotiations are seen as good practice for future political endeavors.
History
The rite has been a feature of Mag'Arnan society for multiple centuries, and is believed to be derived from ceremonies performed by the Arnikari Empire. There is little to no written proof of this, beyond the existence of the brazier itself, which predates the modern Mag'Arna and was presumably constructed (like the rest of the Spire) by the Arnikari for some purpose.The most recent change in the practice is represented by the Master of Ceremonies figure. Prior to <Error: Date Not Found> of Archmagis Alarana's reign, the rite was presided over by the highest ranking Mage in attendance. This changed the year following the assassination of one of Alarana's closest advisors. There are many retellings of what occurred, but they can be summed up most concisely by noting that the Archmagis attended, did not preside over the ceremony, and that the man who did survived until at least the next morning.
Some scholars also believe that the chemical formulation of atyiki may have changed over the years since the rite was first performed, due to conflicting descriptions in Court records and depictions in murals. The color of the flame in the brazier is always white, but in Arnikari glass panes believed to depict the same ceremony, it is also shown as white when it is in the hand of the participant. It is a well noted phenomenon among the modern Mag'Arna that the color of the flame is in some way influenced by the student who holds it, but it appears that this may be recent. That, or the original observers of the rite never cared to notice.
"My personal theory is that the Arnikari taught the students how to wield the flame, and therefore all who passed did so without tainting it with their own perceptions. The implication being that they viewed it as a demonstration of a specific skill, instead of the risk and display of potential seen today. This would have allowed more to successfully complete the ritual and progress into adulthood, though it would not have had the same... flare as our version. The price of individuality, I suppose."
"I don't remember my Declaration, it went by so fast, but I do remember Pela's. He didn't even manage to state his name before the flame went out. Poor fool couldn't even hold in his tears, Magi only knows how he expected to hold the flame."
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a well developped and well explained article. I have two questions: since the ritual is non-mandatory, what is the outcome of those not wanting to participate ? what happens of them ? can they work at the academy ? do they face stigma too ? What is the benefit of a house not speaking over straight up refusing an application? Is it considered better viewed by other houses as they can show interest right now instead of seeing the student ask another before ? Are they house more known to do that kind of 'non-response' ? Happy Summercamp !
Those who never declare spend the rest of their lives in the Spire, typically devoting themselves to research. They never progress magically beyond the ability of a child, and are typically treated with a mix of pity and respect. Pity because many see them as wasting their potential due to cowardice, and respect from those who view their decision to never declare as indicative of a thorough understanding of their own limits. They face stigma in that they are never afforded the full rights of a Mage and are seen, in the eyes of the state, as no more than children. They may be respected for their contributions to theory or their work in the Spire's libraries, menageries, or offices, but they are not really seen as *people*. The choice for a House to not speak is generally indicative of the fact that they don't even see the applicant as worthy of acknowledging. A refusal allows one to declare for another House, and is generally safer for the participant, since there is no time wasted for them. The House not saying anything, however, is essentially just 'running down the clock' on the fire in their hand. Higher Houses are more likely to engage in non-responses, and the House headed by a particular member of the court (i have a good concept of his character, but not a name yet) is *notorious* for it, and for taking other Houses offering acceptance as a grave insult. Students foolish enough to attempt to declare for his House tend to fail.
ah so the non-response being seen as the most vicious one. seeing that specific house and character seems quite interesting. Thanks for those responses :D