Cauterization
Cauterization is a ritual performed by the most dedicated members of The Boiling Choir. The participant--referred to as a "Communicant''--submerges themselves in The Boil during an active Boil Over, burning away anything not “blessed by The Blast.”
Execution
To perform Cauterization, a Boil Over must first be located, often marked by its roiling, phosphorescent waters and fiery eruptions. The Communicant is brought aboard a dirigible, which hovers above the Boil Over. Bound to an anchor or harness, the Communicant is lowered into the Boil during the Hymn, a guttural prayer-like chant performed by the Choir. The Communicant is submerged for the duration of the Hymn.
Many Communicants die during this process. If the Communicant survives, they usually emerge disfigured or maimed, their form permanently altered by the scorching waters of the Boil. The Choir, however, views these changes as marks of recalibration—a new alignment to the mysteries of the Greebeast and The Blast.
Participants
The Communicant is the centerpiece of the ritual, willingly descending into the Boil Over to be transformed by The Blast. They renounce their former name and identity before they are submerged, and, if they survive the rite, they are granted a new name reflecting that transformation.
The Hymnist guides the Cauterization, their chants shaping the rhythm and meaning of the Communicant’s passage into the Boil. With the Hymn of Detachment, the Hymnist opens the ritual, harmonizing with the Choir to bridge the Communicant and The Blast. Throughout the process, they interpret the Boil’s signs and direct the Anchorite when to raise the Communicant. Whether the Communicant emerges whole or not, the Hymnist concludes with the Hymn of Renewal, affirming the transformation and the sanctity of the act.
The Anchorite ensures the Communicant’s physical passage, operating the machinery that lowers and raises them through the flames. They embody balance and control, navigating the unpredictability of the Boil while protecting the ritual’s integrity. At the Hymnist’s signal, the Anchorite retrieves the Communicant, now marked by the Boil’s touch. Their role as the steward of the Communicant’s physical journey grounds the ceremony, reinforcing that transformation is a shared act of trust between the Communicant, the Choir, and The Blast.
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