Celebrant

"During uncertain times, people look to any modicum of order and stability. Those who stand above the rest, who shed the self so that others may rely upon them, become leaders within the blink of an eye. In an era where Saints did not return and leadership had gone astray, the only figures of order one could look towards were the Celebrants."

-from Archaic Bisoula's A Study of the Time of Heroes

After the conclusion of the 6th Resurgence, the Saints disappeared. This had occurred before. Often they would go on pilgrimages or seek peace someplace after the carnage. This time was different. They said they weren't coming back for one reason or another. And it proved true. The 7th Resurgence came about and there were no Saints to guide mortalkind. This began the era of heroism, the Time of Heroes. People who rose to the occasion, be they leaders, fighters, artisans, or scientists, and became what were called Celebrants.
Though no person could replace a Saint in sheer force of personality and combat ability, the Celebrants became figures of folktale and legend just as easily as those who came before them during earlier Resurgences.
Blessed and sanctioned by the Steeple, praised and nearly worshipped by the people, Celebrants became a force to be reckoned with. These heroes led the charge in numerous areas of progress, helped by the fact that many of them were cloudcatchers of note. Science, healing, exploration, and technology leapt forwards unlike ever before. To be a Celebrant meant not only being a bastion of order or of stability in the face of adversity, but of being a beacon of progress. If anyone was to Reclaim the High Place and lead the way back into the good graces of Tay and Those Above, it would be the Celebrants.

Qualifications

Celebrants, or heroes, often came into their positions naturally. More often than not, they were figures of particular note. Most were cloudcatchers of wide renown or powerful guild members of one of the Six. Plenty came from other organizations too. Good examples of these include the Librarian Rajendra Tavade of the Conservatory and Hypate the Placid of the Steeple.

Appointment

Though there's never been any sort of official "designation" of becoming a hero, commonalities between all Celebrants throughout history has included widespread popularity with the commonfolk, notoriety among the Guilds, and a blessing by the Steeple.

Responsibilities

Celebrants have almost always been at the head of breakthroughs in any craft, trade, or discipline. Almost every Celebrant rose up during a time of adversity; the first arising during the 7th Resurgence while others came about during other wars, famines, and natural disasters. These heroes typically assume the responsibilities of the leadership position they came to hold such as the head of an exploration run during a Tower ascent or the general of a military force.

Benefits

Celebrants often end up gaining fame and fortune naturally through their own achievements. Many throughout history are known to have lived luxurious lives while others are just as easily applauded for their humility and sacrifice of material wealth.

Accoutrements & Equipment

Though there has never been any uniformed code for Celebrants in times passed, a common thread among them all was their possession of rare and often dangerous relics retrieved from the Tower.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

When a Celebrant no longer serves the purpose of the good of all, they are often rejected. Some have fallen out of favor of the people, Guilds, and church before. Sometimes, during times of adversity while in their prime, situations have occurred where Celebrants were wrongfully accused, imprisoned, or shunned for a perceived wrongdoing by their enemies - often petty competitors or rivals.
There have only been a handful of instances where Celebrants became menaces or tyrants. Often, they end up getting disposed of by other Celebrants who rise up to the challenge of defeating those that had become too beloved and powerful for their own good. Perhaps the three most well known Celebrants-turned-villains include Gashin the Mad, Waazir the Tyrant of Pelikkar, and Jasvinder the Traitor.

Type

Civic, Honorific

Alternative Naming

Hero

Source of Authority

During distressing times, authority is often afforded to Celebrants by the people, church, and government of the city-states.

Length of Term

Typically, Celebrants maintain their position for the entirety of their prime. Often, their recognition as a hero of the Citarii does not leave until their death when they're memorialized. Age does not mean they have nothing left to give, however.

Related Organizations

• Citadel Coalition