Marodeen Rite of Passage

Execution

On the morning of Midwinter (Elysuary 15th), all of the participants ritually shave their heads completely, including removing any facial hair they made have (the eyebrows are not removed, however). Thus shorn, the participants don the unisex garb of children one last time before, at high noon, they declare their gender paths by accepting a new set of robes from either their Mistress of the Winds (female) or Master of the Blades (male).

Over the next two weeks, the leaders of the assembled clans (see "Participants") divide the newly-minted adults into crews of approximately 12-16, evenly divided between gender roles.

On the Full Moon that comes with the 1st of Hunt, the crew assignments are revealed, and each crew is supplied with the camels, tents, food, water, and supplies needed for a small clan to reach anywhere along the "shores" of the Marodeen Sea – if the crew are able to organize themselves into a functioning simulacrum of the hierarchies of roles. (Every child has, by the time they reach the age of 16, been trained in the duties of every possible role they might fill in a clan.)

Participants

The key participants are, of course, the Marodeen youths who will be coming of age.

When the clans gather in the The Blades of the Master every year in Elysuary, all Marodeen youths who have reached the age of 16 since the previous Midwinter will be assembled to participate in the rites.

The Mistress of the Winds and Master of the Blades of each clan present form a parliamentary body that will  assess the group of participants. Over two weeks of deliberation, this parliament will assemble the participants into "crews" that are optimally positioned to succeed in the Rite, if they are able to do what must be done to survive together.

A council is formed of Elders from the clans in attendance that will not have youth coming of age in the current ceremony. These Elders serve as advisers, mediators, and arbiters over the process by which the youth are divided into crews; a majority of Elders can veto any placement at any time, but the Mistresses and Masters can overrule their veto by unanimous consent.

If all of the clans will be contributing participants that year, a special tax is levied against all of them, in order to facilitate the petitioning of an unknown (presumably supernatural) entity who will exercise a greater influence over the proceedings than the Elders normally would.

Primary Related Location

The Blades of the Master

Related Ethnicities

• Marodeen