Village of Rotch Ceremony

Tucked away near the Forgotten Forest lies the small village of Rotch, named, in part, for its founding family who continue to serve as hereditary mayors. The village consists of about a dozen families.
Unusual for communities, especially smaller ones, in Tjiramor, Rotch treats those under the age of 13 years (in human eyes) as children. Where most other communities put young people to work, Rotch allows its younger citizens to play and explore. The idea behind letting children be children is to allow each child the opportunity to discover how they can best serve the village when they become adults.
Every five years, the village holds a coming of age ceremony for children between the ages of 8 and 12. All children within that age group go through that ceremony.
The whole village attends, although children below the age of 8 are kept from the actual ceremony and watched by the second eldest member of the village. The younger children are welcome to partake in the post-ceremony celebrations.
Parents and siblings of those feted at the ceremony will often tease the celebrants about what happens. They tell tales of drinking blood or spending nights alone in the Forgotten Forest.
In reality, the ceremony takes place just within the Forgotten Forest in a small glade. The children's parents wake them up at dawn and walk them to the glade where the Mayor stands upon a small wooden platform. Sadly, for some children, there is no time for breakfast on this morning.
Younger village children are taken to a nearby creek to play until the ceremony is over.
The ceremony itself consists of the current Mayor calling each child up by name and recounting how the child has contributed to the village to date. Other village adults offer the child a place to work; this is often with the child's parents.
The ceremony ends as each child pledges fidelity to the village and taking an oath.
I promise that I will never wrong the people of Rotch so long as I live. I will strive to make life in the village better for all its citizens. I will do my best to follow all rules and make amends for any I break. I am ready to become an adult of Rotch.
After the oath is taken, the now-adults are welcomed as full citizens of the village. They proceed from the Mayor down a receiving line of the other adults who offer words of welcome and advice.
After the ceremony, the younger children rejoin the village. The rest of the day is spent feasting and playing games until sunset when the wooden platform in the glade is set ablaze. The village sits around the small bonfire, telling tales of ceremonies past.
Some families will begin the celebrations early with special dinners the night before.
The day after the ceremony, the new adults are expected to put in a full day's work at their new "jobs."

Primary Related Location

STUB - Village of Rotch