Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha

Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha is a rite of passage undertaken by Emetian males upon coming of age, consisting of setting out from home in search of a mate. Known to most other cultures as the Selection in Sand, it is a dangerous practice that Emetians have advocated for decades to stop, but its central role in Emetian culture and society has made this next to impossible.

Selection in Sand

Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha was put into place as a way to rejuvenate Emetian families by migrating citizens from different settlements, creating a joint culture, language, and experience by ensuring that at all times, the Emetians are in constant contact and have reason to remain on good terms. If one village becomes ostracized, they may not receive travelers and, thus, may never get another generation to continue their towns.

Etymology

The term "Selection in Sand" was (rather crudely, as most Emetians believe) created by Elven scholars who observed Emetian practices. Not only an indirect translation, it does not convey what "Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha" means, which is more directly "Pilgrimage of Manhood" or "Pilgrimage of Paternity" for those that still like the alliteration. For what is seen as most important is the journey, or pilgrimage, the Emetians take, and there is little choice for anyone involved.
"Selection," in the Common term, is considered misleading, and the use of "Sand" is general Elven practice, boiling down cultural quirks to a singular defining feature. Emetians live within the Uncharted Desert. Therefore, most Emetians consider the Common term for this rite insulting and insist on people calling it by its proper name: Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha.

Keveʐzh by Jarhed

Practition

When an Emetian male is halfway through their 19th year, they are sent away to begin Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha. This is a day six months after the celebration of turning 19, known as Kuhvenk, which consists of farewells to everyone and everything the Emetian knows. In the six months leading up to this, they are tested on things to pass onto other villages, like history, medicine, and other specialized skills they may have learned, making Kuhvenk a simple process, and the first step in Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha.
Most of the process involved in Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha happens once the Emetian has left home. While setting out may be difficult for some, it is usually the simplest part of the process. What many have trouble with is next, the pilgrimage, as they travel through the Uncharted Desert in search of a new Emetian village. Emetians have never mapped the desert so that Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha can be a journey of discovery both for the self and the world. Some Emetians never find a village and die out in the desert.
When they do find a new settlement, the battles begin. Unmarried women line up upon hearing the news of a pilgrim in town, and the young male battles the women until one can defeat him. Strength is a key factor in Emetian culture, as it's needed to survive against the beasts residing in the desert, so the women need to be able to hold their own and convince the men to settle down in a village worth defending.
Some young males seek companionship more than strength, so they do not train before their Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha. This is often seen as desperate and they are then rejected upon defeat. It is essential that both partners are strong.

Origins

The practice began as a way to expand Emetian gene pools, as hundreds of years of interbreeding in a village could lead to stagnant gene pools. Incentivizing young males to travel and, so to speak, spread their seed, has led to more genetic diversity across all Emetian settlements.
The legends speak of a warrior named Keveʐzh, who set out from home on a war path. He was young and detested the idea of settling down with someone at home, knowing he was related to almost everyone. He attacked two villages, burning them down, before a woman in the third village defeated him and convinced him to stop fighting and settle down with her.
Many question the validity of the story, and point out the inherent Emetian misogyny in the fact that the woman has no name, but nevertheless this is considered the origin of the Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha, to spread families and prevent wars.

The First Worldbreaker

This was thrown into question when a man named Vankelot set out for his Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha, only to find himself uncontested in every village he entered. Hundreds of women fought him and hundreds died to his immense strength. Once he had surpassed five villages, the elders of those villages began notifying every Emetian settlement of his coming, warning them to turn him away.
It is said that one elder said that if he continued on his path, there would not be a world left, for he would destroy everything. Thus the Worldbreaker term was first used, and was the excuse for turning Vankelot away at every settlement.
This drove him mad seeking revenge, and he went back to the villages he'd gone to before, destroying them entirely, not just the women as he'd done before. Only when he returned to his original home was he met by Detser Gnomish mercenaries who dispatched him quickly and efficiently.
Since Vankelot, Worldbreakers have been feared across the globe, but especially by the Emetians.

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Once the man is defeated, a marriage ceremony quickly follows. Emetian marriage ceremonies are fast, as the importance is not in the ritual itself, but in the relationship blossoming afterwards. The Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha can be a lengthy process, so there is no need to drag it out longer with grand matrimonial ceremonies.

Vankelot Worldbreaker by Jarhed

If no woman in the village can tie down the young male, he continues to the next village. Suppose he cannot be defeated in three or more villages, he is then outcast from Emetian society, branded with the title "Worldbreaker" because he is believed to be too strong to be part of an equal partnership.
To Emetians, marriage upholds the structure of the world. Without it to continue the nation, the world is destroyed, and Worldbreakers are responsible.

Complications and Controversies

Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha is a controversial process for many reasons, most having to do with the complications involved with the process.
Many Emetian villages have been wiped off the proverbial map (or rather, never mapped at all) because female residents could not subdue a mate. In some cases, this has led not to the extinction of a village, but the perpetuation of interbreeding in the village once more, leading at times to a return of the incestuous practices that Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha was instated to fix. In these cases, pilgrims have set out to put an end to these abominations, sometimes slaughtering entire towns.
There is controversy within Emetian society about how Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha incentivizes travel only for the young, leading to barely any Emetians ever leaving home after settling down. It can be a traumatic process, alone in the desert, and most have no desire to leave again. More than that, there is no cultural incentive for women to travel and even less incentive for women to make their own decisions or have agency. They don't get to choose who to fight, they must battle and settle down with whichever man they defeat in combat, and losing may result in death.
Then comes the criticism from Emetians attracted to the same gender. They have no place in Emetian society, leaving homosexual male Emetians to become Worldbreakers by default, and homosexual female Emetians to be often forced into marriages with men or early graves. Emetian culture shames homosexuality, leaving it a pariah on the global stage for these practices, though many elders claim this is necessary because of the small Emetian population and the dangers faced by the desert, with one text saying:

"Any Emetian who cannot continue the bloodline and protect the family is not worth sheltering."

Alongside the exile of all homosexual Emetians under the term Worldbreaker, there is immense controversy towards the idea of Worldbreakers in general. To exile the strong from their homes, leaving them to a life of wandering the desert as criminals never allowed to set foot in any town, leads all Worldbreakers to attack any village they pass, looting it for food and any other goods they may need, at times killing or kidnapping citizens. This is not just a possible occurrence, it is expected upon their exile. While some Worldbreakers leave the desert, most have no way of knowing how to escape the unmapped region and are forced to either commit crimes to live or simply die in the desert.
While there have been some Worldbreakers who were, during times of great danger, welcomed back to protect villages, most are instead used as deterrents who convince Emetians to train and settle down as is expected of them. Worldbreakers are, thus, used mostly as examples of the importance of the Ⱬzha Ⱬzhösha, even if they exist more as living examples of its flaws.