Ingestion of the Waves

Mermaids have no coming of age ceremony, but they do have a ceremony for when the Queen of the Mermaids passes her rule to the next Queen. Formally, the new Queen is considered the Queen of the Mermaids from coronation day, however the ocean does not recognise this as the new Queen until the Ingestion of the Waves is complete (and as such the previous Queen is the Queen of the ocean until then). For the five days, the transferring of the magic involves both fighting with the ocean, and then merging with the ocean. The fight may be from the waters themselves, or creatures within the waters, at times such large, dark and dense creatures that are unknown to anyone else in Turien may appear. Be they creatures hidden by the side of the Locklong or living within the magic discs and otherwise trapped under Turien; imaginings of the new Queen's mind brought into the physical through the magic of the ocean; or simply the ocean itself is for the ocean to use and the Queens to simply accept. After the Ingestion of the Waves, the new Queen has the abilities of the Queen of the Ocean:

a double lifespan

recognition of the Ocean

requirement to live all but a week per year inside the Ocean

become protector of the Ocean and all that is in it

sense all that is in the Ocean

become a part of the Ocean (and lose herself to the Ocean)

Participants

Queen - passes on the rule of the ocean New Queen - battles the ocean and receives the rule of the ocean The Ocean - unmerges from one Queen, battles the new Queen then merges with her

Observance

Willmonth the 1st of the coronation year is the usual day for the public ceremony of coronation for the previous Queen to the new Queen. The five days after that is the occurrence of the Ingestion of the Waves, from when the Queens step onto the underwater cliff edge (a location known only to the Queens) until they depart.

Important Locations