Ceremony at Mount Turfan
The ceremony at Mount Turfan is one of the most important rituals in the Seris Empire both for the state's welfare and for the imperial cult. This is a ritual that only the Seris Emperor can perform, and it is destined to appease the gods but also to reinforce his legitimacy.
Prayers are then recited by the priests and all the assistants asking the King of the Gods for his protection. When prayers end the assistants bow again three time and before leaving, the emperor claps three times and then the statue in covered again with the golden courtains. This ceremony is performed, in contrast with the one done at the temple of Tyr, which is done each year, this ceremony is performed traditionally each 5 years, and for the Emperors this is a way to show their legitimacy and to make everyone knows that they, who had been appointed by Heaven, still have the gods approval and support.
Origins
This ritual is one of the oldest in Seria, it is said that the old kings of Ytarim already took part in this ceremony, which continued to be performed by the Emperors of the unified Seria during the following centuries. Imperial propaganda states that this ceremony, inherited from the kings of Ytarim was created by Kuchi, the founder of the Seris nation, as a form of asking for the gods favour and protection and it was in Mount Turfan where Kuchi breathed his last and where his soul was picked up by the goddess Pyria and ascended to heaven where he was granted the status of a god. This is also the place where Arshakes I proclaimed the unification of the country, so the place has enormous symbolic importance for the Seris.Stages of the ceremony
The Great procession
This is perhaps the most colourful part of the ceremony, as the emperor and his court travel from the imperial capital, Sakouramish to Mount Turfan. The route and the "style" of the procession varies depending on the emperor's desire. Sometimes the court travels along the Royal Road on horse or carriage, and other times the emperor might decide that it's faster and safer to arrive to the base of Mount Turfan by boat across the river. Be that as it may, it's an impressive event to behold as the ruler of all under the heavens spares no expense to display his power and wealth, either travelling in luxurious carriages, like little palaces or ships with all the commodities he and his court needs. Of course the whole procession is scorted by units of the army and the Imperial Guard with their colourful standarts and banners as well as their shiny armours and ceremonial armour. The Emperor and his court left the imperial capital through the Victory Gate, the gate from which the Royal Road begins. Mount Turfan is located 50 kms away from Sakouramish, so it takes the imperial entourage about 1 or 2 days to reach the foot of the mountain if they go on horseback.First stop: Sanctuary of Tyr at the foot of Mount Turfan
The first stop of the Imperial procession once it arrives to its destination is to make offerings at the Temple of Tyr at the foot of the mountain. There the Emperor does a libation of water at the altar in front of the statue of the goddess and then, the Emperor does the symbolic plowing by the emperor of the first furrow of the new farming season, all of this to grant prosperity and good harvest for the following year.Second stop: Sanctuary of Abbina at the top of Mount Turfan
After the first ritual at the temple at the foot of th mountain, the emperor changes clothes and ascends the mountain accompanied by his court, wearing the most elaborate of robes. On the top of the mountain it's located the Temple of Abbina, a grandious building made of stone and wood with a golden roof and a big stone esplanade in front. Once the Emperor reaches this place, the priests remove the golden courtains covering the statue of the god, and at that very moment he and his court bows three times in front of the statue and then the ruler of all below the heavens, as the Seris call him, does a libation of honey at the altar and then burns some incense as a sign of respect to the god, last but not least the emperor places some food, usually some loaves of steamed bread for the god at the altar. These loaves are usually five, this is a highly symbolic number as five are the gods that form the davidovian Pompteiad, the five gods of the elements.Seris Emperor burning incense at Mt. Turfan by Callyxtus
Last stop: The Imperial Tombs
An Emperor can't be respected if he doesn't pay his respect to his ancestors. So everytime an Emperor travels across this part of the country it is almost mandatory for him to make an stop at the Imperial Necropolis at Asuparama, with its tombs carved in the rock displaying wonderful reliefs. This was the final resting place for every Seris Emperor until the mid of the 4th century AP. The ritual here is almost similar to the one perfomed at the temple of Abbina, the emperor would do a libation at the altar in front of the tombs and then would burn incense in front of the tombs of the deceased emperors, especially those who had obtained semi-divine status!.Returning to the capital
Usually the imperial entourage decides to return to the capital downriver in their luxurious boats, as it is the fastest way to return to Sakouramish. Many people from the nearby rural areas come to the river to witness the event and pay their respects to their Emperor, and often gifts and food is distributed from the ships to the river ports through which ships pass. Finally, the imperial entourage returns to the capital, entering again through the Victory Gate crossing the city's main avenue towards the Imperial Palace amid cheers and bows to the Emperor, who has now secured the prosperity of the realm for the incomming year and has renewed his legitimacy in the eyes of gods and mortals.
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