(08-05-2013, 11:25 PM)Teardrop Wrote: I think Eva has mentioned a few times various things regarding some pretty interesting traditions in either her or Oskar's background.
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Does anyone have any "rites of passage" conceptualized for their particular clans at the moment? Â Might be fun to break them out and see what people have come up with
I won't speak for Oskars clan(s) since they had some rather unusual traditions of their own, but I can list off a few of the ones that have been referenced either through journal entries or in direct RP from Eva's ancestry:
1. Coming of Age - On a duskwight's 17th nameday in the Plunierre Clan, if he (or she) is the eldest son (or daughter), he receives "The Saga of Ages" - a collection of journals dating back through history. Â They also receive the privilege of being able to "enscribe" their parents' name upon the wall of Living Stone when they pass. Â This cannot be done before the 17th nameday, and it falls to some other family member to "enscribe" the deceased's name upon the wall should they die. Â More on this later. Â At 17 they are also considered old enough to choose a mate and be regarded by the clan as an adult. Â Important to note, any subsequent children upon their 17th nameday receive a gift of blank parchment and generally [but not always] choose to begin their own Saga of Ages, to pass along one day to their own children.
2. Symbol of Intent - Historically, Plunierre Clan males choose females for mates, however they may only select a mate who has bestowed upon them a symbol of intent. Â This takes the form of a candle as a sign that the female will help bring light to guide the male along the way. Â This tradition may be practiced by any Duskwight who has Come of Age. Â More recently in the past few generations it has become accepted for a male to offer a candle to a female in order to express his interest. Â She may then choose to receive it or reject it. Â Thus begins a courtship.
3. The Marking - In the Plunierre Clan, there are no engagement rings. Â Instead when a couple is ready to begin the journey towards marriage, they start a commitment and an elder from the village (or one of his family) then marks both by tattooing a symbol upon their face. Â Traditionally this has been done using blue or green ink, and alerts the rest of the clan that they have chosen a mate and are essentially unavailable.
4. Matrimony - Weddings are almost a foregone conclusion after The Marking ceremony, and a date will be set. Â Before the entire clan, each duskwight pledges his and her love to one another and swears devotion, then there is much celebration and merriment as would follow most weddings. Â Marriage is taken very seriously and while very few from Plunierre Clan stray, it has been known to happen on occasion, and is very much a community ordeal and brings great shame upon those who cannot keep to their oaths. Â It may bear note that there is no greater sin in the Plunierre community than breaking a sworn oath, and the term "Oathbreaker" is considered the worst curse there is.*
5. Enscribing - The Plunierre clan-lands may be somewhat unique in that an underground river once carved a tunnel through the Living Stone. Â From the time they first settled there, it has been custom that when one died, their next of kin (if of age) would enscribe their name upon the wall. Â This has gone on for many generations. Â The chamber is regarded as a sacred place and only the Elder is allowed there unless someone is enscribing. Â No one is told what enscribing entails until that time comes for them. Â They are given a small stone shard and a bowl and must prick themselves, then write the name upon the wall in their own blood. Â It is considered a great honor to enscribe one's father or mother's name. Â Conversely it is considered unfortunate or shameful to have to enscribe a child's or some other family member's name.
6. The Blessing of Hands - When a new duskwight arrives from another clan, or when one returns from a long absense, chimes are rung to rally the clan together and the new duskwight passes through an aisle with duskwights along either side who place their hands upon his or her shoulders and back as a symbolic gesture, guiding the individual back home and towards the Elder.
* As a footnote, the importance upon oaths is one theme that ran common with Oskar's duskwight culture as well and may be an interesting sticking point for other clans
There are more than just these too, to my mind, but they just haven't come up in-game at all yet.
"One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others." Â ~ Lewis Carol
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
Eva's Journals  |  Eva's Wiki Page (coming soon)  |  RP Handbook
