Traditions of Age

Youth - Coming of Age - The Middling Years - Adulthood - The Years of Whitefall

Youth

A child is not acknowledged until it is given a 12 day name. It is said that a soul chooses to enter the child's body in those first twelve days after it is out of the womb. If the baby dies in those twelve days, it means the body could not accept a soul. On the twelfth day after it is born, the child is given its name according to the naming traditions. After it receives its name, it is considered a person.

Birthdays for children are often celebrated with family and friends. Gifts are given to reflect what sign the child was born under or perhaps their future profession if it decided. Though the child was not considered a person until its twelfth day, the birthday is still celebrated on the day of its birth. Its star sign, also corresponds to the day of actual birth as well.

The first truly special birthday is a child's twelfth birthday. This is the day that they are given their 12 year name by their chosen friend. This is also the last year that the birthday is celebrated with gifts. After this, birthdays are generally celebrated quietly with a few friends and family. Maybe a meal to celebrate- though, it is not the birth that is celebrated, but rather the person's name.

Coming of Age

On their 14th birthday, a child officially comes of age and is not longer considered a child. It is after this time, that a child is considered grown and have the ability to choose their profession without the guidance of their parents.

On their Coming of Age day, a child is taken to an Astrologer. The Astrologer does the child's star chart for them. During the creation of this star chart, the astrologer acts as council for the child, telling them when big events will occur in the life, what kind of person they should look for in a mate and even what they can expect for their future. An Astrologer is not allowed to charge any more for the star chart for a coming of age than the family can afford, in fact, some astrologers even do it for no charge at all.

After this point, boy who have come of age are taken to the city by their oldest male relative and showed some of the finer things in life. Sex, death and reality is explained to the child (or even shown). Until this point, a child is sheltered from such things. Most boys are taken to a brothel to experience sex and pleasure, or a companion is procured for them to teach them how to please women. At the end of this excursion, the boy is allowed to choose one thing that he thinks will aid him in his chosen profession and it is a gift from all the men in his family.

A girl, at this point, would be taken to the city by their oldest female relative and shown much the same things as a boy. They are shown that there are some good men and some bad men and are taught how to tell the difference between the two. (Of course, not all women master this at such a young age.) Some are even shown how to please a man at the local brothel by watching the prostitutes (both male and female) work. At the end of the excursion, the girl is taken home and bathed. She is that given her first hair brush and shown how to attract men to her with make-up, clothing and body language. Then, all spruced up, the girl is taken to a dance hall and left to dance the night away.

The only exceptions to the coming of age ceremonies are the Ageless. Since few ever reach the ripe age of 14, things such as sex, death and reality are never hidden from them. They grow up in the midst of truth, unsheltered and unblended. The Ageless never have any ceremony. They have no star sign and were born under no star, so they cannot have a Star Chart made for them. Instead, they are summoned to each of the Holy sisters and given a peek into their lives that others- even those who take the pilgrimage- do not get. They are told their purpose and their future. It is at this point that the Holy Sisters tell them if they are to stay on the island with them and if they do; which sister they will serve. It is very rare for one of the Ageless to be told that their fate is not on the island.

The Middling Years

The Middling years are the years between coming of age and adulthood. They are the formative years and often referred to as the Age of Apprenticeship. It is during this time that those who are grown but not adults take an apprenticeship, go into higher schooling or take up with a Magical institute or the Military. Most apprenticeships begin at the age of 14, as do the higher schooling for specialization in the sciences, history or the arts. However, no one under the age of 16 is allowed to enter the Magical Academy or the Military.

It is during these years that those who are of age and able to make decisions truly begin their journey into the world. This is a common age for people to undertake the pilgrimage. This is also a common age for people to find their future spouse if they are not betrothed already. The traditional age of marriage for boy is 17 and the traditional age of marriage for girls is 15.

Adulthood

Once someone finished their Apprenticeship or schooling, they are considered an adult. This is usually around the age of 17 or 18. Or, in the case of women, after they've had their first child if it is sooner than that.

During adulthood, there are three primary things that people do: work, have a family and contribute in some way to the well being of their hometown. Contribution can come in the form of helping with festivals, some small governance, adding a work of art to the city for all to enjoy or maintenance on the city.

Since sex can be rather open in Arascon, families are formed by women and their children. If the woman is married, then that person is the child's father, if not, the man of the house is the oldest male relative of the household. It is that man's duty to help care for and raise the children. While passing on names is important, lineage is traced through women rather than men because you can be certain of the bond through women. More often than not, the father of children is the woman's spouse if it was a marriage of love. But, if a woman is having a hard time conceiving, she may find a lover to 'help'.

The Years of Whitefall

When someone is too old to work any longer or has reached an old age, they are considered to be in the Whitefall of their life. Those who are in Whitefall are taken care of by their children so they do not have to work any longer and still have shelter and food.

During the years of Whitefall, the elderly often take up an art of some kind. It is tradition for someone in these years (because not everyone makes it to them) to create something to be remembered by. It is supposed to be a symbol of who they are so their name is not forgotten.

For example, High Queen Tama created the Rainbow Bridge in her years of Whitefall. While most people's contributions are not quite so grand as hers, they do try to do something so people will speak their name when they see it.