Cizayu
The Prydaen "coming of age" ritual, Cizayu symbolizes the transformation from kit to hunter. The knowledge of this ritual was first passed from Demrris to Soru, of the Claw of Demrris. The ritual involves testimony before the Elders from the kits teachers, and a hunt where the kit must prove their worth to the Hub. Before the Prydaen fled eastward, the last person to undergo the ritual of Cizayu was Vhadin.
Western Traditions
- To be expanded upon
Eastern Traditions
The ritual of Cizayu has changed much since the migration. The long feasts and celebrations have grown smaller, lasting only an andu or two, and are less extravagant than those in the past.
The migration itself is the cause of this. A coming of age ritual was not very necessary during a time of such strife, when any Prydaen alive had witnessed and done things that no child should ever do.
The elders, teachers, and hunters had no time to single out a kit to teach or train them. In some stories, it is said they would gather the children and lecture them on their new responsibilities. If you could walk and carry supplies, you were an adult. Years later, those kits, now grown, would jokingly (in the non-joke way of old people reminiscing about atrocities) refer to the Great Migration as the Great Cizayu.
When we finally settled in the East, and split into smaller groups to found Hubs, the ritual remained an afterthought. When new kits were born and raised, the teachers would lecture, the hunters would train, and as long as the kit knew their role, they were considered of age.
As the elders began to have some sense of control over the Eastern lands, they once again began to oversee the traditions, and discuss the kit's progress with their teachers, returning the ritual to something normal. Little has changed since this point.
Two teachers are chosen to guide the kit's final tests. One guides the kit on the stories, traditions, and religion, making sure their knowledge is enough to keep them focused in their life. The other guides the kit on hunts, making sure they are capable of feeding themselves and respecting their kills. These two teachers then give testimony before the elder overseeing the kit's ritual. If the elder finds the kits' education wanting—if either teacher neglects to include a vital piece of information—they will continue to teach the kit until the elder can be assured it is enough.
At this point, the elder themselves approaches the kit, and gives them a task. These tasks are meant to test the kit in the area the elder deems their weakest—it is not always about hunting, though that is by far the most common task given. A well-rounded Prydaen only needs to prove themselves to themselves. For them, it is more about the ritual than being tested, simply part of the tradition.
For others, tasks can vary wildly. For a rambunctious kit, their task may be to spend an andu in silence, never startling their prey or others. For a shy kit, their task may be to give a story each night until they no longer tremble. More often than not, the task is meant to make sure the kit can survive on their own. When this is not a problem, it is next addressed that the kit will be able to take a mate later in life. Being a hermit is, of course, fine. Being a hermit because one is afraid of the opposite sex is troubling!
For this task, there is no time limit. If the elder's task dictates a stretch of time, then those set to observe the kit will mark failures and reset their progress until the alotted time has passed without mistake. As the task is meant to be the ultimate challenge for the kit, it does sometimes last a year or two. Though a hunt is always performed without clothing or tools, other tasks do not require the kit to shed the comforts of civilization. Indeed, for the more sociably conscious groups, the task may involve making sure the kit can adapt to Kermorian society without casting shame upon our ways and our race, which often necessitates them to remain dressed. If it is not specified, many kits prefer to perform their task "in the fur", simply for tradition's sake (for their peers may mock them otherwise.)
When this task is confirmed to be complete by the elder, the final stage of the ritual begins! A feast is laid out for those close to the kit and their teachers, though all the Hub may partake and join in should they wish. Sweet meats, bloodwyne, and other succulents are procured by all, and music and stories are performed by any who wish. For more traditional hunting tasks, the kit's hunt is shared at the feast. Depending on the kit and their notoriety, jests are sometimes had at the kits' expense, with stories adapted to poke fun at their mishaps and misdeeds—but ultimately in good spirits, as the kit has proven themselves to have outgrown childish behaviours.
It is not part of the tradition to bestow gifts, but some individuals do so anyway. Usually the mother or father of the kit, or close friends in the Hub, will give them a piece of clothing, a bag, blanket, or weapon, to mark their passage into adulthood.
It is left to the kit to decide when they wish to proceed with the ritual. Some kits are ready as young as ten years old. Others may feel ready at twice the age.
With what little of the population made it East, it is no longer given that a mated pair will produce a healthy, strong kit. Where the weak would be passed over before, the lack of viable mates now means that Prydaen with physical and mental disabilities are likely to pass those on to their kits, and those kits may struggle with all parts of their Cizayu.
Failure to complete the ritual is not a mark against the Prydaen. It is simply acknowledgement that they are self-sufficient in all things. Where Prydaen in the West may have left the weak to die and be reborn "whole", Prydaen in the East have been through too much, and Hubs will always take care of the kin who wander into their midst. Young, old, blind, deaf, bed-bound or physically perfect, the Hub exists to see that their lives are able to be lived to the fullest.
(Note: This information is unofficial, in that it is written by players of Prydaen characters, who, in the absence of a GM to oversee the lore, took it upon themselves to flesh things out. If anyone finds issue with this, please ask a GM to look it over for official approval before changing or deleting things. However, your own additions are welcome! We built this to manage all sorts of contradictions as the fragmented traditions grow into their own things; if you feel something doesn't cover your character's own experience, please add their experience in!)