Necromancer Pilgrimage
Necromancer Pilgrimage is a unique cultural adaptation that began during the New Day. It involves traveling (usually at a young age) to visit other temples and live among different necromancers. What makes the pilgrimage practice unique as compared to other religions is that the destination is not the important part, but about learning how other groups of necromancers live. Though not practiced universally, a pilgrimage is a requirement for advancements in most temple priesthood.
Background
The modern practice of pilgrimage has its roots in the old Alliance era. During the first and second ages, most necromancers lived in extremely insular communities. Whether they were followers of Grey or Green Temple ideology, the average necromancers lived, worked, and socialized with only a small number of others. Many necromancers felt this sort of isolation is what gave rise to the extreme ideologies and caused the Necromanic Wars.
Flash forward to the Long Night era where most necromancers survived in hiding, and once again resorted to small, isolated groups. Though the concept of defined ideologies had become extremely taboo, it was still unavoidable that different temples would develop unique customs. When the New Day era began and travel restrictions evaporated, many necromancers abandoned their less hospitable locals and joined more established temples. As culture-clash resulted from these migrations, it gave rise to the notion that some aspects of it were a good thing.
Formalization
Pilgrimage became a formalized concept near the end of the first century N.D. when the Gudersnipe Foundation restored the GATE network to full functionality. Pilgrimage was encouraged as early as possible, with youngsters typically leaving home in their teens and traveling with groups of their peers to live at other temples. It could last only a few days or as much as several years. In general a good pilgrimage was seen as lasting about six months, and involved visiting at least two temples other than one's own.
As with many things involved in necromancy, the pilgrimage quickly became wrapped up in the spiritual aspects of the culture. Members of the priesthood especially were expected to have undergone lengthy pilgrimages typically lasting years.
The rise of formal education initially had a significant impact on the practice. As necromancers shifted from subsistence farming in the Long Night to living in an increasingly industrialized society, it became common to send their children to "neshi-schools" where they could get a proper education. Necromancer temples also began to open their own private institutions where young people could get a modern education in core subjects like math and reading, while combining their studies with religious and cultural applications.
Summer vacation provided a fairly reasonable compromise, and "pilgrim camp" turned into something of a right of passage. Essentially going away on a summer-long pilgrimage. Other pilgrims enrolled in local schools and changed temples during school breaks. Some enterprising groups even opened traveling "pilgrim schools" where a group of educators (themselves necromancers) would travel with the young people, acting as their care-takers while also teaching them. As with all things necromancer, the solutions were as varied as the temples being visited.
Exchange Students and Place-Swap Pilgrims
For pilgrims traveling over much larger distances (such as between worlds), there may be significant language and cultural barriers to overcome. For this reason formal exchange programs were created (over overlapping with programs being run by non-necromancers). In these cases the youngster becomes a formal exchange student, enrolling in a local school and receiving lessons in the local language and customs that extend beyond just learning about a different temple.
Pilgrims usually traveled without their parents and in groups of peers their own age. As most temples no longer include housing accommodations, these teenagers have to be placed somewhere. Someone becomes a "place-swap pilgrim" when that somewhere is the bedroom of another child their own age which is presently vacant because that kid is on a pilgrimage of their own.
