Necromancer Rites of Passage

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Necromancer Rites of Passage are a series of religious rituals Necromancers are expected to complete in their youth. These include specific blood-letting ceremonies, special prayers, and learning to read Endu. The final ritual, called trig'git'zepta signifies that the young necromancer has read from the Endu holy texts and achieved spiritual enlightenment. The number 4 is sacred in necromancy as are the 4 cardinal directions; there are thus 4 specific rituals required to achieve enlightenment.

  • O'ko'to ze - 'first bloodletting'. In this ritual(usually preformed around the age of 5), the adherent pricks their finger on a sacred needle and inscribes an Endu character in blood. This is accompanied by prayers and chanting. The full ritual varies from temple to temple, but typically involves the above acts, followed by the baking of bread.
  • Nip'zet - 'first prayers'. Though necromancers would have been taught prayers since they could speak, this ritual is considered the first time in which they will actively pray. The ceremony is always carried out on the day of the 9th birthday. Curiously, this one involves no bloodletting. On this day, the young necromancer will rise with the sun and be given their first Endu prayer scroll. They then have until sunset to learn to read the prayer. In practice, most necromancers memorize the nip'zet prayer with the help of their parents. Its not long and learning to recite the entire thing generally only takes a few hours. The nip'zet prayer is not said at any other time in a necromancer's life.

After completing nip'zet, necromancers begin to study Endu in addition to their regular schooling. Necromancer schools include Endu as part of the education; and necromancers who go to mundane schools usually have special classes at the temple for that purpose. In practice, most necromancers focus on memorizing the prayers and learning the meanings of words, and devote little time to the nuances of Endu. Really only those who wish to become priests or chantresses need master the fine arts of Endu.

  • Rhem'ze - 'first writing'. In this ritual, the young necromancer will open a vein and write their first prayer scroll. Orthodox necromancers will likely have practiced several blood-letting rituals by the age of 12, but there is no set date or time for the rhem'ze ritual. Completion requires they have learned enough Endu to carry out the necessary forms. Creating a scroll consists of writing a prayer(usually about 4 lines) and inscribing a glyph(a large circle usually about 2 inches across). The rhem'ze ritual indicates that a necromancer has gained the necessary mastery of Endu to begin reading the sacred texts. Though the timing can vary, rhem'ze is usually preformed shortly before the final ritual.
  • Ah'khat'ankq - 'the reading of the text'. In this ritual, the young necromancer will read from the sacred texts and achieve spiritual enlightenment. This is the most prolonged of all rituals and takes about two days. Various temple practices vary, but most Green Temple necromancers preform the practice on or around the 13th birthday. A young necromancer will have to have learned enough Endu to read from the holly texts(or memorized the appropriate passages, as is more common). They will begn the ritual by descending into the catacombs that accompany the temple, carrying with them a bundle of prayer scrolls(including both their nip'zet and their rhem'ze scroll) and an ak'tat, a type of sacred ritual lamp. the ak'tat will be their only source light, and must be carefully maintained if the supply of fuel is to last until morning. The young necromancer will spend the night meditating and communing with the dead. If possible, the evening will include a trip to visit the Necrosages(itself another rite of passage). At dawn, the necromancer ascends from the catacombs, and reads from the scrolls they carry for their friends and family. This signifies that they have achieved spiritual enlightenment, and are ready to become a full-fledged necromancer. This is typically followed up immediately by a big party, and in many circles is a very important time for a young necromancer.

Variations, Modifications, and Substitutions

Additional Rites

Consulting the necrosages is a birth rite granted to all necromancers at least once in their life. When possible, this is done alongside the Ah'khat'ankq ritual, but the sages may be unavailable or the necromancer may choose to wait.