Religious Ceremonies

Religious Ceremonies are done at various times during the year. There are a few ceremonies which are very important, like the baptism, and there are a few which are done internally within the Temple.

Baptism
This is one of the most important ceremonies and is the first we are introduced to. The ceremony is done when the child reaches the age of birth in the season they are born in. Both nobles' and commoners' children are required to do the ceremony.

Noble
In Noble society the ceremony is done with the noble's house and done by blue priests / maidens and, if you are very rich, the High Bishop or High Priest. For the Noble child this is when they are formally introduced to Noble society and they are registered as a citizen of the city. This is done with the child registering their magic.

Commoners
For Commoners the Baptism is done in the temple and is done by the High Bishop. The day starts with the children walked down the main street of town, with the commoners celebrating the happy occasion and are lead to the temple. In the temple they are read prayers and are also registered as citizens of the city. In the case of commoners, they use blood to register instead of mana as they don't normally have any. Commoners normally start their apprenticeships for their chosen career.

Starbind Ceremony
The Starbind Ceremony is the wedding ceremony and is done yearly in the Autumn season. The High Bishop is normally the one to conduct the ceremony for both the Nobles and Commoners. The commoners' ceremony is done earlier in the day, with the nobles' ceremony being done in the evening.

Noble
The Noble ceremony is done in the Auds castle after all the Nobles of adult age gather and single mingle.

Commoners
The commoners' ceremony is done as part of the Star Festival with the commoners dressing up in their seasons birth colour. Everyone related to someone getting married or getting married themselves, pick up taue fruit (best described as water balloons) and spend the day tossing them around with the groom trying to protect his bride from attacks. Once that is done they have eat in the plaza and prepare for the nighttime festival.

The Healing Ritual
This is normally done during the Autumn season and is done after trombe has been killed by the Knights Order. This ceremony is done on the site of where the Trombe was killed to heal the land and restore the mana to the earth. The ceremony can be performed by blue priests or shrine maidens, but it does require the divine instrument - the Staff of Flutrane, for the ritual, with the ritualist wearing ceremonial robes. "'O Goddess of Water Flutrane, bringer of healing and change. O Twelve goddesses who serve by her side. Please hear my prayer and lend me your divine strength. Grant me the power to heal your sister, the Goddess of Earth Geduldh, who has been wounded by those who serve evil. '"

The Dedication Ritual
The Dedication Ritual is done on Earthday in Winter and goes on for several days or more of then a week. It is the most important ritual that is preformed and requires the priests and shrine maidens to fill up the divine instruments with mana. Priest / Shrine maidens are grouped together by their mana levels to chant the prayers. One of the instruments that is filled is the Golden chalices, which are used to bless the land in the spring for mana to grow crops."'O mighty King and Queen of the endless skies, O mighty Eternal Five who rule the mortal realm, O Goddess of Water Flutrane, O God of Fire Leidenschaft, O Goddes of Wind Schutzaria, O Goddess of Earth Geduldh, O God of Life Ewigeliebe, We honour you who have blessed all beings with life and pray that we may be blessed further with your divine might'" When people gather with the same purpose and chant the same prayers, allowing their mana to flow together, this speeds up the flow of all mana in the vicinity. It makes it easier for mana to leave the body and blue priests which became caught up in the amount of mana the higher ups have it may lead the lower mana uses in life threatening danger.

Inauguration Ceremony
This ceremony is used to inaugurate the High Bishop and (High Priest?). It requires the full turn out of the temples staff, grey and blue priests and shrine maidens. "O mighty King and Queen of the endless skies, O mighty Eternal Five who rule the mortal realm, O Goddess of Water Flutrane, O God of Fire Leidenschaft, O Goddes of Wind Schutzaria, O Goddess of Earth Geduldh, O God of Life Ewigeliebe! We offer you our prayers and gratitude.

Praise be to the gods! Glory to the gods!"

Harvest Festival
The Harvest Festival is held in Autumn, the blue priests / shrine maidens go out to the countryside and visit towns and villages. This is normally aligned with collecting taxes. The blue priests are normally given a percentage of the taxes and food from the harvest.

Coming of Age Ceremony
This is a ceremony which happens when the child comes of age and is formally an adult. This happens at the age of 15 and is celebrated seasonally and near the end of the season. The commoners' ceremony is held at 3rd bell. Apprentices generally are not allowed to participate in the temple ceremonies. The last day of Earthday in winter is when the coming of age ceremony is performed.

How the coming age ceremony works in the orphanage: The person would bathe early in the morning and put on the newly given clothes and finally say prayers and gratitude in the ceremony. Grey priest / Shrine maidens that work under a blue priest / Shrine maiden are given a small gift by them.