The Rite of Severance
The Final Unbinding of Authority and Soul
"To wield magic by law is a privilege. To lose it is to feel the silence of power that once obeyed you."
The Rite of Severance is the most feared ritual in the codified traditions of the Magisters Arcanii — a formal, magical, and judicial procedure used to unbind a Magister from their title, power, and connection to the Codex Exilia. Performed only upon a Tribunal’s ruling, the Severance is irreversible. It is not death, but exile from authority — both societal and arcane.
It is an act of removal, not vengeance. Of finality, not cruelty. The severed leave with their lives, but their souls are branded by absence.
History
The Rite was first invoked during the Riftblood Revolt, when Magister Varn Selenus was found guilty of summoning without sanction. Lacking precedent, the Council refused execution — fearing martyrdom. Instead, they created an alternative: a ritual erasure of title and arcane access.
Over centuries, the Rite evolved into formal procedure. Eloria Narses herself refined its invocation after the Night of Reversal, ensuring no ambiguity could remain around a Magister’s fall from grace.
Execution
The ritual begins at twilight on the sixth day of the tribunal cycle. The accused is led to the center of the Oculus Tharaxis by two Custodians — never shackled, never touched.
Twelve Magisters form a circle, each representing a Seal of the Codex. The Prima speaks the binding record: the name, rank, and crimes. Then, the condemned is given a single breath to speak — not in defense, but in memory.
The Flame of Witness is then ignited — a silver fire that casts no heat. The Prima draws the Severing Sigil in Riftlight midair and speaks the Final Clause. The arcane connection between the subject and the Codex — and all licenses therein — is severed with a visible shock of unbinding.
The subject falls. They always fall.
Components and tools
Sigillum Obscura – Presented, then struck silent
The Flame of Witness – An enchanted fire that reveals any final spells bound to the soul
Riftlight Ink and Wand – Used to draw the Severing Sigil in air
Twelve Codex Seals – Embedded in the floor of the Oculus, they harmonize to judge worthiness of Severance
Participants
The Magister Prima – Executes the Rite and speaks the Final Clause
Twelve Standing Magisters – Channel the Codex's authority
The Accused – Stands in silence, center of judgment
Custodians – Guardians and escorts, forbidden to interfere unless commanded
Archivists – Record the Rite for legal permanence
Observance
The Rite is not tied to the calendar, but must be performed beneath the visible Rift Moon — most often in Obscurum. No Severance may be executed unless Tharaxis is present in the sky.
Each year, the names of the Severed are read in whisper during the Dies Sacri of Aeternis — not to shame, but to remind.
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