The Rite of Emberment

The Rite began in the early forging days of Embergarde, shortly after the city was founded atop veins of volcanic power. Mages of the fledgling Order of the First Thought sought communion with Aurenos by meditating within the Vein of the Prime Fire.

As Embergarde grew into a metropolis and a center of magical innovation, the Rite shifted. Political interests and economic benefits turned private meditations into grand spectacles designed to showcase Embergarde’s arcane prowess and attract pilgrims, scholars, and merchants.

Cultural pressures to strengthen civic unity—especially after regional conflicts and trade rivalries—fueled this transformation. Over centuries, the solemn revelation of divine thought became a public festival of collective inspiration.

Traditional

• Initiates descended alone into the Vein of the Prime Fire with blank volcanic glass tablets.
• Fasted and meditated for three nights, seeking a vision of the First Thought.
• Emerged to etch these revelations into the tablets, which were then archived.

Modern

• Held on Year’s Morrow, with citywide lantern processions.
• Young mages parade through Aurenos’s Plaza carrying symbolic blank glass tablets.
• Recitations of famous past Emberments are performed on grand stages.
• At sunset, initiates scribe stylized revelations (often pre-prepared) into tablets in front of the crowd.
• Ends with a grand igniting of magical fireworks shaped like runes.

• Volcanic glass tablets (emberglass): Represent the receptive mind, ready to capture divine spark.
• Arcane lanterns: Shaped with Aurenos’s sigils, carried in processions.
• Crimson ceremonial robes: Adorned with thread-of-gold patterns meant to catch stray sparks of inspiration.
• Incense made from rare mosses found near lava vents, burned to encourage trance states.

• Initiates: Young members of the Order of the First Thought or affiliated academies.
• High Arcanists & Emberwardens: Senior figures who oversee the ritual and ensure its symbolic integrity.
• Artisan and merchant guilds: Sponsor portions of the festival, build stages, and host feasts.
• General populace & pilgrims: Flock to witness recitations, fireworks, and contribute offerings.

Though open to all to watch, the ritual is still viewed as spiritually binding for initiates of the Order. They are expected to uphold the insights they scribe, guiding their future arcane studies. Many families mark the day with private readings from the Archive of Embers, hoping fragments of revelation might bless their own endeavors.