Birth Rite

The Awakening in Ice

 

The Meaning of the Ritual

The birth of a child among the Frostborn is not simply the beginning of a new life—it is a trial. Unlike in warmer cultures, a newborn is not immediately considered part of the community. The cold is relentless, and not every child will endure.
  Before a child’s name can be accepted into the community, they must survive the 69 Exodus Weeks. This number is chosen deliberately—it recalls the long journey of the ancestors who once left Eyuko and found their place in a hostile world. Only when the child has proven that their body can accept the cold are they “counted” and officially entered into the Chronicle of Ice.
 

The First Naming

Shortly after birth, the parents take a bone token from the depths of the sea. With steady hands, they carve the name of their child into it—but this name does not yet belong to the child. It is only a promise, a possibility not yet sealed.
  The token is tied to a simple cord and placed around the infant’s body—not as ornament, not as protection, but as a sign that the child exists, yet is not yet acknowledged. As long as the cord remains, the name is uncertain, suspended, incomplete.
 

The 69 Exodus Weeks – The Trial of Life

Over the next 69 weeks, the child must face the cold. During this time, there are no rituals, no blessings—only observation. The parents watch for every sign—does the child breathe calmly? Does their skin accept the frosty air? Is their heart strong enough to live with the silence of snow?
  There is no excessive warmth, no artificial shelter. The child must prove they accept the cold. If they do not survive these weeks, their name remains unspoken. Only those who endure the trial may be welcomed into the community.
 

The Gathering

When the 69 weeks have passed and the child has survived, the parents summon a city mage. The family and closest confidants gather. Before the mage rests the Frostglass—an ancient piece of clear ice that bears the names of past generations. Now it shall receive the child’s name.
 

The Final Naming Magic

The mage places one hand on the Frostglass, the other slowly rising into the air. His whisper is not loud, not gentle, but irreversible. With each word, fine cracks glide across the surface of the ice, glowing like frozen light. Slowly the name appears—first faint, then carved deeper and deeper until it becomes part of eternity.
  The child now belongs to the Frostborn. Their name is now part of the ice—eternal, indelible.
 

The Unbinding – The Claiming of the Name

The mother steps forward and removes the first cord from the child’s body. But the bone token remains—it is now fastened with a leather cord or bone chain. The child now wears their name close to the heart—not as a trial, but as a sign of identity.
  This token is never willingly removed, never willingly destroyed. It remains a lifelong symbol that the child has passed their first battle.
  The ritual is complete. The child is no longer a stranger. They are Frostborn.