Canary of the Choir

Canary are the members of the Choir who commune with the sky spirits called aeons. A Canary must devote themselves to prayer and studying aeons so that they may protect the land and its people. Together in their ensembles they sing hymns to move the aeons and are praised as devout protectors.    

Requirements

A Canary starts off as an apprentice member of the Choir, these apprentices are known as altar boys/girls. They then practise rituals, singing hymns and tend to various tasks around the Choir. An apprenticeship can take years, usually the apprentice has other obligations and come in as an extra to the Choir and partake in their activities. To become a Canary you must be chosen by the Chorister, the lead Canary for the ensemble, and go from apprentice to initiate. An initiate is expected to be able to do all the tasks of a Canary and live with them in the Choir but have yet passed the final steps of being able to perform a song to move a divine beast, an aeon. Once they have performed a successful solo hymn or ceremony they are allowed to be called a Canary.   This process can take a year or several decades. Some who perform exceptionally well at their duties but can’t pass the golden solo can be made an honorary Canary by their Choir. Age or background does not matter but to begin the process you must have some connection to the Choir as it is up to the members to accept or reject you. It’s quite common for children of families close to the Choir to become altar boys/girls at an early age and learn the workings of the organisation through that family connection.  

Duties

A Canary is trusted with the task of appeasing the aeons to ensure the island they live on receives rain, good winds, or whatever weather is desirable. As the aeons control the skies it is vital to the island both for it’s ecology and people that the weather is stable. This is why the Choir was established and Canaries are the priests who guide the people through weekly sermons and holiday rituals. Canaries themselves sing every day upholding the temples and try to read and understand the moods and wills of the aeons. When the ire of an aeon strikes or enemies are on the horizon it is up to the Canaries to sing hymns, using their voices to reach the aeons to calm them down or receive their blessings. These songs are usually accompanied by rituals of dancing and ritualistic sacrificing of water to the aeon as water is sacred and carries magic.  

Advancements

Some Canaries go on to become a Chorister, the leader of the Canary ensemble and the administrative head of the temple they are stationed at. Almost the same as a Canary but with more administrative duties. Others may go a different route and become a Summoner. A Summoner is someone who has received the blessings of an aeon and can directly call upon their powers through a water staff. To become a summoner you do not have to be a Canary, but so far 9 out of 10 summoners have always started off as a Canary.  

Accoutrements & Equipment

The work of a Canary is all about ceremony and performing for the aeons; this also carries over to the clothes and equipment they have. Yellow is the signature color of the Canaries and their standard wear for a sermon is wearing yellow veils and a gold coin band around their hips. They also carry an ornate knife to their side to represent their willingness to sacrifice their own water- their blood. They also carry little flasks with water on them to be used in rituals so that they don’t have to cut themselves. During festivals or when the choir really needs to perform they put on colourful silky clothes with feather, scales, jeweler to match the aeon they are calling out to. Drums or tambourines are also common to be used along with the singing. The chorister wears a matching crown to their outfit and has a baton to make them stand out and to lead the choir in the hymns.
When the canaries sing and dance it is mesmerising and lifts the spirits of the spectators with their beauty and voices.  

The Choir House

The Choir house itself is a big open building made to amplify acoustics and give a stage for the Canary to sing on and room for people to sit on mats. There is usually an altar with a fountain and a bowl. After a ceremony it is expected for people to leave gifts and support the choir by giving money or things of value in the bowl, a cup of water to the fountain, or bread, fruit or pastries on the altar. If the choir house is wealthier it may have a bell tower that will ring to call people to ceremony or a bird pavilion where they care for the bird of their namesake along with other singing birds. There are even bird singing competitions held at certain places where the choirs compete against one another.