Imbibing the Stars

"It is always possible the records are incomplete."

- Proverb of the Azurejays, Scholar-Knights of San Sylvester

This article is incomplete and will require additional work.

Imbibing the Stars is a ritual of primal magic practised by the druidic circles lead by the Star-Counters, conducted by the Star-Counters themselves at their own discretion. As a precursor to the ritual, young druids who meet certain requirements of merit and astrology are usually set to fetch the required material components as a test of their worthiness.

The ritual, conducted over the run of four weeks, sees the religious preparation of paints, incense, and a potion. These become the material components for the ritual. Two participants - an officiant known as a sponsor and an initiate known as the mentee, lead an active ritual at the end of the four-week period (coinciding with the moon of the mentee's birth), where the mentee is anointed with the paint, bathed in the incense, and consumes the potion. As a part of the rite, the mentee often communes with one or more spirits or divinities of nature as a result of the state brought on by the spiritual energies of the ritual space and the hallucinogenic effects of the potion. This experience usually lasts several hours, well into daybreak. When the mentee has recovered, they are confirred the title of "Starchild" and are considered initiates on the path to becoming a Star-Counter in their own right.

The ritual, conducted properly, always takes place at Star Rock. Non-druids are forbidden to attend, without exception. Since many druids acquire non-druid friends in the course of their travels (which are usually extensive, owing to the widespread nature of the growing areas for the vegetable components of the ritual), it is customary for whichever tribe of the Confederacy of Sages currently inhabiting the area to throw a large festival for the full duration of the ritual, in order to entertain those travellers. At such occasions, the telling of stories of personal achievements is customary.