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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 5239752" data-attributes="member: 92305">-- DETAILS --At age twelve, boys (usually) begin warrior training through a ritual called the Ras Croi. It is a race run to determine which boys are physically mature enough to begin learning the art of war. Those chosen go on, as a "class", to train with weapons and learn from their clansmen. Those not selected can attempt the Ras Croi again the following year.Girls are allowed to attempt the Ras Croi but are held to the same standard as the boys, thus most girls never attempt the ritual. What war learning females get in the Blue Fox Clan is taught to them by their mates and sons. Note that there is no sex prejudice in among the Clansmen, though. Any woman that can compete with a man is welcome to hold a sword among the other warriors. Because the sex is physically weaker, women warriors among the Foxmen is a rare sight.After three years of training (and natural physical growth), Clansmen are allowed to attempt the final challenge in becoming an Urrogh warrior. This ritual is called the deasghnath, where the 15 year old must make a kill on his own.Ras Croi (Raws - Kroy) - A very physical, endurance race held during the Beltain (Festival on May 1st - First day of Summer) for 12 year old boys, when the clan has participants. The entire clan lines the race path, cheering, urging the young warriors on. Judging the runners are Clan Elders and all Warriors. A democratic vote is cast with Elder votes counting double, and by simple majority a runner, judged on his performance, becomes a Graiis (Gry-is). Graiis are basically warriors-in-training. Cadets. A Cimmerian specialized-warrior-school, where the graiis are trained, for three years, where, at around age 15, become full fledged warriors of the clan. Those who run the Ras Croi, but are not selected as Graiis, have no saddled with no shame, though that emotion inevitably finds its way into the hearts of the 12 year olds who must run the race again the following year. There are occasions when the Ras Croi is run by only one participant, due to only one clan member being of sufficient age, but the judging remains the same. Ar Grais (Are Grys) - is the winner of the Ras Croi, and he is awarded with a special position among the Graiis, serving as a psuedo chieftain among the other warriors-in-training. Throughout the training period of the next three years, the Ar Grais acts as Captain-Leader-Commander among the other boys. He is also bestowed with the right to eating first among the other Graiis, sitting closest to the fire, and having the other Graiis follow his commands. This builds leadership and respect for authority among the boys, preparing them for life as adults among their clansmen. The Grai-mada-ra (Gry-modda-raw) - is a necklace of station worn by the Ar Grais. It is made from the forelegs of the Cimmerian Blue Fox, and it is a sacred artifact among the Blue Fox Clan. Since clan members are forbidden from killing the blue fox, bones for the necklaces (as there may be more than one Ar Grais--a year or more apart--depending on the ages of the Graiis) are collected only when a Blue Fox is found dead in the wild. When such a dead fox is found, the villiage oracle is called to the site to collect as much of the dead fox as can be salvaged. Deasghnath (Dee-as-nath;  silent "gh") - is the final rite of the Graiis, where the young warrior, aged about 15, must make a kill on his own. The type of kill is up to the warrior, and typically results in a feared animal being taken down and returned to the villiage. But sometimes, Clan enemies or targets of a Blood Fued are used to fulfill the Deasghnath. A warrior has some input into the esteem he will recieve after undergoing the deasghnath by the target he chooses to kill. It is not unusual to see a warrior return with the heads of three wolves, but this warrior does not find his place beside that of the warrior who returns to the villiage with the head of a member from an enemy clan. Mantle - This is a large, warm, cloak, big enough to protect the warrior in winter and when sleeping in the wild. It can be made into a hammock or a wilderness shelter. Once a warrior completes the deasghnath, he becomes a young member of the clan's protectors: its warriors. Every person in the Clan contributes to the creation of the warrior's Mantle, from those hunters who provide the fur, to those who clean and skin the dead animals, to those who actually stitch the cloak into one piece. Young and old, every clansmen's hand touches the mantle and contributes to its creation, after which, it is presented to the warrior in a ceremony in front of the entire clan.</blockquote>

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