Transfer of Souls

The Transfer of Souls is a common Divinitian funeral ritual, wherein the 'soul' of the deceased is ceremonially passed on to a chosen descendant. It is most famously a part of the funeral and mourning period of the Empress of Divinice.

History

The concept of souls being transferrable after death has been a part of Divinitian culture long before the fall of Divinitia, and perhaps even before Divinitia was founded. Preserved bodies have been found in old ruins that showcase primitive forms of more well documented rituals, notably long cuts along the center of the person's chest so that the soul could 'escape', and evidence of blood that was not their own.

This evolved further after the foundation of Divinice, which was honoured through a sort of 'soul transfer' for the Kingdom of Divinitia into its descendant. Evidence of this stands in a variety of statues present in Lusca to commemorate the event.

Soul Transfer was also a major part of the coronation process for Divinitian monarchs, wherein the crown would be left with the deceased monarch until the day of the coronation, with the idea being that their soul would cling to the crown and then pass to their successor.

This ritual became formalised with the ascension of Azure I to the throne and the beginning of the Empire of Divinice. As Empresses were not explicitly related (though some were), the transferring of an empress' soul to her successor was seen as vital to maintaining consistency and continuity between rulers.

Execution

For the transferring of an Empress' soul specifically, there is a defined formula. First her body is moved to the royal crypt, located at Dael Castle. Here she is cleaned and dressed in full Imperial Regalia, and laid to rest on a golden table for a few days. During this time, she is under the guard of her successor and a few other elite demigods, as well as members of her Imperial Guard.

At noon on the third day, the new Empress will take the sceptre and crown from her predecessor while casting prayers for her soul, that it may join together peacefully with the predecessor's. The prayer has changed many times over the years, and is largely believed to be personalised by the new Empress and to represent what she hopes of her reign, while naturally asking Ylais for her blessing. This prayer is mirrored by that required in the Empress' Coronation, but is more personal.