Ritus Sanguine (RYE-tus SAN-gwhen)

CW: Descriptions/Mentions of Familicide. Please be wary if sensitive to such topics.

Becoming Overlord was a no-brainer. I already lost everything else in my life worth a damn. There was nothing left to lose. Who or what could they take away from me that they haven't already?

— Nedra Toxlaryan, current Green Overlord

The Dragon Overlords are powerful members of Draconian society. Even amongst the dragon titans of the world they possess a level of destructive power only eclipsed by that of Tiamat and Bahamut. The few dragons that reach an age and capability to earn the right of having that title bestowed upon them must undertake a holy ceremony at the heart of dragonkind.
The ceremony takes place over the course of a single night, with the Overlord-to-be's family present to watch the coronation of their relative. On the surface, it is a jovial occasion to be celebrated by the council as they induct another member into their ranks. Yet beneath the mask that gets shown to the public lies something no one should have to undertake.

History

Overlords originally took their position without any form of test or ritual to swear them in. All that was required was a level of power that could best any other contenders in a head-to-head fight. This worked for a few hundred years before the problems of dragonkind, specifically Chromatic, began to rear their ugly heads. Dragons are vain, greedy creatures that seek only to fulfill their own desires. Potential Overlords began to be murdered at too frequent a pace to ignore as a result of infighting, the efforts of some to become the ruling class over others. Something needed to be done.
The other requirements of religious allegiance, age and wealth followed as a result. The idea behind creating the requirements was to limit the potential pool of candidates that would vie for the position. If the only dragons that could accept the position were ones with significant wisdom acquired over the course of hundreds of years, that would not only reduce the infighting of the younger dragons by not allowing them to contend at all, but also limit the amount of dragon deaths in the rivalry battles that did occur. An older dragon is much less inclined to kill their rival for the sake of maintaining dragonkind's strength.
One problem still remained. A problem that could not be solved by limiting outside sources. It came from inside. Overlords started to be assassinated by their family members who wanted their position and power. There was no way to effectively solve this problem without causing uproar from the public. Not every family was one of jealousy, not every family would kill their own kin just to acquire political leverage. But there was no way to guarantee that they wouldn't, and that was the issue. How could they ensure that the continued killing of Overlord's wouldn't persist? Requirements had already been created, what else could be done? The ceremony was the answer.

Execution

Once a candidate has fulfilled the requirements, they must be voted in by the Council. Should they be successfully voted in, the council will ask them if they wish to continue their pursuit of the position. Declining the offer does nothing other than irritate the members of the council over their wasted time. Acceptance means they will be brought to Quirin Umer to partake in the ceremony, alongside their family. 

The Public View

The few members of the public that are allowed to attend the ceremony (usually friends of the dragon or some of their servants) witness a grandiose event, filled with laughter and joy. Members of the political body that usually maintain a cantankerous attitude finally let loose and have a little bit of fun with their coworkers. Plenty of food is prepared, enough for a feast for practically everyone that comes to the temple! The Overlord-to-be is treated like royalty. Showered with praise and affection by the masses. They will be taking on an important role within the next few hours, one that will change the course of not only their life, but the lives of hundreds in the region they will govern. As the party begins to settle down, the public onlookers are escorted out on the pretense that the festivities are over. 

The True View

Content Warning begins here.

Sorrow of the Rite by StaticStar1 via Midjourney

Once the public is taken away from the main chamber, the council members lock the temple doors and bar them from the inside, while the "crowned" Overlord's family are immobilized via physical means and spells that constrict a person's body. What happens next can only be described as sinister, immoral, and even those words don't quite do it justice. 

To fulfill your oath, ensure your safety and the safety of the Council, you must choose half of your family to survive and half to die by your own hand.

Declining at this point is no longer an option for them either. Refusal to finish the ceremony will only end with every member of the family being killed, including the Overlord, rather than just half. Their only choice for the survival of some of their family is to partake in the demented ceremony.

I heard... I heard my little sister's screams as they barred her down. My wife and child, wailing for this to stop. What kind of government would do this to their people?

— Failed Overlord who refused the rite.

While the decision of who to kill is ultimately given to the Overlord, they are encouraged to murder those who have any political aspirations that aren't loyal to them. The ultimate goal of this rite is to scrub the potential murderers within the family out. How ironic that it creates the very thing that it seeks to destroy, and in much worse fashion. Completing the task "rewards" the candidate by finalizing them as the Overlord, though it often leaves them scarred, broken and traumatized by the experience of what they had to do.

Content Warning ends here

Loophole 

  As grisly as the process is, some particularly cunning candidates have found a loophole to circumvent the most soul-shattering parts of it. Whether it be through back-alley deals that earn them information, spells that let them commune with the dead or just good old-fashioned extortion of a council member, they discover the truth behind the ceremony before they undertake it.

• Not Having a Family

A candidate with no family has little to fear in regard to the ceremony. Without family members to sacrifice, they ultimately lose nothing by becoming Overlord. Unfortunately for many, this isn't the case. But if family were to disappear through some means other than killing, they're effectively removed and pose no risk to the Overlord's well-being nor their political future. While some Overlords may take this a step too far by exiling their family to a place where they will never see them again, most simply use a planar teleportation spell to send them to a safe haven in a place such as the Feywild or an Elemental Plane that focuses on the element they associate with. 
Other Overlords willingly make the sacrifice, only to start a new family later down the line. The ceremony states nothing about future members of the family, only the ones that live at the time of coronation.

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The Council have sought to have this loophole removed from the ceremony, though the motion always fails when voted upon due to unanimous vote from the Overlords. They give up enough in order to attain their position and they're not willing to give up anymore, regardless if it means denying the Council's wishes.

Primary Related Location

Quirin Umer

Related Organizations

• Council of Dragons

Undertakers

Nedra Toxlaryan, Ralbas Cinderclaw

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