Tenth Birthday

Modern Paragons place a heavy emphasis upon power carrier concentration, with these numbers determining noble title inheritance. Thus, the day in which a young Paragon (theoretically) learns the number that will define their place in society for the rest of their life is a crucial moment--one that parents are eager to celebrate, particularly if the score is high.

Current Traditions

The tenth birthday marks the day that a young Paragon becomes an adolescent rather than a child. Paragon boys start wearing long pants rather than shorts and long socks, and girls stop wearing jumpers. They recieve their family rings, becoming full members of their clans. They typically surge for the first time around age ten, discovering their particular ability. Most importantly, ten-year-old Paragons are sent to boarding schools such as Everdon Academy, separated from their parents for the first time.

Blood Tests

The blood test is the legally necessary part of a Paragon's tenth birthday--every citizen of the Kingdom of Crathlia must be tested on their tenth birthday for legal classification and records. Currently, Katherine Desfade Weatherby's DWMST method for measuring power carrier concentration makes results pratically instantaneous, which is a significant factor behind the increased celebration of a child's tenth birthday in Paragon society.
Typically, the honoree is taken to testing centers in the early morning, around 8 or 9 AM, in order for party planners to have more time to plan for the festivities and process the implications of the score. This is the most unpleasant part for honorees who dislike needles (as I do), but the finger-stick is quick and relatively painless.

Celebration

Usually held in the afternoon through evening, with a multi-course dinner of the honoree's choice, these parties are quite different from the birthday parties of their childhood. They involve adult elements, such as full evening attire at dinner and a ball. This is the first time that the honoree (and their peers) experiences these staples of adult Paragon life. The decorations are often themed based on the honoree's power, if it is known.

Gifts

Unlike the celebration itself, the gifts are typically relatively similar to those the honoree has recieved throughout their childhood, often consisting of trampolines, toys, and the like. However, the most important gift that the honoree recieves--and will ever recieve--is their Family Ring, uniquely made by Paragon metal-wielders and featuring their clans' gemstones. The honoree will wear this ring until their marriage, when it is reforged.

History

Tenth Birthday celebrations as we know them today are a relatively recent development in Paragon culture. The significance of the tenth birthday in particular can be traced back the standarization of the age of Everdon attendance, beginning the Neagal after a Paragon's tenth birthday, in the early 1200s. This came alongside the requirement that all Paragons scoring above 125 attend Everdon, which set the usual age of blood tests among the nobility at ten years old as well. Together and entwined, these milestones made the tenth birthday a significant one for a young noble--and eventually, the Senate passed legislation requiring all Crathlian citizens to be blood tested on their tenth birthdays, inspired by their own experiences.
The other traditions developed over time. Family Rings existed long before the 1200s, but they were typically given around adolescence when the young noble entered the marriage market, or whenever they began to interact with other nobility. They became traditional gifts on the tenth birthday due to the earlier and standardized Everdon attendence. The formal dinner and ball developed in order to prepare children for their education and future.
Prior to the 1290s, blood tests took weeks to return results, so specific power carrier concentration numbers were not part of these celebrations. However, near the turn of this century, Katherine Desfade Weatherby's DWMST made results nearly-instant. Thus the most recent tradition is the unveiling of the young noble's official score.

Written by Cordelia Colbreak Evenbrook

Type

Coming-of-Age Ceremony

Honoree

A Paragon child.

Guests

Friends and family of the honoree.

Date

Honoree's tenth birthday.

Related Ethnicities

• Paragons

While all Crathlians are currently required to have their blood tested for power carrier concentrations on their tenth birthday, it is a mere formality for most. Paragons are the only ones who celebrate it and place such a high emphasis on it, as detailed in the main article. However, for those whose parents are on the borders between classes (scores close to 50.00, 100.00, and 125.00), the tenth birthday tests are a key factor in determining lifelong social status and even whether they are allowed to remain with their birth families.

For the most powerful Paragons, such as myself and Prince Victor, the tenth birthday test is typically lower than the actual power carrier concentration, and they usually have not surged. These people are retested at eleven. However, they are still given rings and treated as adolescents after their tenth birthdays.