Rite of Cleansing

Given the inherent pridefulness and competitive spirit of the Hurani, it is perhaps not unexpected that they view failure rather unkindly. In Huran, to fail is to lose your honour. The failure can take any form, from something as trivial as failing a competition, to failures of greater import, such as loss in love or battle.

Regardless of the severity of one's failure, it is seen as a great shame to the individual. Rather than try and fail, it is far better for a Hurani to do the things they know they will excel at, at least in public, for any sign of faltering or incompetency is unacceptable not just to Hurani society, but to the individual themselves as well.

In most cases, those who commit the crime of allowing themselves to fail before the eyes of others end up withdrawing from society and isolating themselves in shame.

Note: The unusual case of Shalham Mardoram cannot be counted, as he is a Mardoram and thus inherently odd and shameless.

In private, though, the people of Huran are just that- people. They naturally fail as they learn and grow, and though it still grieves them deeply to do so, they may take comfort in the Hurani ritual of cleansing and renewal, a tradition to help the Hurani (literally) bury their failure and move on with no shame or regret.

Execution

To be cleansed of their past mistakes, first, one creates a token representing their failure, and spends a night with it beside their bed to reflect on what it has taught them. It is said that this night of cleansing often feels unusually long and dark, and brings with it strange dreams. By the next dawn, they may bury the token, and their shame with it, for they are made anew.

There are several different versions of the ritual across Huran. In some regions, those that carry out this rite wake an hour before dawn to meditate on their failure, in hopes that they may never return to it. Another version of the rite among the Western coastal region stipulates that one must first isolate themselves for three days before returning to their family and creating the token with their assistance. Northern Hurani make the token out of edible materials, such as dough or date paste, and eat it the next day, essentially accepting- or 'swallowing'- their shame rather than burying it.

While every part of Huran- and indeed every different family- has its own traditions around the rite of cleansing, at its essence, the ritual is one of hope and renewal. Amongst a people that scorn failure and despise imperfection, the cleansing is often the only way for one to find solace and acceptance.

Related Organizations

• Kingdom of Huran