Timekeeper Initiation

Overview

In the modern era the elevation of an individual to the ranks of the Timekeepers is considered an important transitional ritual which marks the beginning of an individuals journey to preserve history, protect Illadria and safeguard the secrets of the universe throughout the eras to come. Once completed the new Timekeeper leaves their old life and duties behind to pursue only the role they have selected for their career with the Timekeepers . Only those who have served in some professional aspect to the wellbeing of Illadria may apply to be a timekeeper which does not limit the profession to Illadrians only. Applications are subject to great scrutiny by the Illadrian council and finally the Timekeepers oversight board before the initiates are chosen provided a suitable vacancy for the initiates specialisation is available.

Preparation

The ritual itself is performed within a specialised ancient chamber known as the Gear Sanctum deep within the Timekeepers archives within the city of Helionus Crystora. The chamber itself houses intricate machinery, glowing crystals, and is adorned with cosmic symbols and temporal patterns and exists in an artificially created fault where the veil between the material world and ethereal realm is thin. The ceremony may only take place once a year during the confluence moment, a rare alignment of celestial energies that empowers the chambers mechanical components and allows for some of the ceremonies more complex aspects to work successfully, such as the integration of the Timekeepers gauntlet with the wearer.

Ritual

The ritual itself takes place in several stages and can involve a single or multiple initiates at a time, while some details are not publicly known, the main stages are outlined below:
The first stage of the ritual is gauntlet customization, the Timekeeper-to-be states their intended role within the Timekeepers and any small modifications they would like to make to their gauntlet which will affect their gauntlets abilities and interface. As gauntlets are passed down from Timekeeper to Timekeeper there are a limited number of spaces within each department which include:

• Tactical Specialist
• Medical Specialist
• Engineering Specialist
• Arcane Specialist
• Reconnaissance Specialist
• Communication Specialist

Once the gauntlet is selected and attached to the initiate, they are adorned in a ceremonial robe matching their chosen department, the robe is emblazoned with gold and copper trim along with their departments insignia. They are led to the centre of the Gear sanctum where the confluence begins to activate the machinery, the chamber comes alive with a symphony of hissing steam, whirring gears and soft rhythmic ticking. As the chamber ramps to full power the gauntlet comes alive, specialised conduits burrow into the wearers arm, straps tighten, and the gauntlet fuses to the wearers skin, initiating a neural link with their nervous system. This begins the most harrowing stage of the ceremony where the initiate is transported within their own mind to their personal Nexus, a point in their timeline where their path could have diverged significantly to the one that they chose here they must confront their past, present and potential futures, finding clarity and resolve. If they fail to find this peace of mind, initiates are often driven mad, the gauntlet disengages leaving them scared and the ceremony ends.
If however the initiate passes through their nexus successfully. at this point their consciousness embarks on a mesmerizing journey known as a temporal mindmerge, where they experience (random) flashes of previous wearers life and experience to be added to their own.. during this time the Gauntlets Core synchronises with the chamber’s resonance, completing the integration as the full workings of the Gauntlets mechanisms and capabilities are integrated into their wearers mind.
Finally, with a usually magnificent display of light at the passing of the convergence, and as the chambers clockworks begin to grind to a halt, the ritual ends and while drained physically and mentally, the initiate emerges as a fully-fledged Timekeeper, a guardian of time and technology, ready to serve in Illadrias best interests. (Usually after a few days rest).