My son, do not fear. You go to a great calling. You are blessed to have the traning from the Kumei. Now it is time for your passage forward. Go, and bring honor upon our family.”|Father, to his son as he prepares to take his tests of passage.
History
The Zabuion Sunulawe are a highly respected monastic order whose temples and monasteries are located in the passes and upper reaches of the Dragon’s Spine in northern Dangoang. A family whose child has been accepted into the order as an acolyte considers it a blessing from the dragons that live aling the Dragon’s Spine.
But just being accepted into the monastery as an acolyte does not make a child a monk. That comes when the acolyte reaches the level of Kumei, of teacher. This can only happen after the Kipa Qanaviaro Zabuion or Day of the Dragon Follower. On this day, which comes once per year, the acolytes will begin a process of being tested by their teachers in all the subjects they have been taught. These include magic, prayer, martial arts, and concentration. While the criteria for passing a test are kept secret, the tests themselves are a public event.
If a child has passed all the tests, regardless of age, they will be elevated to Kumei, and become an aide for an existing Kumei.
The testing begins three days before the first day of autumn. Those who pass are then ready to prepare for the cold winter, the final rite of passage into the rank of Kumei. In this rite, they will climb higher into the mountains, near the peaks, and settle in to survive the harsh winter alone. Those who return will have fully achieved the rank of Kumei. And if they are visited by a dragon during this time, they are considered highly blessed.
The rite began after the Zabuion Sunulawe were created, as a means of growing the ranks of the order that devotes itself to good deeds and protection of dragons. Many wished to become part of the order, but the original council of monks wanted to be able to determine the most worthy, the most capable individuals to protect the villages and the secrets of the dragons. Thus, they came up with a series of tests to sort the wheat from the chaff. These tests have evolved over time, and are judged by the Kumei and Peki Baqen.