Overview

In the distant days before the advent of the Invisible Sea, it is said that magitek functioned quite differently. Every living thing was innately attuned to an elemental essence, and as such was said to be governed by an Elemental Court.

The Elemental Courts

These Courts, in turn, were presided over by powerful Princes: enigmatic figures made manifest by the fundamental nature of the universe itself.

The stories of their intricate political weavings and power struggles are largely lost to time, however one of the few mostly agreed-upon facts of our modern age is the Courts’ relationship to one another.

Swearing to a Court

Regardless of Faith or Lineage, the majority of people in Civilized Space still perform a ritual known as Swearing to a Court. This ritual attunes the subject’s magitek to one of the elements, and enhances certain aspects of their personality.

The content and tone of the ritual itself varies wildly depending on local culture and the Court itself, but always involves a small blood sacrifice and a statement of pure intention. In many cultures Swearing to a Court serves as a coming-of-age ceremony.

The Courtless

Some folks for whatever reason, do not swear to a Court. They are collectively known as the Courtless. Different cultures have varying perspectives on the Courtless, however a common stereotype is indecision, apathy or a lack of spirit.

Changing Courts

It is extremely rare, though not impossible, to change one’s allegiance to a Court. Typically this is something that happens late in life or after a traumatic event. One’s magitek loses its elemental potency, and the individual in question becomes Courtless.

There are no known modern cases of of an individual switching directly from one Court to another, although there is currently research being done on the topic.

Courts and Faith

For faithful individuals, their choice of Court can be a key part of their belief, totally incidental, or even a source of internal conflict. The relationship between Faith and Court is as variable as the the practices of the Faiths themselves, however some typical examples are listed below.

Traditionalism

For some Families, it is expected that each Child will take the Court of the Father or Mother. As it is impossible to swear to a Court one does not sincerely attune with, this is a frequent source of conflict for the Families who practice this tradition.

Numeric Faiths

Many of the Numeric Gods are strongly correlated with specific Elemental Courts. Historians speculate that some of them may have been Princes of the bygone era, although there is no conclusive link.

Event Horizon

Horizon Walkers are often Courtless, although many of the Courts of Shadow and Rust are counted amongst their number.

Children of the Cycle

Some sects of the Children have ceremonies to revere each of the Courts throughout their Cycle.

Courts and Supercorps

Supercorporations, due to their massive size, are composed of individuals from all Courts. Many have tried to maximize productivity by synergizing Court alignment amongst their personnel, but the results so far are inconclusive at best.