Squall

The Squall is the process through which Seers of age 18 or older are initiated into the ranks of the Aegis. Each individual Seer, called the entrant, is first evaluated in their combat capabliites, then is taken to the Gutting Ground, the sort of 'arena' where the Squall takes place, which is strewn with various weapons. The entrant is placed within the Squall along with 9 other Seers, called disputants, whom are deadly, honed fighters. The Circle member who oversees the Squall then calls forth a dust storm which surrounds and encircles the Gutting Ground, preventing anyone from leaving until the entrant has killed all 9 disputants, or until they have killed him/her. If the entrant survives the Squall, he/she then becomes a fully privileged member of the Aegis and their victory is celebrated by all. They are allowed to keep whatever weapon they chose to use in the Squall; this weapon is called their favor, and can be any form of weapon from simple knives, spears and clubs to bolas, slings and other ranged weapons, although these are not widely preferred as blunt instruments tend to provide far more excitement and brutality. The entrant carries their favor into the Aegis with them, and it becomes their weapon for the length of their entire career. If a favor is lost, its owner is severely reprimanded. A few Seers have managed to kill all 9 disputants using their bare hands, providing them without a favor.

Squalls have no rules, and as such, they are often very gruesome and violent, especially if the entrant does not immediately die. One Squall in particular became renowned throughout Seer history - the entrant, after killing the first 6 disputants, tore out their bones and used them to kill the remaining 3. Squalls can last for ten minutes or can be prolonged for several days.