Phyrphynovintos

Phyrphynovintos, literally “born in the ash,” is an honorific title given in the Alvic Imperium to all those born to a reigning Noxion. The title is tied to a tradition in the imperial family, whereby the mother is taken to the Hall of Ashes and placed on a bed of ash once she enters labor. Also, immediately after the birth, the baby is anointed with ash by the Noxion, marking him or her as the sovereign’s legitimate child.

The title was first taken by Erenze the Great in order to strengthen his claim to the throne after he had usurped it from Clan Eryvion, who took power during the Year of Twelve Kings. The Balnala had dethroned his father, Alphios IV, thereby setting the stage for the chaotic year that followed, and enabling Erenze to claim the title.

Since then, all imperial children have been born in the Hall of Ashes, in order to secure the imperial family’s longevity and grip on power. Very recently, Noxina Delphira I decreed that only those who could legitimately claim they were phyrphynovintos were allowed to occupy the throne. She was later succeeded by her brother, Erenze IX, who could claim the title and thus was the first to occupy the throne under the new rule.

Background
From its very beginning, the imperial Noxion was associated with ash, and the life cycle of the mythical bird Fteri. The Fteri is a small bird with feathers of brilliant red and yellow, and primitive Tyrish societies hypothesized that the birds could only be killed by fire, and that a new Fteri would be reincarnated from the ashes of the dead one. The Fteri thus became a symbol of fertility itself, as children were seen as the symbolic reincarnations of their parents. Later, the Noxion adopted the Fteri as the imperial animal, to emphasize the perpetuity of the sovereign, reincarnated in each heir.

The Hall of Ashes was a planned portion of Rhapsis, the imperial palace. The anointing of imperial children with ash became standard after this point, as did the mother’s obligation to birth her children on a bed of ash. By this time, fire and ash had become symbols of the imperial family, and the ritual was established to link the family to old Tyrish traditions.

Hall of Ash
Only children born in the Hall of Ash to a reigning Noxion can be considered phyrphynovintos. The Hall covers an entire floor of Rhapsis’ first tower, and its walls and ceiling are paneled entirely in black marble, with white veins throughout, trimmed with red-painted beams. The floor is made of white marble, and it is completely covered in a thick layer of ash, a condition which is carefully maintained by members of the imperial household. In the center of the Hall is a raised dais, upon which sits a cushioned table, which is also covered in ash. The child is anointed with ash taken directly from the table, administered by the Noxion, who is expected to take an active role in the birth of his children. The anointing consists of a u-shaped arc of ash, placed on the forehead, chest, and back, to symbolize an Fteri in flight.