The major landmark of human experience - birth, puberty, marriage, and death - are celebrated with rituals. They mark the passage from one stage of life into another, and both celebrate and prepare the individual for the responsibilities and joys to come. Initiation rites such as circumcisions and ritual tattooing in some societies, often involve ordeals of endurance, suffering, and torture. The communal participation in these rituals marks the common experience of humanity in the recurring cycle of the renewal and destruction of life.
RITUAL - THE BLOODING (OR RITE OF PASSAGE)
This is a ritual where a young Unblooded Yautja goes on its first hunt. The difficulty of this hunt depends on their standing amongst the community. About a dozen Unblooded goes with a veteran, usually one of the Honored, onto the hunting grounds for the first time. Depending on the difficulty of the hunt, the young are given a certain standing in the community.
Part of the ritual goes as follows:
"Who demands the honor of facing this fresh Meat first, alone?"
They would all brandish their weapons as one, fiercely yet quietly.
The leader would then mock: "You are fools all. Yet, the first part of the Path lies through the door of the fool."
The rite of passage hunts are generally conducted on uninhabited planets. Before a hunt begins, the Yautja "seed" the hunting grounds with kiande amedha eggs which are obtained from a captive queen. Once the eggs hatch and the kiande amedha brood mature, a group of Unblooded warriors lands on the planet, supervised by two or three veteran warriors. Equipped only with hand to hand weaponry and armor, the young Yautja are sent out.
Knowing the danger presented by the kiande amedha to the local ecosystem, the Yautja will not leave a planet until every kiande amedha is killed. However, it is believed that kiande amedha infestations in the galaxy may be caused by the Yautja failing to account for every released kiande amedha.
On a difficult hunt, failure usually means death, either at the hands of the prey or by suicide; many consider death more honorable than in failure in a hunt. Should the hunters succeed, they must stand by their kill for approval and are then marked on their foreheads as one of the Blooded.
MARK OF HONOR
All Predators that make it to Young Blood have a mark burned into their foreheads to denote their position as successful Hunters. All who have this mark is recognized as a true Hunter. The mark can only be given by Elders.
Each Clan has a different insignia for the mark of the Blooded; usually they are symbols for ferocity or courage. Ceremonies often occur but most of the time, this mark is awarded after the first hunt.
Some of the Yautja have special laser scalpels for the Blooded insignias, but blooding with acidic blood and other means of permanent marking is also common. No warrior would tell another species what that mark meant, much less how to apply it. Not under any circumstances.
Blooded warriors are seldom afraid in battle. They accept that dying could come at any time.
It has been known that at least a half dozen humans have been blooded. This is looked down on most of the Yautja community, and a hunter who "bloods" a human may be considered a "Bad Blood." Some of the Ancients who respect their human foes have approved of this action, and so far the "blooding" of humans is only considered eccentric, and not criminal.
Once Blooded, there is no longer a place for the dreams of the youths. A warrior did not waste time looking over his shoulder at the past. Done was done.
Other rituals
The Chant of the Midnight Kiss: One by one, the Yautja would raise their spears and voices in the sky.
Part of the Ritual of Readiness is to advance, the spear out in front of them.
A Yautja places himself into a stance, raises their hands to their mouths, and make the Call: a high ulation punctuated by a gruff, low-pitched snarl. They let it unwind for a full 10 seconds. Then wait. This is the Summoning (ka'rik'na) and the Battle-Dreamtime (mesh'in'ga).