The Ash-Muster Rite

The Ash-Muster Rite gathers soldiers, levy officers, smiths, priests, provincial hostages, and unit witnesses before campaign. Names are read, blades marked with ash, ration lots assigned, banners inspected, and each unit swears that disorder behind the line is as punishable as cowardice before it. The rite smells of smoke, sweat, oil, hot metal, and fear turned ceremonial. It is old, formal, and practical. Drazakar turns war into administration and administration into sacred threat, because a campaign not witnessed can become merely violence.