Culling

The **Culling** is a Karidian selection process that is held upon the death or retirement of the Premier in which a darkblood successor for the role is chosen through a morbid and brutal competition. It takes place on Black River Island, in Barouge. The Culling is the primary plot in Throne of Steel.

## Creation

It was created upon the death of the first Premier, Kreibeka as a way to continue the line of Premiers. As the Karidians only the strongest and smartest darkblood should be ruling their people.

## Ritual

### First Round

In the first round, only half of the called Darkbloods will move on; the Elders will choose who will and who won’t. They do this by through getting Elana's blood into metal bowl by cutting her palm with a obsidian dagger. The Elders then take the bowl of blood then marking the chosen entrants, with the sacred symbol of the Premier, a circle with three thick lines going around the circle in a swirling nature, then they rise to their feet. It tends be only a quarter of the darkbloods sitting. The ruling Premier asks the chosen to rise, then everyone left sitting are eliminated and must leave the ceremony.

### Second Round

After the eliminated darkbloods get out of the building, the Elders with the obsidian daggers cuts the remaining darkbloods. Those who bleed red blood are killed the disposed off. Those who are left move onto the true Culling which is the bloodbath. Half of the entrants who were marked survive.

### Third Round

After a month of training. The Entrants, who didn't flee the Culling, go to Akra-khal to compete in the bloodbath. To inform the Elders and the watchers that a entrant has died, they must throw the fallen entrants weapon into a flame pyre. One of the Elder's sounds the death horn to tell the remaining entrants that one of them has died. When the last Entrant dies and the victor is determined, the victory horns sounds off and the victory pyre is lit with green smoke, telling people the Culling has concluded.

## Ascension

After the lone survivor of the competition wins, they sound the victory horn and the ascension pyre is lit, signaling for the rise of the new Premier. The Ascension party takes place the day after the conclusion of the Culling depending on when the Culling ends. If the champion was severely injured, they are taken to a clinic to be treated and once they are able to, they ascend to the position of Premier. During the ceremony, a torchbearer from each tribe lights flame representing their tribe where the ascending entrant must claim a tribe as their own.

## History

### 18th Culling

*Main article: 18th Culling*

Elana Terrick of Scarin En won the 18th Culling. There were twenty-two entrants during this Culling, but only twenty of them died. One fled the Culling, and the other was the victor which was Elana. She became the 3rd female Premier to reign over Karidia, the others were Kreibeka and Lilrya Lerdidorn. Elana took over after Ivar the Terrible who mysteriously died of unknown causes.

### 19th Culling

*Main article: 19th Culling*

The birth of Elana's baby called for 19th Culling. There were fifteen total entrants, thirteen died during the Culling. Blaire technically won the Culling, but Viessa survived and usurped the position of power before Blaire's ascension concluded.