kohlas CULTURE – A rite of passage. Kohlas is a → cumatu, or rite of passage, for boys of age seven that is peculiar to the rural regions of the → Southerly Feet Mountains in the land of → Carde, specifically the valley of → Gal-Braith. A boy begins his kohlas on the morning of his seventh birthday. It is an adventure he must complete on his own without the aid of his father, mother, or any other adult or peer. It is believed to be the proper way a boy grows to become a man. In most regions, children take on adult responsibilities as early as age seven—a transition age viewed as the “sprout” of adulthood, but this rite is peculiar to the rural southwest. The boys of the kohlas are expected to leave home on a mysterious journey and remain gone for several years, returning only after they have reached full physical maturity. Wards who do not interfere with the boy’s challenges accompany them on their quest. The kohlas is never spoken of openly as it is considered too sacred to do so. The kohlas is intrinsically tied to the valley’s religion. Because of this, the kohlas is both revered and feared.