Panjandrum

First Appearance and Context

During a Tenth Night dinner at Saunt Edhar in Apert, tradition called for the highest‑ranking Panjandrum present to stand and formally hand newcomers over to the mathic authorities. In that instance, the role was performed by the city’s mayor. The handover was solemnized by the speaking of oaths and the ringing of a bell, marking the moment when the newcomers passed from Saecular into mathic jurisdiction.

Roles/Actions and Affiliations

• Singular label for an individual civic official representing the wider authority commonly referred to as The Saecular Power.
• Presides over the legal handover of foundlings and entrants to a math, a ceremonial transfer that includes oaths and a bell.
• Customarily “delivers remarks” to the assembled visitors and avout during the occasion, though the substance may be ceremonial rather than substantive.
• The specific office is not fixed by the term; the role is fulfilled by the highest‑ranking official present (e.g., a mayor).

Relationships

• The Panjandrum acts as the Saecular counterpart in a ritual that transfers responsibility for newcomers to mathic authorities, clarifying the boundary between Saecular and mathic jurisdictions. For the broader authority outside the walls, see The Saecular Power.

Descriptions/Characteristics

• Used in the singular for an individual dignitary; distinct from the colloquial plural nickname sometimes applied to the authority itself.
• Associated with formal civic attire and public speaking during the ceremony.
• The ceremony’s bell and oaths emphasize the legal gravity of the jurisdictional change.

Current Status/Location

Active during the current season’s festivities at Saunt Edhar, where the mayor performed the Panjandrum’s duties at the formal dinner, transferring newcomers into mathic care.