One-Off

First Appearance and Context

The term is used during an Apert morning when the gates open at sunrise. In the crowd that forms, members of the ten-year cohort mark themselves so they will not be confused with One-offs as groups mingle inside the concent.

Roles/Actions and Affiliations

• One-Off refers to an avout associated with the Unarian Math.
• Most who begin there later join the Decenarians after spending at least a year under the Unarian Discipline.
• In rare cases, an exceptional One-Off may advance early by passing through a labyrinth that links the Unarian community to the Decenarian Math.
• During Apert, One-offs are among those present in mixed gatherings; other cohorts may use visible markers to distinguish themselves when intermingled with One-offs and visitors.
• Intake placement and progression: when youngsters are Collected, those not entering the Tenner cohort directly may stay with the One-offs at first, with the prospect of later graduation; at the same time, some One-offs choose to graduate into the Decenarian community, and additional entrants may arrive from a smaller feeder concent.

Relationships

• Entry point for many Avout who subsequently progress to the Decenarian cohort.
• Functional ties to the Tenner community through the connecting labyrinth and the ordinary flow of advancement during the opening.

Descriptions/Characteristics

• The name denotes placement within the mathic system rather than a distinctive costume or insignia described in the text.
• Usage is hyphenated; singular "One-Off" and an observed plural form "One-offs" are applied as cohort/status labels.

Current Status/Location

The designation remains in active use. Around the current opening and its closing festivities, One-offs are referenced as hosting some of the incoming youngsters and as a source of graduates to the Decenarian community.