Feral

Feral is used within the mathic world to describe an avout who departs the cloistered life of a math to live independently in the Saeculum. It denotes a voluntary exit from the Cartasian Discipline rather than a formal rite, and is understood as a more extreme step than, for example, entering the Hundreders.

First known usage in this account

The term is used when a young avout worries that a respected teacher might “become a Feral like Estemard,” framing it as a path taken by some who leave the concent entirely.

Characteristics and implications

• A Feral lives extramuros and pursues work without the institutional tools, protections, or community of a math.
• Accounts suggest it is a difficult way to live. In one example, a former avout continues observational work with improvised means and fewer resources than were available within a math.

Known example

• Estemard: Cited as a Feral who posted periodic letters from Bly’s Butte, describing observations made with a hand‑built telescope. His efforts showed “good ideas,” though not of the same quality as work produced while living under mathic conditions. See Estemard.

Relation to other terms

• Avout: The label applies to members of the mathic community who have left that life to live outside; see Avout.

Current status

“Feral” is a descriptive label rather than an office or order. It marks a person’s chosen life outside a math and conveys the sense—among avout—that this path is arduous and largely unsupported.