Sæculum

First Appearance and Context

In avout discourse, Sæculum names the worldly realm outside a community’s walls and stands as the counterpart to the Mathic World. Reference entries and current conversation use it when preparing for travel under Peregrin, highlighting the contrast between cloistered life and the variability outside.

Concept and Description

Sæculum denotes the non‑mathic sphere of people, institutions, media, and devices beyond concents. It is the realm governed by the Sæcular Power and distinguished from intramuros practice by different speech registers, customs, and a faster tempo of change. Avout treat it as a boundary concept: crossing into the Sæculum entails observing the spirit of the Discipline while coping with ordinary worldly logistics (clothing, money, transport, vernacular language).

Use in Current Discourse

• Travel norms explained by avout: a solitary Voco is said to send one person forth into the Sæculum in a way that strains the Discipline; a mass assembly at a Convox allows many to travel together and preserve it within their Peregrin group. These statements reflect speakers’ understanding in the moment and may vary by community.
• Practical measures cited: pairing more extramuros‑fluent Tenners with Hundreders to help with language and everyday dealings; leaving in small, staggered groups; riding in private vehicles driven by outsiders; and adopting ordinary clothing and kit to reduce attention while abroad.
• Everyday texture: examples mentioned by avout include speely displays and news feeds, casinos and buffet restaurants, consumer navigation aids (cartablas), and reliance on road networks—features used to illustrate differences between intramuros life and the Sæculum.

Related Concepts and Affiliations

• Counterpart: the Mathic World names life and institutions inside the walls; Sæculum names the outside realm.
• People and authority: the Avout are the mathic community who engage with the Sæculum at regulated moments; the Sæcular Power is the outside authority that can request service via Voco and designate a Convox.
• Usage note: “Sæcular world” is a common phrase in speech for the same concept.

Current Status

Active point of reference: many Evoked avout are presently traveling through the Sæculum toward a designated gathering, organizing into mixed‑cohort groups and relying on practical arrangements with outsiders while striving to keep the Discipline’s spirit during the journey.