Thrown Back

Thrown Back is used in two closely related ways within the mathic world: as a state of having been expelled from a math—through the solemn rite of Anathem—and as a type‑label applied to such a person (often rendered as “Throwback” when used adjectivally in discourse).

First appearance and context

The term circulates in conversations among avout and in Dictionary headwords. Earlier discussion contrasts a possible “Throwback‑turned‑Mystagogue” with a milder “Bottle Shaker,” and a historical aside notes that, before a major sack, an entire order was Thrown Back, a confusion that later fed Sæcular tales about “Incanters.”

Definition and rationale

• As a sanction, being Thrown Back denotes formal expulsion of an avout from a math, ending their life under the Discipline and returning them to the Saeculum.
• As a label, Throwback is used in assessments such as “Throwback‑turned‑Mystagogue,” with the caution that such figures can be dangerous: angry, experienced, and sometimes intent on returning to the place that cast them out. It is often contrasted with “Bottle Shaker,” a type more easily impressed and less threatening.
• The Warden Regulant may cite being Thrown Back as a possible outcome for serious breaches, underscoring the severity of the measure.
• In speech, avout also use the verb form “throw [someone] back” to refer to enacting the sanction. Avout sometimes remark that secret or illicit work—if discovered—could get one “Thrown Back,” reflecting its role as a deterrent.
• Severity and gradation: avout often mention it alongside lesser penalties such as being assigned additional “chapters” of penance; threats of being Thrown Back are reserved for severe breaches, while tardiness or disobedience may draw lesser measures.

Observed rite and immediate consequences

Accounts within the concent describe a recent rite in which: - A name is proclaimed during Anathem. - The named avout casts down sphere and removes chord and bolt, shedding mathic regalia. - Hierarchs furnish minimal Sæcular clothing for extramuros life. - The person exits the concent through the Day Gate, while those assembled complete the rite in grave silence and song. - Afterward, hierarchs collect the individual’s leaves and tablets from their niches; removing another’s work is acceptable in this context (as it is after death) and may be used to assemble a factual record of events leading up to the sanction.

Historical and discourse notes

• Historical sources mention that all members of the Knights of Saunt Halikaarn were Thrown Back shortly before a great sack, which later led to confusion in Sæcular stories about Incanters.
• Within mathic rhetoric, the term appears both as a neutral state (“was Thrown Back”) and as a cautionary type‑label (“a Throwback”), often invoked to underline risks posed by such figures.
• In contemporary conversation, some avout frame a recent case as retribution for politicking during the Eliger season; others dismiss this as baseless rumor.
• In ordinary speech, avout may use “got Thrown Back” as a temporal marker when recalling events around solstices and equinoxes; a recent example names Fraa Orolo as having been Thrown Back.
• Contemporary usage also includes speculation that a person may have “walked out” before he could be Thrown Back; such talk preserves uncertainty about whether a formal anathem was imminent.
• While traveling toward a major assembly, some avout voice concern that bending rules or arriving very late could risk being Thrown Back; others expect only additional “chapters” as a likely penalty.

Current status

Thrown Back remains one of the community’s harshest sanctions. It is referenced as a standing threat during admonitions and, when enacted, is carried out through the Anathem rite with the consequences noted above.