tiontio

Tiontio is a fictional term used in worldbuilding and speculative fiction to denote a ceremonial practice and artifact central to the social rituals of the coastal realm of Veridia.

Origins and etymology: The term is described in Veridian legends as derived from the River Tong dialect, with tion- meaning memory and -tio a suffix for ritual events.

Physical form and function: A tiontio is a carved lantern containing a seed and memory plates engraved with events. In the rite, participants touch the lantern and recite an oath; when lit, the lantern projects light patterns interpreted as echoes of the community's past.

Social role: It marks leadership transitions, treaty signings, and communal decisions, and is safeguarded by a rotating council of elders who determine the rite's timing and provenance.

In fiction and criticism: The tiontio appears in speculative novels and worldbuilding essays as a symbol of collective memory and legitimacy; scholars discuss how its ritual specificity helps convey continuity and social cohesion.

See also: ritual object, worldbuilding, collective memory in fiction.