Rite of Accession


 * Great will of the sea, true home of the Ferines, I call upon thee. If thou deemest me, Shirley Fennes, worthy as thy agent, then bless me with thy voice...
 * -Shirley Fennes, beginning the Rite of Accession

The Rite of Accession is a ritual in the game Tales of Legendia that is performed only by exceptionally rare and gifted Ferines. The rite attempts to create a connection between the Ferines attempting it and Nerifes, the divine voice of the sea, thereby granting the Ferines in question awesome powers by transforming them into the next Merines.

Although the rewards of the successful Rite of Accession are great, it is an extremely dangerous undertaking. The success of the ritual depends entirely on the favor of the powerful and capricious sea god Nerifes, and failure can result in death. The first time Shirley Fennes attempted the ritual, she went into a coma that only the Tear of the Sea could revive her from, and even once she was out of immediate danger became deathly allergic to salt water and the sea breeze. It is likely that other failed Merines have suffered even worse fates in the face of Nerifes' displeasure.

As only females are shown acting as Merines throughout the game, it would appear that female Merines are much more common than men, although it is never stated that only females can become Merines and as such the possibility of male Merines still exists. Aboard the Legacy, the Rite of Accession is held exclusively within the sacred Altar of the Sea, although as it is known that at least one Rite has been performed on land, the location does not seem to be required.