Creeping Rosenthyme

My Dearest Zyllynn, Please accept these three flowers as a representation to marry and be together forever. May the gods guide you with the correct decision. I love you with my enough soul.
Odana
PS. I hate this tradition and wish I never found these flowers and told our Elders. This is a dumb way to find your life mate. I know you preread these and I stand by my PS statement. I beg of you to change this. If you would be so kind to tear this part off as I write to you, Elders, I would appreciate it. Thank you for your guidance and trust.

Creeping Rosenthyme can be found in mountainous areas such has the Hattara Cut or the Nargz Mountains in Xanathena . There are three stages of growth for Creeping Rosenthyme: Young, Adult, and Elder. Young are typically classified from germination to five years old. Adult are from 5 to 12.5 years old and Elder are anything older than 12.5 years and contains pink thorns. Each stage has mostly purple flowers that have an intoxicating scent full of a spicy floral with a lingering earthy scent.
The large mountain gnome villages have a mating ritual, the Rosenthyme Flower Mating Ritual, in which the flowers of the Creeping Rosenthyme plant are used. Three flowers are picked either by the Elders or by one of the coupling gnomes.
The Rosenthyme Flower Mating Ritual can and has been known to be ‘rigged’. There are laws that Elders meant to follow though some uses loopholes in the wording of the age of the flowers. There is supposed to be one Adult flower and one Young flower, and the third one can be any form of the Creeping Rosenthyme flower (though not Elder). No one has died…forever….yet.

Different Rosenthyme Flower Mating Ritual

Group Coupling

One way is when a group of gnomes are looking for a life mate without a specific partner in mind, like an arranged marriage, but a little more random. There are two different ritual for this method. Gnomes who would like to participate must submit their name to the Elders and wait for at least 10 other gnomes to do the same before the first part takes place. This normally happens once a year.
First, all gnomes who have signed up will gather at the Mating area with the Elders. The Mating area is set up in a large circle with an equal number of flowers to gnomes. Each gnome must stand behind one of the flowers and it must be one gnome to one flower. They are then paired together by the flowers that came from the same plant. Once paired the gnomes move into the coupling phase during which they determine if they want to be life mates or not. If they do want to be life mates they go back to the Elders and ask for the Rosenthyme Flower Mating Ritual.

Two Gnomes Present Together

Another way is for two gnomes to request the Rosenthyme Flower Mating Ritual (as seen in the example below). The gnome that picks the flowers to be presented to their hopeful life mate are allowed to write them a letter, but are not allowed to provide any assistance on which flower to pick.

Elders Choose

Lastly is that the Elders arrange a mating with the consent of the gnomes. This is similar to when two gnomes come together of their own choice to be life mates, but in this case the Elders have chosen two gnomes to do the Rosenthyme Flower Mating Ritual. Gnomes who wish to do this sign up with the Elders, this some times takes a while for a coupling to happen and others it is relatively quick.

“This is Elder Corwin Shadowstand presiding over the Rosenthyme Flower Mating Ritual between Odana and Zyllynn. Odana, please step into the tent to begin the ritual.”
Elder Corwin Shadowstand pulls out a book from his roles sets it on a stone podium in front of a stone table with Zyllynn propped up on a pillow next to the table looking worried and waiting for the flowers to be presented.
“Zyllynn of the Cobblehelm family. Do you wish to take part of this Mating Ritual to become life mates with Odana Pebblepatch?”
“Yes”
“Zyllynn do you have the three flowers that Odana gave to you?"
“Yes”
“Ellin please bring the flower platter forward.”
A white Silkenstone crafted tray with a pretty flower design carved into it with large Creeping Rosenthyme Flowers as the handles is set on the table in front of Zyllynn.
“Ellin, please take the flowers from Zyllynn and place them on the tray. Zyllynn, in front of you are three flowers at least one will provide you with relief and happiness and at least one will leave you defeated and hurt. The third one can do either. Zyllynn, before moving forward you must know that at least one of these flowers will at minimum poison you. Do you understand and accept the risk?”
“Yes.”
“Zyllynn once I give you the direction to, you must pick and eat a flower within one minute. If you eat a flower and feel a sense of relief and happiness you are now life mates with Odana. If you eat a flower and feel defeat and hurt, you will never be allowed to be life mates with Odana. Do you understand and accept the risk?”
“Yes.”
“Zyllynn may you find your enough soul. Please pick one to eat now.”

Stages of Growth

Young

Young Creeping Rosenthyme are recognized from it being low to the ground and showcasing its bright blanket of small purple flowers glittered with tiny green twisted tendrils.

Size

Its width ranges from 1-5 feet and the plant usually is an inch tall. Each flower is roughly 1/2 inch and the tendril strands are lightly smaller than 1/4 inch making the flower most prominent.

Adult

Young plants advance to Adulthood at five years old. The green twisty tendrils become thicker and filled with a creamy pinkish liquid that can be seen when broken or cut open. The purple flowers remain unchanged in size and continuing to grow on the thicker tendrils. The flowers once stood out now take a backseat to the tendrils.

Size

AIts width ranges from 3-10 feet and the plant usually is 1-8 feet tall. The tendrils are moving towards each other growing into twisting clumps hinting at the Elder stage.

Young Creeping Rosenthyme

by Andrea_44

Elder

Creeping Rosenthyme goes through its biggest transformation between the Adult and Elder stages. It takes around seven and half years for the plant to mature from Adult to Elder. The tendrils twist into one another becoming thicker and into prominent stalks. These stalks showcase the intricacies of the twisting tendrils within the large stalk. Looking at it closer it looks like the liquid inside the tendrils have been squeezed out of the stalk and into large thorns covering the stalk. The stalks are green with pink sap-like liquid barely contained within the thorns. The purple flowers now have more of a pink tint to them and are the size of an adult human fist.

Size

Elder plants can grow up to 250 feet wide and 15 feet tall. Though it is not uncommon for multiple plants to grow next to one another, such as near the Old Wizards Eye where they look and feel like huge walls. The Old Wizards Eye is where the Creeping Rosenthyme has been rumored to originate from.

Uses

Creeping Rosenthyme can be made into ropes, teas, salves, poisons, and other interesting uses. The tendrils can be used as rope with each stage requiring a different DC strength check for it to break with Young: DC 15, Adult: DC 17, and Elder: DC 19.
The flowers, sap, and tendrils can be used in teas and their effects are determined by the age of the plant and also by the amount used. The most common tea, though it is more of a uncommon type tea, is two young flowers and three tendrils.
The article below has additional information on effects.

15 The Drawing Down 169 CE

Dear Lovely Plant Diary,

— Odana

Flowerday seems like an appropriate day to discover this flora species. I MUST be the first one to have fully discovered this. There are many of these plants here in the Hattara Peaks over near the Old Wizards Eye. It is a beautiful plant that seems to be in different stages of its growth. The purple flowers are an intoxicating scent full of a spicy floral leaving me with an earthy scent that clings to my nose in a wonderful aroma.
Looking further it seems as if the baby plants intertwine with each other to become these elder plants that are thicker, bigger, and seem to show the baby tendrils within itself.
I need to study the flower, sap, and tendrils more, but overall it looks like there are three distinct stages. Baby, Elder, and I guess middle so adult? I will officially name the stages Youth, Adult, and Elder.
With All of My Discovery Love,
Odana Pebblepatch