Bleeding Heart Medal

The Bleeding Heart medal is a military honour awarded by the Crown of the Lapin Protectorate. It is awarded by The Chief Rabbit, to members of the Lapin Forces or allied forces wounded or killed in action, and to members whose death under honourable circumstances is a result of injury or disease related directly to military service. Unlike the wound medals of many other nations, the Bleeding Heart considers such conditions as PTSD and Critical Magic Drain as battle wounds that are equally worthy of this award.

Criteria

The Bleeding Heart Medal was created by Queen Sable Aradia to recognize any member of the Lapin Forces, soldier of an allied force, or a civilian working for the Lapin Forces, who was killed or wounded under honourable circumstances and as a result of hostile action or perceived hostile action. If not fatal, the wound received must be serious enough to require attention from a medic, and the treatment must have been recorded in the individual's medical file.
By definition, this includes any Lapin or allied Tome Knight who has been Undead.

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Design

The Bleeding Heart Medal is a brass heart-shaped medal, 37 millimetres (1.5 in) at its widest point topped by a heraldic rabbit with paws forward crowned with three five-pointed stars, symbolizing the Chief Rabbit's role as the fount of honour. The obverse is enameled red and bordered in gold with an eight-pointed gold star on the upper left corner, speckled with diamonds. Dangling from the point is a garnet, shaped like a drop of blood, in a gold setting. On the reverse is the word SACRIFICE in the centre of the heart, with the Royal Cypher of the reigning Lapin Monarch at the point. The recipient's name, along with their rank and service number for those in the military, is inscribed around the medal's edge.
This medallion is worn at the left chest, suspended on a 31.8mm wide ribbon coloured with vertical stripes in purposefully sombre dark red (recalling spilled blood), dark pink (symbolizing compassion), and white (representative of both hope and peace). Should an individual already possessing a Bleeding Heart Medal be awarded the medal again for subsequent injuries, they are granted a gold-set teardrop garnet for wear on the ribbon from which the original medal is suspended.

History

In the establishment of the Lapin Protectorate, the Mother of Bunnies thought it important to find a way to recognize acts of valour and heroism in the newly minted nation. With a large population of former Canadians, along with a sizeable population of formerly American refugees, she drew upon the traditions of both Canada and the United States in the creation of the Lapin honours system. The Bleeding Heart is inspired by the Canadian Sacrifice Medal and the American Purple Heart.

Notable Recipients

Notable recipients of the Bleeding Heart Medal include:

-Dame AttorraRu³
-*BitzerK^{2, 4}
-Blade of Glory⁴
-Cathwolfie⁴
-CSM Dennis Reilly⁴
-Dame Duochanfan³
-**Regent EGryph^{1, 3, 4}
-ESongbird¹
-ExiledFae⁴
-*Feral Foxx^{1, 4}

-Lord Galakrond²
-*Dame Gwenefre²
-Hallis in Wonderland⁴
-*Owsla Captain James Woodwright^{1, 2}
-*Prince Jean^{1, 4}
-MCpl Jean W. Tremaine⁴
-Kiarra the Bard⁴
-Owsla Commander Kitoypoy¹
-*The Mad Batter^{3, 4}
-Princess Monkey Meles⁴

-OffspringNumber1⁴
-Platinum Firebird⁴
-**Brocktree Purpleheart^{1, 2, 4}
-*Princess Rowean^{1, 4}
-King RPGDinosaurBob⁴
-*Panda Polemarch Senna Nightshade^{1, 4}
-Scion Striker³
-Tiffany Vega⁴
-VeganAtheistCoral⁴
-*Prince Xantos Meles^{1, 4}

Each asterisk* denotes a cluster, meaning the award has been given to that recipient more than once.
As the fount of honour in the Lapin Protectorate, the Chief Rabbit cannot herself receive Lapin awards, but if she could, she would have a Bleeding Heart with two, possibly three, clusters, depending on whether her PTSD diagnosis was determined to have been from combat action. Otherwise, she was wounded by Critical Magic Drain in The Battle of the Book, The Battle of Kin Beach and The Battle of Mount Mitchell.

This article is a work in progress, and may be subject to changes.

This article is part of a series related to streaming the Game of Tomes. For more information, see Streaming Game of Tomes.

Bleeding Heart Medal by Sable Aradia

Bleeding Heart Ribbon by Sable Aradia

Bleeding Heart Ribbon with Cluster by Sable Aradia

Item type

Award

Creation Date

March 1, 2021

Rarity

Rare

Dimensions

37 millimetres (1.5 in) at the widest point of the heart; ribbon 31.8mm wide

Base Price

It is illegal to sell official medals in the Lapin Protectorate, although they may be bequeathed in a will.

Raw materials & Components

The brass for Bleeding Hearts is cast in Guelph, ON, and enameling takes place in Toronto. Garnets are directly sourced from the excavation of The Warren. Gold and diamonds are mined in the Lapin Arctic (primarily Alaska and the Yukon).

Awarded for

Being wounded or killed in action to Lapins or allies

Presented by

The Monarch of the Lapin Protectorate

Post Nominals

none

First Awarded

March 1, 2021

Total Awarded

351

Total Awarded Posthumously

104

Footnotes

1. The First Word War
2. The Second Word War
3. The Battle of the Book
4. The Third Word War