Retrieving/Passing of the Feathers
"They served with distinction, honor and valor. Their death is felt deeply by their comrades. Their sacrifice
saddens all of us in command. Please accept my heartfelt sympathies during this difficult time.
Though nothing can take away the pain of this passing, their achievements were many, and led to the strongest of friendships. The Lark Society feels a great personal loss in their death. Their feathers have been brought to you from their final battlefield. This soldier would tell you of their final flight..." - The passing of the feathers
When a Lark Society soldier falls in service to the Kingdom of Emser, their societal crest is retrieved from their uniform and returned to their family.
History
In the initial years of the the Faultless Army of Tefferan, the medals and sigils of rank that were a part of an officer's uniform were made of real gold, encrusted with gems. The Sultan at the time, Kahl Tefferen, ordered that all items made of gold were to be returned to his treasury if his soldiers were killed. However, the soldiers of the Faultless Army would "lose" the officer's sigils on the battlefield. Those same valuables would find their way to the surviving family of any soldier as a final payment from the dead officer's comrades in arms. Because the sigils were made of such valuable material they would act as a sort of government stipend that was payable on death.
When the Faultless Army eventually became the Lark Society the tradition continued. Although the crest of the Lark Society was no longer made of solid gold it was still passed down to the surviving family in the event of a soldier's death. The sigil is also no longer restricted only to officers. All members of the Lark Society are given a sigil as part of their uniform. This sigil is referred to as their "Feathers". It is considered an essential part of battlefield duty to retrieve the feathers of any fallen soldier to be returned to their families. There are many stories of brave Lark Society soldiers risking their lives to retrieve their fallen friend's feathers so they can be returned to their family.
The sigil itself has very little value in metal, however, the Lark Society will pay a seasonal stipend to any surviving immediate family of a soldier killed in service to the Lark Society. The Lark's keep meticulous records of their soldiers and their families to ensure proper payment distribution.
Execution
When the sigil is retrieved from the body it is kept by the soldier who picked it up until it can be returned to the soldier's family.
Any soldier who retrieved a fallen soldier's feathers travels with their commanding officer to Emser or wherever the fallen soldier's family lives. They communicate the name of the fallen soldier with the local tax collector in order to assure payment of the stipend. After securing payment, the soldiers travel to the family they pass across the sigil and relay the story of how their family member died.
Components and tools
The most important part of the ritual is the sigil of the Lark Society given to all members who serve. The passing of the feathers refers to the feathers of the lark bird that is cast into the center of each sigil. When the soldier who made the retrieval passes the sigil to the fallen soldier's family they are passing the badge of office as they recount the story of how this member of the lark society was killed.
Participants
The soldier who retrieved the feathers relays the story to the grieving family and passes the Lark Society sigil.
The fallen soldier's commanding officer sets up the stipend with the local government and attends the passing of the feathers to the grieving family.
The fallen soldier's family receives the sigil and the stipend from the Lark Society.
Observance
The passing of the feathers is usually observed as quickly as possible when the Lark Society returns to Emser or wherever the fallen soldier calls home.
Related Organizations
Related Ethnicities
