Family Bonds

Brief

Family Bonds (sometimes simplified to Bonds) is the humanized name for the Bloodkeeper ritual that involves marking their body via a dye or paste. The marking is a designated symbol that is passed down from family member to family member. This process can get more complex as marriage and adoption occurs.

"What is a Family Bond?"

"So like...It's been bugging me for awhile. Can I ask a question?" The human leaned over the bar, staring at the Leaf Clan Bloodkeeper who was cleaning the counter-top.
"I mean. You just did. But go for it." Their ears, decorated with many clip-on earrings flicked a few times.
"What's with the uh," She waved her hand in front of her face. "Thing you got going on? What's it even for?"
The bloodkeeper sighed softly. "Why do humans have last names? To show lineage. It's my family name. Well. Representation of my family. Are you gonna buy a drink or not?"

Family Bonds (often called a Bond or Bonds) is a human term for a marking that is applied during a ritual to the body of the demon species Bloodkeeper. This is a way of identifying a family at a glance as the marking is a unique symbol representing a family name.

How is it Passed On?

Family Bonds are a matrilineal and patrilineal line of markings, meaning that the females pass down their Bond to their daughters and the fathers pass their Bond to their sons. Bonds can change in varying circumstances: Marriage, Adoption, or in extreme cases, abandonment of the Family Bond itself to make a new identity. During marriage a family can decide to make a new line, by changing their own marking and passing this on instead. Adopted bloodkeepers may take attributes from their same-gendered parent to add onto their Bond in the next year.
These changes are unconventional and the exception, as only 1-2% of bloodkeepers change their Bonds, as it can be seen as incredibly controversial.

Execution

The Family Bonds ceremony takes place on a set date for each Bloodkeeper. The day they were born is the day that their bond will be applied for the rest of their lives, barring unfortunate circumstances getting in the way. It will occur on the same date for the next 200-400 years! Due to how long Bloodkeepers have been doing this ritual, they have it down to a science.

Bondstain Preparation

Due to the personal process of creating Bondstain, it is often made in the early morning on the day of the celebration. The bloodkeeper chosen to make the dye or paste will wake up at dawn and either gather shadeberries, spiked dulam, or sootnuts on their own, or their clan will already have some harvested and ready to use.Once prepared, it will be set aside in a special bowl to be used when the event starts.

General Celebration

Family Bond days can be shared by many bloodkeepers, and it's not uncommon for families to celebrate together. There is a general period of celebration and enjoyment, often extending from morning into the late evening in more traditional clans. When the sun sets, that is when Bondstain application starts.

Bondstain Application

Typically done on a small stage elevated off of the ground slightly within the middle of the village, the bloodkeeper having their Bond applied will sit in the center. With their family and beings close to them sitting closest, the Esteemed One says a small speech and then asks the bloodkeeper who they would like to apply their Family Bond. It can either be the Esteemed One themselves, or a close family member.
This is often a time of quiet as the Bond is reapplied, allowing for everyone to think about and consider the year that has passed in relation to the being in front of them. The ceremony is closed by the consumption of blood; the amount varies from Clan to Clan. Leaf Clans often drink a full goblet, Frost Clans will drink a single drop, and Sand Clans will take a sip from a small drinking cup. After this, the ritual is deemed complete, and further celebrations will commence.

Differences by Culture

There are three main Clans within the Bloodkeeper species that use this ritual. Due to their environmental and religious differences affecting how they perceive one another, the location of their Bond changes.

Frost Clan bloodkeepers wear their Bond on either one arm or both, depending on the complexity of the marking. With a territory swept through by blustering winds, and chilling temperatures that can easily take down even the most prepared being, having their face exposed is too dangerous; their faces are covered when not in the comfort of their home.

Their culture has a secondary language focused on hand signals, so these areas of their bodies are considered important to them. It is used casually as well as when hunting, and since that is often where other bloodkeepers are looking, this is where their markings lie.

Leaf Clan bloodkeepers are often used as the example of a Family Bond due to how easy it is to see, since it is directly on their face. It is often in full view, as their fur is darker and well-suited for their terrain. They have a secondary language of chirps and yips, and often hold eye-contact, making it the best place for their Bond.


The only problem that often comes up is when their fur gets too dark for the marking to be visible. In this case, they will often replace their Bondstain with a different paint, or forgo their Bond completely. This is typically done on a case by case basis.

Sand Clan bloodkeepers by far have the smallest canvas compared to the other clans, and use their ears. While their ears are larger than the other Clans' it is still the smallest overall surface area. Communication heavily relies on ears, which made perfect sense to them to apply their Bond to.



The only difficulty is having the visible part of the Bond on the edge of the ear be unique when a majority of the design may be on the back of the ear.

Observance

Annually

Related Species

Bloodkeeper
Shadeberry
Sootnut
Spiked Dulam

Related Ethnicities

• Frost Clan
• Leaf Clan
• Sand Clan

Participants & Important Roles

• The Esteemed One: The Clan leader. The Esteemed One is a very important figure in the Family Bonds ceremony, as they are usually the one to oversee the entire event.


• Bondstain Prep: Overseen by someone who is close to the Bondee. They channel their mana into the mixture while wishing the participant well.


• Bondstain Applicator: This can either be the Esteemed One, a parent (adoptive or otherwise) or other person important to the Bondee.

Cultural Differences

Depending on the Clan, their Bondstain may be made from one of the below species of plant. The difference in the Bondstain is minimal, typically only cosmetic and not something that affects growth, in any way, shape, or form.

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Shadeberry

Shadeberry Bondstain is a dark dye, typically a dark purple or deep indigo.

Sootnut

Sootnut Bondstain is the only one of the trio that comes in a paste, mixed with ash. This Bondstain is usually a deep grey or black.

Spiked Dulam

Spiked Dulam Bondstain is a rich pigment that depends on the ripeness of its fruit to determine how dark it is. The older the fruit is as well as how dark the flesh of the fruit is, will show how dark the dye will become. The Bondstain is typically a deep red or brown colour.