The Weeping Brew
The Gafhi clans tend to be small and tight-knit, and usually have a single rootspeaker shaman at any one time. Responsible for interpreting the signs of the roots and the wisdom of the soil, these devotees of the God of Roots generally take one apprentice, with the idea of that apprentice taking their place when the rootspeaker grows too old or dies.
Before an apprentice can be considered to a full-fledged rootspeaker, they must complete the ritual of the Weeping Brew. A private ritual, administered by just the senior rootspeaker, it is considered the final step in the apprentice's learning. However, the apprentice might remain an assistant to the rootspeaker for quite some time afterwards, as generally a clan only has one shaman.
Execution
The Weeping Brew is a strange witch's brew made out of mushrooms and burned root. To complete the ritual, the apprentice must dig up and harvest the roots of a weeping yew. They must then go to the grave of an ancestor, and harvest tenebrani stalks from the graves. The senior rootspeaker observes all of these steps, but does not assist. Once the ingredients are gathered, the apprentice must burn the root to a char and breathe in the smoke, before placing the burned root and the mushrooms into a ritual pot. The ingredients are turned into a brew, which the apprentice consumes.
Though the concoction is foul-smelling and offensive to the senses, the apprentice is expected to drink the brew without becoming ill. They must then meditate on the wisdom of the soil, as it is believed that consuming this brew connects the apprentice to the God of Roots. After this vigil, the senior shaman asks the apprentice questions that they should not know the answers to. Though answering the master's questions correctly is not necessary to complete the ritual, it is considered a good omen if they do, and held as a sign that the new rootspeaker is particularly attuned to the forces of truth and wisdom.
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