Eternal Flower Ceremony

This ceremony is used when honouring those whose skill or bravery have greatly contributed to the Ancient Kingdom of the Forest.

Execution

When a person is to be honoured with is ceremony the first step is choosing an appropriate flower. There are set flowers for different honours, though at times the monarch may command a unique one be used. If the flower is available then the ceremony can proceed, but if not then the ceremony must wait till the flower is available, or until one can be grown. By long--standing tradition druidic arts cannot be used to speed up the process.
Where the ceremony is held varies depending on whether the recipient is in the military or not. If they are in the military then the ceremony will be held in the Grove of Dancing Minds. Otherwise it is held at the council tree.
Those observing the ritual arrive by rank, with the lowest ranked arriving first. When the monarch arrives the main ceremony can start. The recipient approaches a small table upon which rests some of the flowers chosen for the ceremony. Behind the tables stands the monarch and several spellweavers. As the recipient walks to the table a group of musicians play either The Stars Are Our Spears (military ceremony) or The Light Of The Moon (civilian ceremony).
After greetings are exchanged the monarch invites the recipient to choose one of the flowers. The flower is handed to the spellweavers who levitate it into the air and start encasing it in clear crystal. While this is happening the monarch announces what the award is for. When the flower is encased in crystal the spellweavers magically inscribe the recepient's name in the crystal before handing it to the monarch. The monarch places it in a grown wood stand that has a plaque listing the details of why the award is being given. They then hand it to the recipient who leaves to a repeat of the music played at the start.
A shorter version is used in times of war or when a group is to be honoured. In those cases the flowers are selected and encased in crystal ahead of time.

Components and tools

The main component of the ritual is the flower and the type of honour it conveys. Some of the ones commonly used are:

• Magnolia - Used for when someone is earns noble status.
• Holly - For honouring those who have protected the forest.
• Dill - For someone who has defeated a great threat.
• Coriander - When the deeds are in the background supporting others.

Primary Related Location

Calen Tal tel’Taure

Related Organizations

• Ancient Kingdom of the Forest

Related Ethnicities

• Ostrim
• Taurim

The older noble families keep small gardens of these flowers, displaying groups of similar flowers together and providing a visual history of their family's achievements.
A similar practice is followed by the Taurim in their villages, though in their case it is the village's achievements rather than a single family.
In both cases the gardens are usually somewhere discreetly out of view so as to avoid the appearance of boasting.