Rose Petals
"Did you see all the flower petals?" John leaned over the table and whispered.
"Of course I did." Bill rolled his eyes.
"Well, what were they doing all over the sidewalk?"
"Some idiot must have dropped them, or they fell from a florist's cart." Bill shrugged, taking another sip of his ale.
"No. I saw some a few moons back. They mean something. I know they do."
A common flower of Imbria, roses are easy to obtain and not overly expensive. Roses make a particularly popular gift between lovers, and may even be exchanged on birthdays, the Magic Lights Festival, and other holidays. For most, they are symbols of love and friendship. For others, however, these perennial flowers hold more meaning.
Colors include: red, white, yellow, pink, orange
Smaller meetings between group members can be called through couriered envelopes. The number of petals within the envelope indicate the time for the meeting, and the color, as above, indicates the location. If the recipient agrees to the meeting, they keep the envelope. If not, they simply direct the courier to return the envelope to the sender.
"Of course I did." Bill rolled his eyes.
"Well, what were they doing all over the sidewalk?"
"Some idiot must have dropped them, or they fell from a florist's cart." Bill shrugged, taking another sip of his ale.
"No. I saw some a few moons back. They mean something. I know they do."
A common flower of Imbria, roses are easy to obtain and not overly expensive. Roses make a particularly popular gift between lovers, and may even be exchanged on birthdays, the Magic Lights Festival, and other holidays. For most, they are symbols of love and friendship. For others, however, these perennial flowers hold more meaning.
Trail of Petals
The Phoenix Group is known to hold regular meetings throughout the year, though authorities have yet to learn the exact location of these meetings. A known chapter of the group operates in Emerson City near Arcanis Academy in Salaris, but other chapters are believed to exist all throughout Imbria. The size and influence of the group are unknown. Occasionally, a member will call an impromptu or emergency meeting, and they have found the easiest way to do this is by dropping flower petals throughout the city, which calls a meeting for a set time at night. Colors: The color of the rose petals dropped indicate which hideout or secret location the meeting will be held. These locations are only known to active members of the Phoenix Group.Colors include: red, white, yellow, pink, orange
Accidental Meetings
Does anyone know who called this meeting?Occasionally, meetings are called accidently. A child or young person might distractly pick flower petals or a florist might actually spill some. In these cases, the Phoenix Group members who show up to the meeting usually are not too upset. They often take it as an opportunity to chat with other members and even party.
Personal Messages
Smaller meetings between group members can be called through couriered envelopes. The number of petals within the envelope indicate the time for the meeting, and the color, as above, indicates the location. If the recipient agrees to the meeting, they keep the envelope. If not, they simply direct the courier to return the envelope to the sender.
Invitation to Talk
Additionally, a few members keep a small vase of roses in the window. This is an indication for anyone in the group that the member is a contact point for members from out of town.Phoenix Group
The Phoenix Group is a small but growing group of political extremists and conspiracy theorists who long for the return of imperial mage rule. They believe the nations of Imbria have only suffered for their independence since the Great Uprising, and that they must be united under a strong leader to face, what some assert will be Imbria's greatest challenge. What this impending challenge is, none could say. They look to the Mage Rising myth as prophecy, and not only do they believe that mages will once again walk Valayo, but they hold meetings to discuss ways they might bring about this prophecy and/or aid in the eventual usurping of the current political powers. The Phoenix Group is very wary of magical communications devices, claiming the governments can listen in to their conversations. They are careful not to interact too much publicly, lest someone identify one of the members. it is for this reason they resort to more imaginative methods of communication.
Mages & Witches
Mages were considered to posess more raw power than witches, able to perform magic simply by willing things to happen rather than having to rely on spells, rituals, or items. Mages often had one type of magic they used, while witches have more flexibility in the types of magic they can learn and use. Mages were defeated in the Great Uprising and eradicated in the following years.For more on the differences between mages and witches:
Comments
Author's Notes
This article was created for Summer Camp 2020. To view my other Summer Camp 2020 entries, click here. Thank you for reading!