A Bloodsister Ritual

It has been decided that Lyranne, previously our Sin'dorei Emissary, is going to join us as a 'Bloodsister', a sort of honorary troll. As a full member at the heart of our guild she will then be better able to learn our ways and so spread word of the true Heritage of the trolls to other races.

So, we need to organise a suitable ritual for Lyranne to make the transition from 'Emissary' (at the edge of the guild) to 'Bloodsister' (truly one of us!).

Let's all put our best thinking-helmets on and come up with an awesome RP event for the ritual. We need to plan where the ritual will be held and what the ritual will consist of.

So far several key points have been put forward:
a. The ritual should be some sort of event where everyone involved has to actually do something in the game world, not just standing around talking and emoting.
b. The ritual must be something that would have a significant effect on Lyranne and the way she feels amongst us.
c. The ritual must include ways of helping Lyranne to feel more like a troll in spirit.

Clearly we should make use of troll lore as much as possible, and perhaps Lyranne can be 'chosen' by a suitable Loa to be her patron. She has agreed that the ritual could involve getting a suitable tattoo, for example.

I'm hoping that Voodoo Master Gul'Zayne will perform the main part of the ritual, aided by Gen'jin. But the rest of us can play a part as well.

So I'm asking everyone to contribute their ideas here. Let's make it an evening to remember around the camp-fires for years to come!

Here is the little story i wrote about Chabat's ritual to find her patron Loa: http://heritageofzandalar.forumotion.com/troll-tales-f6/finding-the-loa-t197.htm

If Star has the time, it would be nice to have a little write up of the ritual Gul'Zayne performed for her

Looking at traditional rite of passage rituals, they seem to follow a similar pattern of stages.

1. Seperation. The initate is seperated from the rest of the tribe and left out in the wilds to fend for themselves. This allows them to demonstrate a oneness with the environment as they must use all the survival skills they have learned to stay alive and return to their people.

2. 'death'. Obviously, this is the death of th child-self prior to 'rebirth' as an adult and valuable tribe-member. This part usually involves some kind of depreivation such as fasting or sensory deprivation to induce a trance state.This is the point where the initiate becomes attuned to the spirits and will see their totem animal/ patron loa.

3. 'rebirth'. After being ritually purified in some way eg. bathing or smudging (using a bunch of smoking incense herbs, specifically chosen for the type of ritual, to drive off negative influences) and blessed by their patron the initaiate returns to their tribe. They may take a new or additional name and chose the their palce in the tribe (hunter/ warrior/ healer/ weaver/ etc.), apprenticed to an older tribe member.

4. scarification ritual. (the tattoo bit ) Where the initiate demonstrates their commitment to their patron by inscribing the approprate marks/ symbols on their body. In some cultures anybody that refused to undergo this ritual would be seen as unsuitable for marriage or to become a warrior etc as if they were unwilling to deal with the pain of the scarification, they were unliekly to be able to deal with things such as childbirth (in the females) and being injured as a warrior. in extreme cases, those who refused were treated as outcasts.

Vypra, you've made a fine piece of research. I agree that Lyranne should go through all these stages.
My suggestion is that in this case the "death" part should be the "death" of Lyranne's elvish self; she dies as an elf and is reborn as a troll. She can put down something that symbolizes her elf-ness in a sacred place during the separation stage, and return to us where we give her something that symbolizes her troll-ness.

Separation, death and rebirth are good themes for us to follow in our rituals.

Other common threads found in many rituals are : trial or struggle, specialised clothing, food and drink ( alcohol ?), dancing, fire ( or representations of the four elements), and sponsors; either a male and female as "parents" or a "guide / friend", who will lead the initiate to the Voodoo Master at the chosen place and speak up for them before the witnesses.

Last but not least is the presence of the wider community ( our guild ) to celebrate the achievement of one of our honoured members.

For clothing : robes and cowl, the shirt and kilt worn by a level one shaman plus a voodoo / mojo mask , (very Trollish !) or whatever the initiate feels most comfortable in. The "parents / guide " may wear the same.

Food and drink is the easy bit !

Can the guild Shamans do anything with the four elements ? If the ritual was held at Yojumba Isle ( heart of Troll spirituality ) there are four stone platforms around the temple . These could be occupied by Shaman representing the elements, or cooking fires could be lit on each platform to mark the cardinal points or hunters could position symbolic animals.

There could be a Trial By Combat ( Troll fist fighting ?) which the initiate would lose, thus suffering "death" and "rebirth" , perhaps then to be clad in the robes of a successful entrant to the wider community of the guild. Speeches and oathtaking can have a place too.

And finally........CELEBRATIONS !!!!!

Another idea: as "Lyranne" is an elvish name, I suggest that after the initiation ceremony, she should recieve a trollish name.
Now her new name should be something that describes her properly; either her physical traits, or her personality. It can be a Zandali name, but we give a proper Orcish translation for it. For the former, I suggest such ones as Goldenhair, Sunscalp, Pinkskin, Birdbone (expressing her gracile figure compared to our more bulky trollish ones); the latter, Troll-friend, Elf-borne, Light-bearer, Peacemaker, Childheart.
A method to generate such a name: somebody says possible names in [Troll], and Lyranne repeats them in [Orcish]. Of course, we trolls see the words properly translated to English, but she will see exotic, trollish words, and if she repeats them, the trolls will see, how it sounds.
Or else, you can simply create a random trollish name and figure out what it means.

All these ideas are wonderful, and if I was to choose a new name, I'd go down that very path of repeating words in trollish back, as it's the closest to getting any 'real' trollish name. Yojamba Isle seems a great place to hold the ceremony, and I think we're all thinking along the same lines with regards to what the ritual will involve, which is great.

With regards to the tattoos; it's not something I could do, but rather somethig I -want- to do. Though many people seem to have Sin'Dorei adorned with them, whilst Lyranne's flesh is close to undamaged (having been a healer, there's no reason for her to have ever been in any scrapes) and I simply never thought saw the point of a Holy Paladin going to the lengths of having tattoos for the sake of vanity, if that makes sense. I was thinking of her having her patron Loa tattoo, and maybe one of A'dal on her back (much like many religious people have Jesus or Mary on their backs - She took the Naaru plight to heart, and greatly admires them. It's also why she wears the Sha'tar Tabard, and I keep the title she earned displayed).

As with regards to destroying an elvish part of her as part of the ceremony, that's a little harder.I honestly don't have much, even in her inventory, that could contribute. Maybe have her hair cut short for the ceremony, and her locks being burnt?

These are all great ideas, I can't really think of anything to add.

About the elven part of her to be destroyed, the item is likely to be highly symbolical. It could be something representing the life she had before she came to us, or simply an item that strongly represents elves.

Ryleen wrote:...an item that strongly represents elves.

Perhaps an elf-shaped voodoo doll?
Oh well, let's not mix one tradition with the other.

Had fun last night giving Deyy Vypra's version of the the aspects of the Loa. For once i was extremely grateful that it was a quiet night at the Keel

That was a very nice bit of RP, and it means Lyranne learnt IC about them. Going by the Loa, and what kind of character Lyranne is, I think I have an idea of which it'll be now at least

Ugh, haven't been able to post on the forum for a while, otherwise I would have done so ages ago.
Anyway, Gul'Zayne would be honored if he could take part in the right of passage to "troll-hood" of Lyranne.
I think the trial should take place over the course of a few days, possibly a week. Lyranne should undergo rights, both spiritually and physically.
I was thinking that in a ceremony, Lyranne's spirit could be shown to us, but not just her spirit, but her very soul, not of elf, or troll, but deeper. That way she can be accepted as one of us. Even though elves are distant relatives of trolls, (evolved from night elves, which evolved from trolls) the process should be made to weigh her very soul on the scales, to determine whether she's "troll" enough.
Anyway, that was my idea, take it, leave it, whatever... I'll make an effort to be more active, but my internet isn't very coopertive of late.

Gul'Zayne the Flame Fury
Yuutee Flimeff

If anyone has a wisp wand, that would help with a visualisation of her spirit/soul. Othrwise yes, I agree that it should involve a bit of time (as I'm still not the most aux fais with troll lore and would prefer not to say or do anything contradictory).

About the way I suggested to generate Zandali names: I realized I was wrong.
I recommend you to read the way the game translator works, and you'll realize what the problem is:
http://www.wowwiki.com/Zandali#Zandali_Words_.28speculation.29
So, basically, the in-game Zandali has very little vocabulary. Most of the words are "translated" the same. So it's not an accurate representation of the "real" troll language.
If you don't want Lyranne to be called Yuutee Flimeff, then do not use the method I suggested!

To be honest, I kinda suspected that when I've been at so many meetings and not just those two words, but also a few others randomly pop up with unnatural repetition.

We could do what me and Gando did to come up with Nehjo'An as a translation for Emberstorm. We did what Snicka mentioned, but then just used that as a base to work from, making changes to it but still managing to keep the troll feel to it.