When a Timber passes from this life, their body is brought beneath the Old Oak. Here, friends, family, and loved ones will cover the body in various offerings; flowers, plants and herbs of varying uses, bones, etc. These offerings are of significance, meant to provide the soul with an easier passing through the Silence and appease the slumbering Kairos. They offer the soul strength, peace, and courage most commonly. Once all offerings have been placed upon the body, a low, somber song is sung together with a small group, generally by the closest of the deceased. This song is meant to signal to any nearby spirits that a new honorable Valleyfolk is prepared to join them in their realm. Once they have properly said their final words, no one besides the Crowns and Willows are permitted to the Old Oak for one full turn [one full month IRL time]. This is to allow the body to remain undisturbed, both physically and spiritually, so that the spirit halves may join together again, and the body may be reclaimed by the Valley.

If any Valleyfolk, Timberholdian or not, were to die by a Timber's fang, Timberhold stakes claim with how to dispose of the body, regardless of whichever pack they followed or who they were in life. Near Ruven Lake, a large rock will be found where the body is placed and left to the elements for a week's time. This will allow carrion birds and scavengers to pick off the body and feed themselves, giving them life. However, being placed on the rock will not allow the Valley to claim their body, simply letting them waste away with no use, even in death. After the time has passed, their body is then disposed of into the lake, where the wither may join Ruven in eternal silence, never permitted to pass into the afterlife.

Like the Forgotten Tempest, their name is forbidden from ever being spoken again. Timbers believe that you die twice; once when your soul separates from your body, and again when your name is spoken for the last time. By making it forbidden to speak a Valleyfolk's name, they are intending for their soul to be forgotten and lost, nothing more than a whisper on the wind in a distant past.

The protection of the Wilds is one of the most important things to Timbers. This trial is meant to prove ones willingness to do anything to protect it, by protecting their own life. After all, once they complete their cleanse, they themselves are considered to be one of the Wilds.

• Wilts will face up to two opponents in a spar/hunt. [You may choose if it's only one or two opponents if you wish to show this trial through art/lit.]

• Using whatever skills they have, Wilts should defend themselves from their opponents. Strength, agility, knowledge of herbs and ability to use their surroundings, etc. 

• For an undetermined amount of time, the Timber(s) will hunt throughout the War Wood for the Wilt. If they find the Wilt, a fight will occur. The only spoken rule; defend yourself and escape through any means.

• An unspoken rule is set in place. Not only is the War Wood considered a holy ground, but blood should not be spilled unless absolutely necessary, it is considered a last resort. If the challenging Timbers believe blood was drawn as a first attempt to defend oneself, the Wilt is immediately denied entry to Timberhold.

• A wilt is considered to have succeeded when their opponents yield. The hunt may last for days, but the Wilt should persevere through any means necessary. If the Wilt yields before the Timbers, they will be immediately chased from the Wilds.

• Though the Wilt enters this trial with the understanding that if they are caught, they will be killed, Timbers are under the strict instruction that if they find themselves in a position of power, able to take the life of the Wilt, they are forbidden from doing so. Taking the life of another while within the War Wood is considered a direct defiance to the Gods. Instead, if the Wilt is caught and could have been killed, they are instead chased out of the Wilds, and the Timbers report back to the Crown of the unsuccessful attempt.

The second test a Wilt will undergo is not one of any skill. It is to allow the Gods to judge their character, to look into their past and future, and determine if they are worthy of becoming a Timber and part of their Wilds. They will call upon Avros and Itris, and allow them to judge them. The Wilt will be escorted and monitored by other Timbers who are trusted to be unbiased witnesses to the words and judgements of the Gods.

• Avros will be the first to judge. Wilts will proceed to the Old Oak, accompanied by other Timbers. They will stand below its canopy, and wait. They will wait until a leaf falls from the Old Oak, and onto their body. The placement of the leaf on their body signifies the character of the Wilt.

  • • • Blown directly into their chest - This Wilt has a strong heart. They are loyal to no end, and have the ability to withstand many challenges. They would make for a good protector of the Wilds.

      • Anywhere on their head - This Wilt has a level head. They would make for an excellent mentor and provide good counsel for the Wilds. They also tend to be a good conversationalist and diplomat.

      • Anywhere on their back - This Wilt is a provider. Like the leaf on their back, this Wilt will carry the Wilds through any trial, and does not shy away from helping and providing for others.

      • On their front paws - This Wilt has a strong connection to the Valley. They have a strong sense of the world around them and how to manipulate it for the betterment of the Wilds.

      • On their back paws - This Wilt is a betrayer, rot. If the leaf lands on a back paw, the Wilt is automatically denied. This signifies that they will bring trouble to Timberhold, and turn their back on the Wilds in times of need.

      • If a certain amount of time goes by without any leaves from the Old Oak landing on the Wilt, Avros is silent to them, and the Wilt is denied.

• After passing the judgement of Avros, they will then go to the Reflecting Pool. Here, the Wilt will be instructed to sit along the pool's edge and stare into the waters at their own reflection. The stillness of the water provides a near mirror image, and reflects one's own soul back to them.

  • • • Images and memories of one's past are often seen while looking into the pool, so it would not be unheard of for the Wilt to experience visions of their past.

      • Itris is a God of Life, and by extension, has the ability at times to perceive what will become of one's life. Through bending the vines of the tree looking over the water, Itris may peer into what lies ahead for your character. The vines dance over the surface of the water, just a hair's width from touching it, but never disturbing it until she can judge what will become of your character.

      • Once the vines have settled back to their neutral position, if the water remains undisturbed, Itris has passed her approval of the Wilt and determined they do not pose a threat to the Wilds.

      • If the vines disturb the water's surface, Itris is breaking the Wilt's connection to their own soul, and signifies to the witnessing Timbers that something of the Wilt's past or future poses a threat to the Wilds. The Wilt will then be escorted out of the Wilds and denied entry. However, those with strong minds may be able to deceive the God, and if any ill intention is in their future against the Wilds, they may be able to hide it from her by skewing what she sees.

      • The God may not always be correct in what she sees. Itris is a new God, and though this may be unknown to the Timbers, she may accidentally turn away those who mean no harm, or unintentionally let through those who will bring chaos into the balance of the Wilds, purposefully or not.

Kairos is the father of all of Timberhold and the Wilds. Without him, there would be no Avros or Itris, no Wilds, no Valleyfolk to populate the forests and protect them. One must show that they have an understanding and respect for time before they are permitted to fully complete their trials.

• This trial is an unknown one to the Wilt undergoing the Cleanse. It begins the moment they step foot into the War Wood, and ends when they are called to the Heartwood to complete their trials and mark themselves one of the Wilds.

• There is no set amount of time that will take place between trials. Wilts can wait for days or weeks before being prompted to begin the next trial.

• The overall trial can take anywhere from only a week to a month in-game time. [This is just IC. If you want to show your characters going through these trials, you can upload your pieces as quickly as you'd like.]

• If a Wilt exhibits any impatience, gets pushy and demanding for the next trial, gives up on waiting and decides to leave, they are immediately denied from Timberhold for failing to prove their trust in time, their acts seen as a disrespect directly to Kairos himself.

• Remaining patient and respectful while waiting to complete their trials and be called to the Heartwood are key to succeeding this trial.

Upon completion, the Wilt will be invited to the Heartwood. The Crown will have one final look at them, and determine if they are worthy or not. If the Crown finds any suspicious nature about the Wilt, they can turn them away despite their completion of all three trials. If the Crown accepts the Wilt, they have one final task; cleanse themself of their Wiltblood, and purify into a Timber.

• The new Wilt will approach Avros's Throne, the center piece of the Heartwood. Here, they will cut their paw pad on a sharp rock before placing their bleeding paw upon the bark of the Throne.

• It is believed by allowing one's blood to be absorbed into the wood of Avros's Throne, they are adding a part of their soul into the Wilds, swearing to protect it even with their own life. The large and complex tree is stained with numerous smears of blood all over its trunk from the several generations of Valleyfolk who have undergone this trial.

• The Wilt has now been cleansed of their Wilt title, and is now called a Timber.

• Timber-born wolves are also expected to complete this ritual when coming of age [moving from flower/pup to sprout/juvenile], but do not need to go through any of the previous trials. Doing so solidifies their position as a true Timber.

When two Timberholdians wish to become a pair, a ceremony is held beneath the willow tree of the Reflecting Pool. A Timber of the Willow branch will lead this ceremony by using long vines from the willow tree to loosely loop them around each lover's shoulders/chest before tying it together, as well as together around their front paws. Throughout their fur, flowers and plants of various symbolism to bolster their binding are placed. The tied vines indicate the union of their hearts and roots into one, forever binding their souls together. The flowers and plants within the fur, depending on those used, can have a variety of meanings. Most often it can boost their prosperity, love, joy, and success. The two Timbers, as well as those chosen to attend their ceremony and bear witness to their binding, will join together in song. The newly bound Timbers will lead this song, solidifying their union, before a celebration is held with the entire pack to honor the new couple. A feast accompanied by songs, sparring, and general relaxed and playful natures are held well into the night following the Song of Binding.

For any Timber wishing to pursue the Cedar branch, they must undergo a trial. Timberhold has a strong distrust of outsiders, and is always prepared for a battle and defense. Hence, the Cedars are put through a more rigorous trial to show their ability to withstand what the Valley gives them, so they can prove that they can defend Timberhold from any threat. As well, it is a further test of one's loyalty to the Wilds and Avros, proving they will not yield to the lingering storms of the Forgotten Tempest, and they will not listen to any cries of the fallen God.

Upon indication that they wish to face this test, they will be escorted to the Southeastern portion of the Wilds. Here, they will be required to survive some of the harshest elements the Wilds have to offer; constant heavy rain, frequent cloud to ground lightning strikes, and on some occasions, weak tornadoes. To the trees, these mean nothing more than just some gusty winds and plenty of nourishment for their roots. To Valleyfolk, however, these winds could sweep them off their paws and send them tumbling down the hills, bumping into all sorts of sharp rocks and trees along the way. The rain is cold and heavy, feeling as though the Timber is chilled and soaked through to their bones. To pass the trial, a Timber must have a strong sense of survival and courage. 

SUCCESS: If a Timber can last the trial for the set amount of days chosen at the start, they are permitted to return to the Heartwood to follow the branch and begin training and honing of their skills. 

FAILURE: Failure is marked by either succumbing to the elements, to which their body is left there to rot away beneath the storm, or abandoning the hills early. Returning to the Heartwood prior to completion would result in the Timber being held within the confines of the Heartwood with minimal access to food and water for a short time as punishment for abandoning their post, then prevented from ever pursuing the Cedar branch again in their lifetime. If a Timber is found fleeing the Wilds early from their trial, they are considered a traitor, and marked as an "attack on sight wither".

!! YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO SHOW YOUR CHARACTER GOING THROUGH THIS TRIAL TO BECOME A CEDAR, IT IS PURELY OPTIONAL. ALL CEDARS ARE CONSIDERED TO HAVE CANONICALLY COMPLETED THIS TRIAL SUCCESSFULLY !!

In the Plentiful and Umbral ensembles, the Wilds undergo their most change. Timberholdians celebrate these changes, one where new life is brought to the forests, and another where it wilts away to the ground to supply the next Plentiful Ensemble with rich nutrients and further the forest's life. 

During the Vernal Hymn [Plentiful Ensemble Celebration], Timbers bring about various offerings to the Old Oak. These offerings tend to include food and trinkets found around the Valley [bones, crystals, etc]. Offering these at the roots of the Old Oak is believed to bolster its ability to continue to return life to the forest, blooming more flowers and sprouting new trees where old ones fell. This is also a time of relaxation for the Timberholdians. The ceremony is held for three days, starting the day prior to the Plentiful equinox, and ending the day after. During this time, no hunting or sparring is permitted, and Timbers are encouraged to socialize and chat and explore the territory. Food is gathered prior to the start of the Hymn, enough to offer to the Old Oak, as well as to eat while hunting is forbidden. Patrols are still mandated however along the border, but they are often in larger parties during this time, and are seen more as a social time than a job.

During the Autumnal Hymn [Umbral Ensemble Celebration], a hunting game is started. Similar to the Vernal Hymn, this begins the day before the Umbral equinox, and ends the day after. During this time, participating Timbers are divided into even hunting parties, and the goal is to bring as much food back to the Heartwood as possible. However, not just any prey counts. The object of this is for Timbers to specifically target the old and sick prey, and any member found hunting any young or healthy prey will be banned from further participation. The belief is that, if they remove the prey that cannot further add to the numbers of their populations, it will make more food available for the prey, making their next generations stronger and more plentiful, and continues the cycle of replenishing their numbers. Those who do not participate in the hunts are often playing games and telling stories around the Heartwood.

During both ceremonies, just before the sun disappears beneath the horizon and the moon begins to peak above it on the day of the equinox, all Timbers gather together and sing. The songs are of hope for new life, prosperity, and continued longevity of the pack and the Wilds.