The Path of Blooming Bone

Witness the Flesh Songs

Each ritual in the Path of Blooming Bone honors the Maw’s cycle of transformation; birth, decay, and rebirth. These are not mere ceremonies, but living offerings of sound, movement, and bone.

The Gleaming Rite

A ritual for touched pups taken by the Maw early. The pup is bathed is sacred water and ceremonially adorned, before being placed upon the ceremonial pyre, returning their light to the Maw's grace.

The ceremony ends with a slow procession around the heart of the den, where petals are scattered along with some of the pup's ashes, a symbolic reminder that beauty lies in difference.

Hymns of the Open Jaw

Chanted only in the presence of the Blooming Maw’s image or altar, these hymns recount her coming and the first wolves she transformed. The songs are low and drawn out, vibrating in the chest until the sound seems to seep into the soil itself.

The Sporing Dance

Performed at the turning of the season, this dance mimics the spread of spores and seeds. Participants move in spirals, tails brushing the ground, while dusted with crushed bone and lunar fungal powder. It is believed the Maw watches closely during this dance, seeking which wolves will carry her next bloom.

The Preservation Rite

A pup chosen for preservation is not merely spared from death—they are exalted. This rite elevates the pup beyond mortality, transforming them into an Eternal Bloom; a living relic and divine vessel, eternally childlike in flesh. The pup is bathed in a sacred body of water before being presented with the Preserving Bloom, the Drowning Song chanted as they are submerged. The pup is believed to be born anew, living as a sacred example of the Maw's mercy and beauty.

The Unveiling

A sacred farewell for lethal pups who will not be preserved. The Unveiling is not sorrow—it is jubilation. The dying are not pitied—they are blessed. To die in bloom is to be fully consumed by the Maw’s love.

The pup is adorned in cermonial petals and feathers, the last breath witnessed as the sect performs the Breath Chant; a low, rhythmic howl that rises and falls like breath. A ceremonial feast is held to celebrate the jouney ahead, telling stories of the pup's journey's across the veil in the Maw's gracious arms.

The Rite of Blooming Flesh

The act of breeding is sacred to the cult, seen as a moment when the Blooming Maw reaches out through flesh, hunger, and chance. Every pairing is a ritual. Every pup is a divine gamble. The rite has variations depending on the intent of the union: whether the pairing seeks to multiply her blessings, draw forth her hidden seed, or shape beauty in her image. Below is a brief explanation of each rite's purpose, along with a list of potential items for use, both their sacred names, and their colloquial names.

The Fecund Rite

Used when the goal is to maximize the number of pups in a litter. These rites are typically overseen by Glimmermarked wolves or Rooted breeders and are joyful affairs.

• "The Sprouting Leaf" known to others as "Black Sage"
• "The Bursting Bloom" known to others as "Blue Sage"
• "The Maw's Full Mouth" known to others as "White Sage"

The Right of True Flesh

Used when breeders aim to preserve specific physical traits across generations. Usually performed by Glimmermarked wolves.

• "Claws of Her Grasp" known to others as "Flint Saltlick"
• "Eyes of Her Light" known to others as "Opal Saltlick"
• "Nose of the Deep Root" known to others as "Rock Salt"
• "Skin of Sacred Bark" known to others as "Sea Salt"

The Rite of Buried Seed

Used when breeders seek to awaken a hidden or random mutation. These are among the most revered rites, handled only by Bearers of Seed under Choir of Flesh supervision.

• "The Tilling Thorn" known to others as "Juniper Berries"
• "Whispers in the Womb" known to others as "Wolf Blood"
• "The Maw's Meaty Gift" known to others as "Wolf Meat"

The Rite of Reflected Joy

Used when cult members wish to control the sex of the next generation, for sacred balance, breeding plans, or ritual lineages. Studs participate in this ritual with Glimmermarked officiants.

• "Feather of the Daughters" known to others as "Great Tit"
• "Feather of the Sons" known to ohers as "Red Cock"

The Rite of Returning Flesh

Used when a wolf with a visible mutation breeds, especially in attempts to pass it on. Overseen by the Choir of Flesh and Glimmermarked.

Only one item is used in this ritual; "The Bloomed Seed," known to others as "Wolf Scrotum."

The Rite of Sacred Tension

Used for strategic control of fertility—whether to increase the chance of success or to make the divine gamble sharpe.

• "The Opening Petal" known to others as "Pasque Flower"
• "The Tilling Thorn" known to others as "Juniper Berries"

The Pairing Rite

This sacred rite formalizes the union of two wolves within the Path of Blooming Bone, not for romance, but as a spiritual convergence of lineage, blessed in hopes of drawing the Blooming Maw’s gaze and creating Touched offspring. The rite is less about affection and more about alignment of purpose, blood, and potential. The pairing must be sanctified before a wolf can be considered a full agent in the Maw's tapestry.

Eligibility

Wolves are eligable for pairing of this kind if:

• One (or both) are mutated, glimmermarked, or bearers of the seed
• The have been recommended by a Choir of the Flesh
• They express mutual willingness to bond, with no outside pairing in effect

Unblessed pairings are allowed, but are not sanctified. In a proper Pairing Rite, the wolves will be brought before the sect at twilight, with the male presenting a bone and the female a flower. These represent their lineage and future fertility, respectively. The pair participate in another ritual, called The Joining Night after the binding.

The Joining Night

The sect holds a silent, watchful vigil during the pair’s first night together in a private den. Members hum or sing softly, or leave tokens outside—dried flower petals, bone chips, tufts of moss.

Aftermath and Status