Dwarven Victory Ritual

Smoke is blown from a silver pipe upon the arranged vanquished (living or dead). This is done in three rounds each with a different tobacco blend and a different incantation. The successive rounds flaunt the superior strength, intelligence, and power of the dwarves: "had you been stronger then you would be blowing the smoke, had you been smarter I would be subjugated and your pride would rise like a horn, had you had the power and favour of the ancestors surely you would not have been so unlucky!"

The frieze by the northern gatehouse

Panel 1: The fisherman blessing their nets with incense / women weave their hair into nets.

Panel 2:A mermaid type creature surrounded by fish being watched by a storm God behind a cloud.

Panel 3:The storm God summons a cloud of gulls .

Panel 4: the mermaid creature takes shelter from a barrage of pearls being dropped by gulls from above her.

Panel 5: Storm God talking to an octopus

Panel 6: mermaid creature biting the octopus and the octopus spewing black ink.

Panel seven: mermaid creature walking on land her tail cutting a trench in the earth

Flowers

There are several schools of floral symbology among the Yaswan regions. There is some variance but by and large there is an understanding of what is meant symbolically by pertinent flowers. It is not uncommon to put thought into the symbolic meaning of a bouquet or to send a message through flowers. Following are a few examples including their common meanings as well as less known esoteric understanding.

Hooded Strangers

This beautiful flower harvested from the eastern Corridor bears a striking resemblance to a violet dæmon swooping down from above. It is the token of the ruling family of Bluetor, the canton to which it is native. 

Throughout the cantons it is recognized as a symbol of the planar covenant made between the families of the southern border and the archon Bsh Bsh Lana in the second aeon. This covenant promised friendship between the servants of Bsh Bsh Lana and the Yaswans and it was sealed through intermarriage between the ruling houses of both races. This was when the planar bloodline was introduced and the succeeding generations of royalty we're know as Tÿflung folk from then on.

The smell of the Hooded Stranger is not pleasant and therefore it tends to be paired with strongly fragrant flowers when arranged. In fact, it is considered very rude to either display or present this flower without some measure being taken to counter its malodorous quality.

It is used ritually in venerations of dæmons and in other Tophic rites. Most notably the summoning sequence at the feast of the covenant.

A lesser known use of it is as a treatment for infertility in men. Perhaps this stems from the shape of the petals suggesting the male sex organ. The stamen of the flowers are ground to a paste and mixed with rancid butter resulting in a foul smelling ointment. Some herbalists say that children conceived using this substance will be unlucky and unhappy but also exceptionally intelligent.

Luminous Lotus

This flower is considered more valuable than most gems or gold. Being cultivated by the monks of the isle of Bronna it may take up to a decade of expert horticultural care to fully develop the soft radiance of this long-lived flower. The secret method of cultivating the luminous Lotus is closely guarded by the monastery and is known only to a few of the monks and nuns. There is a legend which posits the luminous lotus as the ransom paid for lord Grkə when he was kidnapped by the northern families immediately prior to the unification of the cantons.

The generally understood symbolic meaning of this flower is that of: unification, prosperity, patience, and divinity.

Prior to the planar covenant the heraldic insignia of the city Praenodhiss was a lotus on a white field. Though that flag was sullied by rebellious movement, warriors of the radiant blood, which was crushed unambiguously within a decade of its formation. The new banner of Praenodhiss  was made a scarlet star with nine points on a silver field.

It is said that the monks of Bronna have a recipe for soup which primarily consists of lotus roots which is the key to their preternatural longevity. The soup is supposedly so potent in its life-giving energy that it can bring the dying back to full vigour within moments of imbibing.

Scraggle-star

This flower is overwhelmingly associated with death. The reason for this is twofold, it's strong fragrance lends it to funerary situations where the natural odours of death must be masked, and it's star-form shape ties it to Yaswan lore which links the heavenly bodies to departed ancestors. 

The scraggly edged petals inspired the first aeon poet, Dauri, to reflect, 

"the memory of my lost brother follows the painful serrated edge

but the knife is a flower so I smile."

Unknown to most is the soporific effect produced from the boiled seeds. A concentrated enough dose can produce a temporary paralysis. The initiatory Church of the yellow lark uses this oil of anointment in a rite which simulates the death of the participants.

Amuθa

In the common tongue this flower is called "the pink flame". It is found frequently along the coast. 

The esoteric meaning of the amuθa is warning. 

Regreglion

Though most would consider this a fairly unremarkable bloom it is held sacred by one of the inititiatory churches,the house of the pelican. The colouring of the flower is echoed in the vestments of the preceptors third degree. Indigo robes with white hare trim and a yellow collar makes a strong tie of the rank to the flower. The reason for the is unclear.

A folk tradition cites regret lion as an ward against nightmares. 

The Origin of words

Among the gods there was one, Dheilpei. She became pregnant and bore 40,000 children at once. Her children would ride around the court in chariots each drawn by six horses, that is, three pairs each. And each horse had a bridle of either gold, silver, bone or lead. When the hooves of the horses echoed on the stones of the heavenly court they would each make a unique sound, every one different according to its colour and bridle. 

The primaeval fisherman,Oano, would go to the court of Dheilpei in his dreams. In the morning he would awaken imbued with new wisdom every day for 100 years. When the dreams ceased Oano realized that he was lonely and so he used the wisdom from the dreams to work magic and transform a school of fish into the first Village. He made each of the fry into a person but, though they had human form, they could not speak or understand and had no wisdom. So Oano formed bridles of gold, Silver, lead and bone and place them in their mouths. With this they were imbued with the gift of poetry and song, and they began to recite beautiful words both day and night.

Epithet of Magúa

MAGÚA 

Friend of none

Unbridled raw power

His breath is the storm,

Octopuses his messengers 

Alternating rage and lust 

He rides the breakers

Incantation

The priest intones the following and the assembly responds with the bolded text:

The fish swims down and the water gets colder but she doesn't notice. It is her home.

Neither does she notice the lack of air, for the cold water is her air.

She feels the weight of her world the deeper she goes, yet she swims on.

(Monotone chant takes on a singsong quality at this point)

I am like the fish, swimming down into the heart of the goddess. Where there is no light or air and it is heavy and cold. But I am like the fish, feeling no cold only the weight of the goddess. No constriction, only the darkness of her surety. I need no air, I only breath her essence. As I go....

(Rhythmic accompaniment comes in)

Deeper, and deeper, into the deep river.

Deeper, and deeper, into the deep river. I go where a human cannot. I go into holy silence. I go to listen to the beating heart of the river.

(Accompaniment on the rush-zither and vocal-resonator becomes louder until chant is drowned out)

Psychopomp birds

There are black birds that eat the bodies of the dead. When they fly up after feeding they carry the souls of the slain to the sky. Surely you have heard of the court that drank too deeply from the well of forgetting. They forgot their guilt but also forgot to eat. And so, they starved. When the birds feasted on their bodies they also began to forget. They forgot to fly and forgot call out the warning that ghosts were close at hand. So rather than joining the winds among the clouds the forgetful court of spirits remained around the well as did the black birds. The winds around the well do not stop but swirl and howl day and night full of muttering  and groaning. .... Those who take a drought from the cold well, amidst the vortex of the departed, don't find the mental alleviation of forgetting anymore. By some strange magical adjustment they do not forget but are forgotten, as if erased. Some say that the black birds that follow a person out of the abandoned court swallow the memories which surround us like a cloud of invisible insects....