Morte Chrysanthemum

At a cursory glance, he looked like any other human. His eyes were slightly dull, and his skin slightly too pale and gaunt, but he still moved with the smoothly exaggerated grace of a minor noble with aspirations. The one thing that conclusively marked him apart, was the flower in his hat. A Morte Chrysanthemum, the identifying symbol of a Strigoi.

The chrysanthemum is a flower commonly associated with death and funerals, and wearing a chrysanthemum on one's clothing is a sign of mourning across most of Eynoria. When walking around large towns and cities, it is not uncommon to spot numerous people wearing a chrysanthemum. The Morte Chrysanthemum however, is different.
The Morte Chrysanthemum is a cultivar with white petals, tinged with red, purple or black around the edges. It was first cultivated in 7 Era of Spirits by a minor Aaltieran baron, who had suddenly died and whose corpse had been reanimated without anyone noticing by a Strigoi, a form of Spirit that is obsessed with humanity and their physical bodies.
The baron first wore the Morte Chrysanthemum to mourn the death of the previous owner of his body, which slowly spread to other Strigoi attempting to blend into a world paranoid about Spirits. As the practice grew in scale, Strigoi began to notice the Morte Chrysanthemums worn by others, and the flower began to become a symbol of mutual recognition and personal pride. Many modern Strigoi are unaware of the flower's original symbolism.

Manufacturing process

Morte Chrysanthemum heads are typically worn as-is, either pinned to an article of clothing or partially tucked into a hat band.
Flowerheads will wilt quickly once picked, so some embalming is often done to preserve them for longer.

Significance

Personal and cultural.

Item type

Clothing / Accessory

Rarity

Uncommon