Talvi's Sacrifice

A Display of Devotion

I don't see how I could ever be with anyone else, dear. As Talvi gave her spirit to her lover, let our spirits join so that I can prove my eternal devotion.

— Elmar Keravan to Heli Kalm

Talvi's Sacrifice is what the Saralian and Merellian people call a romantic tradition of theirs in which one of the partners in a romantic relationship shows their devotion to the one they love. The display of affection requires knowledge of the basics spirit magic as it could prove deadly when done wrong. The risk of death is what gives the practise its weight, showing that one of the sides is willing to risk their life for the one they adore.

Execution

When someone in a romantic relationship believes that they are ready to go through the process of a Talvi's Sacrifice to show how much their loved one means to them, they must know enough about spirit magic to be able to expel their own Life-Spirit. Once forced out of the original host's body, the spirit will join with the partner's spirit. Life-Spirits know what their hosts are thinking about when the two are joined so once the spirit leaves the body, they will know what they have to do.

Health Risks

The primary reason why the Talvi's Sacrifice tradition is called a sacrifice is due to the dangers that it presents. Being separated from a Life-Spirit is dangerous even for a minute or two, but doing so for half an hour or a couple of hours is potentially fatal.

Despite the dangers, many still partake in the tradition to prove their love and devotion. Being separated from one's spirit will drain the life from the person. Eventually, they will be nothing but a lifeless husk lying in the dirt. Many partners in relationships have stopped their lover from going through with the sacrifice. For some people, knowing that their love is willing to go through with it is enough for them to appreciate them.

While the spirit is away, it's host will grow weak over time. Some people have passed out while others have bravely continued on for hours before feeling the effects. The person receiving the spirit will feel warm and fuzzy inside. The spirit will subtly remind the new temporary host of all the good memories that the two lovers have experienced, the effects of which are supposed to ease anxiety and stress.

Eventually, the one who initiated the whole endeavour will have to call back their spirit. Since they need to do so by communicating with them physically, they have to be awake and conscious. Usually, when the old host is unconscious, and the spirit has been away for a while, they will freely go back to avoid them from dying. When they are conscious but refuse to call them, the spirit will have trouble reconnecting with their rightful host. Only those most obsessed with proving their devotion would risk such a dangerous move.

Related Ethnicities

• Merellian
• Saralian

Feelings Between Spirits

There's a common belief that for someone to be driven to the point that they would be willing to go through with a Talvi's Sacrifice, their own spirit must also be in love with the other person's Life-Spirit.

Origin

Barely anything is known about the origins of the tradition and Talvi. Judging by the name, she had gone through the procedure and died in the process, but nothing is known about who their partner was or how they had come up with it. While some may claim that she was a noble who had fallen for a farm lad, others say that she was a fictional character from a tale now lost to time.