Mintwine
Height of winter, Mintwine simmer, Never grow the child of woe.Among the Rhandi who live North of the The Everice, when a child has grown past their twelfth winter, they are grouped up around the longhouse fire. The Elder Witch of the village brews morning tea and cooks up a hot stew to share, and marks each child's face with red, white, or green paint. The colour or mix of colours signifies what the Witch sees their future selves to focus on (Warriors, Leaders, Carers), while the symbol marks their innermost Rune, that value which defines them. The group is then led through the wilds and asked to hunt and gather herbs such as mint and fungus on their way to their destination. They hike for the whole day, probably the farthest from home they've ever been, until they reach the edge of the Everice. There they camp and gather around the campfire for another stew of the day's spoils. Afterward, under the Skyfires, the Witch brews all the mint, herbs and fungus together with a traditional Rhandi alcoholic beverage called Lillodr. The children partake, and the newly made adults sleep under the Skyfires warmed by the magical brew and have prophetic dreams. Once every few years, a pair of sleepers have a joint dream. The destinies of these pairs become permanently linked, and often this bonding grows into romantic love later on in life. One time in the history of the Rhandi, all of the dreamers were part of the same dream. Years later, that group saved their people in their utmost time of need. The Warriors among them gave their lives to protect them from the Children of Woe, the Leaders chose the path of destiny for their whole culture and the Carers built the foundation upon which the modern Rhandi now thrive.
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