Overview

The Rebuke, also known as The First Heart, is the formal funeral tradition of the Bloodguard. It is a sacred tradition of loving complaint performed when a member falls in service. Instead of a traditional eulogy, the ceremony focuses on an exaggerated critique of the fallen’s most notorious personal quirks or habits.

Protocol

The rite is governed by strict military protocols established within the traditions of Ogham Reach & Noctara:

• Timing: Should be performed within 48 hours of confirming death.
• The Orator: The senior-most present member of the Bloodguard.
• Delivery: The orator stands at attention and must maintain absolute military bearing throughout the speech.
• The Dismissal: The ceremony concludes with the formal phrase: “This one is moving on. Do better in the next life, Comrade.”

Notable Examples from the Archives

Spivey Grey

With sadness, Yara cleared her throat once more and said, “The Rebuke… The First Heart,” through cracked lips, evoking the sacred rite of her order with sudden clarity.

Yara’s hands trembled as she prepared to speak. Sandru watched her, a respectful silence enveloping him as he recognized the weight of the Bloodguard ritual. Yara’s eyes glistened with pride and loss.

Resolutely, she continued, her voice a soft rasp that barely carried over the chilling wind, “Spivey, scout of Bide-A-While and The Mountain Road.” Her voice broke with emotion and as she exhaled each syllable, her breath bloomed out in short huffs, clouds of heat in the freezing air. Her mind filled with images of Spivey’s final moment, and she shook her head to clear it. Sandru lowered his head, a nod to honor the ancient tradition.

“Ah, Spivey Grey,” Yara murmured, her voice soft but stronger now, touched with a fond smile. Her fondness unfolded with her words, “That fucking stink of your damn black cigarillos… ever present,” she laughed. Her words were not harsh, but filled with a warm humor, fondly recalling their scout’s idiosyncrasies. Yara’s breath hitched as her mind relived vivid memories – the rank smell of the cigarillos blooming in quiet moments, the wisps of smoke trailing from Spivey’s lips as she listened with a half-smile to the tales spun around the campfire, the stinging fragrance of burnt tobacco lingering on her clothes even after they had parted ways.

Yara continued, the corner of her lips curling in a weak smile before turning into a grimace of pain. But her voice did not falter as she continued, “A relentless assault, that smoky stink. A torment in every drawn breath if Spivey were near.”

A moment passed, the memory of Spivey and her scent hanging heavy in the air – an invisible thread connecting them to their fallen comrade. Yara’s eyes, filled with a distant melancholy, looked past Sandru and into the starlit sky overhead. As if whispering to the stars, she completed the ritual, “This warrior is moving on. Do better in the next life, Spivey Grey.”

Hidden Meanings

The tradition serves several specific purposes for the survivors:

• Grief Processing: The extreme formality used while discussing mundane, everyday habits helps the unit process loss.
• Celebration of Humanity: It transforms private irritations into celebrated memories, acknowledging that even the most disciplined warriors are fundamentally human.
• Emotional Release: It allows for emotional release while strictly maintaining the required military bearing of the Bloodguard.