Among the Elves of Mintheris, life was not treated casually. It was not accidental nor was it mundane. For a race that was both ancient and deeply intertwined with the World Tree, reproduction was sacred. They had four rites that marked the arc of elven maturation.
Etdramira, the Gestation Ceremony, Arimardte, the Birth Rite, The First Birthday, celebrated at seven years old and The Second Birthday, celebrated at seventeen, the age of adulthood.
The latter two were recognized across Spheraphase by nearly every race. But the Elves added the first two because for them, life began long before birth.
The word Etdramira roughly translates to:
"The Dawn Before the Bloom." It is the public acknowledgment that a new soul had anchored itself to the lineage of Mintheris.
In Elven culture, pregnancy is not rare, except among Divine Origin bloodlines. High Elves and Verdarites in particular have notoriously low fertility due to their immense energy density. The more powerful a being is, the harder it becomes to create life.
Etdramira lasts three full days. The first day is the formal announcement.
The family gathers within the ancestral grounds, often in a massive open-air courtyard. Mintheris celebrated beneath the canopy of their creator. At midday, the parents—or in Celadille's case, the parents and the royal lineage—would stand before the assembled family and priests.
A Priestess of Mintherenia would place her whitewood staff against the mother's abdomen and channel a thin thread of Nature Energy to confirm the pregnancy publicly. When the Priestess declares, "A bloom stirs within the roots of Mintheris," the crowd would cheer.
The rest of the day would end up in celebration but Elven celebrations were refined.
Music filled the air and dancing followed. Unlike human celebrations that could become loud or intoxicated, Elven gatherings were vibrant yet controlled. Wine was present but drunkenness was rare. It was considered disrespectful to dull one's senses during a ceremony of life. Food was abundant. Conversations were not shallow.
The first day ended with collective gratitude toward Mintherenia.
If the first day was communal joy, the second is intimate support. This day is centered on the mother. Elves bring gifts for the mother.
Common gifts include handwoven, arrowheads engraved with family insignias (if the child were to become an archer), staves carved from ancestral trees (if the child were destined for Magecraft) and others. Even commoners contribute something. No gift was too small. Even a single enchanted flower that never wilted was considered meaningful.
The mother receives personal blessings from Priests and Priestesses of Mintherenia.
They would form a semicircle around her and chant in Old Elvish language, channeling ambient Nature Energy into her body not to alter the child, but to stabilize the gestation. For Celadille, this would be even more critical. Triplets with Divine Origin souls would definitely cause the energy fluctuation to be volatile. The blessings ensured the womb did not reject the density of Nature Energy in the world and also, the fetus would not drain the mother's life force prematurely.
At night, a more relaxed gathering occurred. This celebration was less ceremonial and more familial. It was common for siblings to joke about who the child would resemble.
The third day was the most anticipated. It was the gender confirmation. Unlike other races, Elves did not rely on biological signs.
A Priestess would perform an ancient ritual beneath a Faylover Bloom, which are flowers descended from the original blossoms used by the First High Elves to create their race. The mother would stand within a Mystic Circle. The Priestess would channel Nature Energy into the bloom. The flower would respond.
If it bloomed in silver, it was a female. If it bloomed in emerald light, it would be a male. If the child is female, it meant continuation of the bloodline authority. Elven society was matrilineal like the rest of the world.
Females possessed significantly denser energy reserves compared to males. In Spheraphase generally, females have higher raw energy output, even if males tended toward marginally higher baseline physical strength, though that varied by race.
Among Elves, female archers were terrifying.
Archery required precision, balance and immense energy control. A daughter could become a master archer, a tactician or a Priestess candidate. Males were more likely to become mages.
Magecraft among Elves focused on nature manipulation, elemental invocation and environmental amplification. While archery was permitted for males, it was considered extraordinarily difficult due to energy flow distribution. The cultural expectation leaned toward staff-based combat and magic.
By the way, it was forbidden for Elves to wield any weapon outside bows, arrows, and staves.
In Spheraphase, energy distribution differed by race. Females possessed greater energy reserves and regeneration rates. Males often had higher physical output. However, exceptions existed. Therianthrope females, for instance, surpassed males in every category. Among Elves, the disparity was pronounced in favor of females. This made a female child politically and socially significant.
------
The bedroom was quiet in a way Elyonari wasn't used to. Moonlight spilled through the tall windows. Vastarael sat on the edge of the bed, already settled in like he belonged there. Elyonari stood a few steps away. Her fingers curled lightly around the edge of her outfit.
This was the first time it was just them in a room with a bed and nobody else. Vastarael looked over his shoulder and smiled softly.
"You coming, or are you planning to glare at the floor until it apologizes?"
"You're not nervous at all, are you?"
"Should I be?"
She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks were warm.
"You..."
She finally let go of her outfit. The fabric dissolved into pale light as she dismissed it back into her inventory, leaving her standing there for a brief second before she summoned a simple white nightgown. She slipped it on and slowly walked toward the bed and climbed in beside him.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. Vastarael was the first to break the silence.
"You're worried about tomorrow."
She turned her head slightly surprised.
"How do you always do that?"
He reached out, tapping gently near her ear with one of his prosthetic fingers.
"Your ears twitch when you're going through any emotional situation, like right now, when you're anxious. It's cute."
"I am worried. A little."
"Why?"
She folded her hands over her stomach, staring up at the ceiling.
"For five years after the First Epoch Cycle ended, I did a lot of duties as High Priestess to distract myself. I've performed Etdramira ceremonies constantly. It was how I survived your death."
He didn't interrupt. He learned better from Asenane.
"It kept me busy. I smiled, blessed, prayed, guided and it hurt less when I was High Priestess instead of… just being me. But this time you're here. And suddenly it feels different. I want to do it right. I want you to see me as I am in that role. Not just as the Elyonari who clings to you whenever I feel like."
"You don't have to perform for me—"
"I know, Darling. But I want to. I want you to know that I'm not just the serene mage who stands beside you. I'm a High Priestess. I lead. I carry people's hopes. I bring children into the world in Mintherenia's name. I want you to see that."
Vastarael reached out and brushed his thumb along her cheek.
"I already see it. I'll watch anyway. I've always wondered how you perform your duties as the High Priestess."
"You're not allowed to flirt."
"Tragic."
"It's serious. I have to be serene and sacred."
"So I'll just admire you respectfully and quietly, like a good monarch."
She laughed, genuinely this time, and leaned her head against his shoulder.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For being here. Oh, and for letting me show you my world."
He rested his cheek lightly against her hair.
"Of course. You can always rely on me."