The Tale of Felicity

The Tale of Felicity's Song

This flower is "Felicity's Song". It was named after an elven maiden who was so very shy, she could never bring herself to speak of her love for Falon, an elven warrior. Legend tells that early one Spring, Felicity learned that Falon would soon be departing with a company of men to defend their northern border from a group of terrible War Trolls. Felicity ran deep into the Elfstone Forest and hid, so that no one could see her misery. There, in a small secret valley, she could sing of her love in private.

It is said that Felicity's song was so beautiful that the tall, stately willow trees lining the valley bowed their limbs and wept as she passed them singing. They remain so to this very day. The spring breeze itself, which swept through the valley paused in rapture and was caught up in the lovely melody, carrying it on along the hillside until it echoed. Back and forth Felicity's song rang, spun and focused in a swirling vortex by the natural magic of the living forest.

In the center of this vortex grew a small pink flower. When it was struck by the loving enchantment, it burst into full and never-ending bloom. At that very moment, Felicity fell to the ground, her body a lifeless husk. The flower glowed with a soft radiance.

Felicity resurrected in her people's earth circle with full memory of the magic that she had wrought. She returned to the secret valley and plucked the flower, and returned to place it on Falon's breast as he readied his horse for departure. He was bemused by such a gift from a beautiful stranger. He reached up to remove the bloom from the breast of his mail, but paused, noting a warmth and gentle magic to its touch. Letting it be, he rode off to battle, and soon forgot the incident as he ad his fellows engaged the vicious army of trolls.

The battle was fierce, but Falon fared well until a chance blow from a fleeing troll knocked him from his steed with a flash that told him that his magic armor had saved him from harm. The huge troll turned and hewed Falon with his war ax as the elf struggled to his feet. In moments his mail was in tatters. As he rose, Falon struck the troll with his sword repeatedly with little effect. His face contorted in a grimace of hate, the troll stooped to the ground and flung a boulder at Falon's chest, crushing the life from him. Falon lost consciousness and began to bleed to death.

The seconds ticked by, and Falon, hidden from his compatriots by the bulk of the great boulder, passed the point where first aid rescue him. Minutes passed and still no help came as the battle moved away in to the surrounding forest. At the final moment, with no kindly healer to come bearing a life spell, a strange thing happened. As Falon's life hung in the balance, the flower on his breast began to wilt. Its small petals curled up one by one. Brown color seeped into each rosy pink petal.

As each second passed, Falon regained his color. Warmth returned to his body and he began to breathe again. His wounds disappeared and he opened his eyes. A lovely song echoed through his head as he looked down to see the limp, withered flower slide out of his tattered mail and fall to the ground. He reached down to touch it, and in wonder, realized that it had dropped a handful of seeds.

Little more is known, save that Falon sought out Felicity, who had given a life to save his own, and eventually they were wed. This rare and beautiful flower is named Felicity's song, being descended from the seeds of the original. It retains the essence of her love song, which flowed from a pure and gentle heart. It will restore life to its wearer, and in so doing gives up its own life. The seeds it drops will not grow in cultivated captivity. Thus it is the wish of all who make a gift of this flower, that when it dies, the seeds are scattered by the winds and given into the care of Tyrra itself.