The Necrarbor of Spirit features scents of earthy, musky notes, and traditional Fall seasonal scents.

The Necrarbor of Spirit is currently led by Elder Harbinger Thistle Blackbark. She and her Secret-Keepers are responsible for Death Rite administration and act as both the gatekeepers to the Ancient Cypress as well as the custodians of the vast sepulcher beneath. They carry staves of Cypress and their robes are the deepest shade of black. The colors associated with the Necrarbor are black and grey.

When a bunny dies, the entire warren pauses to celebrate that life. They are laid on the large stone altar at the center of the village. Unthinkable amounts of plants and flowers are heaped around the deceased and the 5 Acolytes spread out equally around the altar, facing outwards. The day is used by friends and family to visit and say their goodbyes. 

 The Elder Harbinger begins the Garden Rites at dusk. She reads the story of the Ancient Cypress Tree aloud and then family and friends are invited to speak. After the Garden Rites have been performed, the deceased is carried by the Secret-Keepers down into the sepulcher on an ornate stretcher made from Cypress and silk cloth.  

The sepulcher beneath the Ancient Cypress is miles vast and organized by family. A large metal death pendant is fashioned by the Secret-Keepers and placed around the neck of the deceased. 

“From the rotting trunk of the dead Cypress tree crawled a small, thin rabbit as black as a moonless night. Her name was Harbinger Lily Nightshade, Secret-Keeper of Death. She was both cruel and compassionate, a thief and a benefactor. Unpredictable and expected. She did not speak.”

As Lily did not speak, she was entrusted to keep the secrets of the dead. She dug far beneath the Cypress until she finally reached the Spirit Portal. Only Lily was able to safely cross and return from this portal. When Lily did emerge, she carried with her the procedures of Garden Rite Administration and the secrets of the Sky Garden. She also carried out a small, rust-colored frog that knew the path to and from the Spirit Portal and could carry messages across.

Because of Lily’s accord with Death, she was awarded the season of Fall. In an act of compassion for those she leaves behind, she created the Annual Necrabor Letter Writing Campaign and scheduled it on October 30th. This holiday allows the living to write a letter to a deceased loved one. At midnight, Lily delivered these letters across the Spirit Portal.

Date: October 30th
Sacred Order: Necrarbor of Spirit

Once a year, on October 30th, bunnies may write a sealed letter to a deceased loved one. These letters are placed in a large black basket that is set out at the entrance to the Ancient Cypress. At midnight, the Secret-Keepers bring the letters down into the sepulcher and organize them by underground wing. When they are sorted, Secret-Keepers begin to deliver the letters to the appropriate destinations. 

Each Secret-Keeper carries a letter bag, a lantern, and a small rust-colored frog secured in a wicker cage. The letters are opened in front of their recipient, read aloud, and placed face-down on the chest of the deceased. This continues until all letters have been thus delivered. 

Lastly, the Secret-Keepers descend to the lowest level of the sepulcher, speak an incantation of guidance and release their tiny frogs into the deepest cavern path, where they will cross through the spirit portal and deliver the messages within the letters to their recipients.