The Unification Ceremony

### Description

* A mystical marriage between two alphas werewolves that allows new powers to be shared among the pack.

The Mystical Unification Ceremony is a werewolf ritual performed by a shaman or elder on two Alphas of different packs to join them and their unique powers as one.

As werewolf packs possessed different strengths, the packs would marry their Alphas through the Unification Ceremony and make their combined packs stronger as a result.

## The Ceremony Phases

### First Step: The Trials

The two betrothed share of trials. The first of all is that of fasting, followed by major trials of purification that end with the exchange of all the secrets with one another after smoking blue calamus root.

### Second Step: The Wedding

The actual rite is to be celebrated by a elder of the werewolves (such as the "old-school Crescent wolf", Mary Dumas). The newlyweds have their hands tied similar to the pagan ceremony of Handfasting, with a ribbon and flowers. The two then hold up a white candle while saying their wedding vows and then lit a candle placed on the altar, thus activating the power-sharing with the rest of the pack.

### Additional Step: Submission to the dominant Alpha

Alphas may decide to give up their status as alpha recognizing the future groom to be eligible for shared powers in the ceremony. This requires that the abdicating alphas do a blood vow.

This part of the ceremony is called the *Anointing of the Alphas.*

## Throughout The Originals

In *The Brothers That Care Forgot,* the history of the alliances between werewolf packs, due to them possessing different strengths, is explained by Jackson. This Ceremony would make the Moonlight Rings irrelevant since Lorelei, being a tribrid, can control the transformation during the full moon and would share this skill with the rest of the pack if she will take part in the Ceremony.

In *Brotherhood of the Damned*, it's said that the two betrothed must undergo tests and trials consisting in purification and challenges to prove their mutual respect and trust, then they must conduct the Ceremony of Divulgement that consist in smoking Blue Calamus root and prove each other all their secrets. According to Jackson's grandmother, Mary, the exchange of the truth is as important as the wedding itself.

In *The Devil is Damned,* Jackson reveals to Lorelei that the werewolves outside the Louisiana area are coming to the Bayou to give up their state of alphas, submitting to Jackson recognizing him as alpha in order to become part of the pack and participate in the powers sharing of the Ceremony. To sign this submission, the former alphas sign a treaty and Mary, as a Crescent wolf elder, officiates a ceremony in which the various wolves mix in a bowl their homeland (for a wolf nothing is sacred as the territory) and their blood. The mixture is then applied to the base of the treaty of alliance.

In *I Love You, Goodbye*, Lorelei and Jackson's marriage is finally celebrated by Mary at The Abattoir, sharing the Lorelei's tribrid powers with the wolves present and subject to Jackson's alpha state.

## Trivia

* The ceremony must be arranged by an elder. This resembles the New Orleans witches' ceremonies arranged by Elders.
* The Unification Ritual transforms the hearts of both alphas making them identical. Thus, allowing them to "share one heart". As such, Jackson Kenner has the heart of an unsired tribrid from Lorelei.
* The ritual is similar to the arranged wedding to unite two warring covens of witches. As a result of that union, a witch known as the Hollow would eventually curse members of her coven with the Werewolf Curse.