>4. One could argue that becoming an initiate really shouldn't be a
>contest -- most Heortlings become initiates at adulthood, and while
>the process is arduous, it doesn't seem like failure is common.
Or do we just not hear about the failures? They are heroquests so there ought to be a significant chance of not returning in one piece mentally and/or physically.
I'd suggest the failures fall into the following catagories:
People who aren't ready or try and initiate to the wrong god. They generally fail without significant damage but get an odd quirk and try again.
People who fail badly enough that they die or end up lost on the hero plane.
People who fail and are physically or mentally disabled as a result. They can never become adults and remain children all their lives doing whatever tasks the clan can find for them.
Whether it should be a contest or not really depends on the story. In most stories it is a distraction and a potentially derailing one.
-- Donald Oddy http://www.grove.demon.co.uk/
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