Re: Initiation - Contests and Failure

From: ttrotsky2 <TTrotsky_at_QTi9ZlS0l94yedUEdBHWcIIkdSs7DnC9V7rOKhhgEoHy37K8UJxp8eYa0IG0App3C61>
Date: Mon, 04 May 2009 20:06:32 -0000

>
> In message <p06240825c6238ba4f287_at_[10.40.22.202]> David Dunham writes:
>
> >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.

Depends what you mean by "significant", I suppose. Presumably, the chance of failure is not zero, but I really wouldn't expect it to be very high - maybe less than 5%. Otherwise, you'd expect that we really would have heard more about it, if only in the context of regular, non-heroic clan members. It's a life-changing event, sure - and not just in its social consequences - but, at least IMG, I wouldn't expect it to be one with a high failure rate.

-- 
Trotsky
Gamer and Skeptic

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