Initiation Model

From: PHarmaty_at_aol.com
Date: Sat, 8 Aug 1998 08:04:44 EDT


Greetings one and all !
I've been working on an initiation scenario (two actually) as introductions to my campaign. My thoughts are that an the initiation is conducted in two phases, perhaps as much as a year apart.

The first initiation is a competition between all "children" in which their skill & knowledge is displayed to the collective clan. Kindda an expansion of the initiation described in Apple Lane. My thoughts are that the tests should display the virtues of the culture. The priest says: "We all know why we are a great people. It is because our God has taught us how to be great. We honor - -.. Hospitality, Justice, Valor, yadda, yadda. Today these children will take their first step to adulthood by displaying to us these virtues" I believe this is a sound basis for a phase one initiation either into adulthood or into a cult. But how do you make these things into contests that have interest for the players? I'm modeling the Garhound contest in designing the contests (symbolizing Justice as a balancing act for example). Helpful suggestions?

The purpose of the first initiation is to move the children into the position of "not children" and also to establish the individual's position within his peer-group. since the characters are performing before the assembled clan, they gain and lose 'status' depending on how they have performed in each test and thereby establish a 'pecking order' among themselves and an initial reputation with the larger community.

Where as the first phase of the initiation is a competition, the second phase is a "heroquest" that requires cooperation to succeed. This phase should take place some time after the first phase so that the characters have experienced some time as "not children", improved skills they need to improve and generally are ready to gain full membership into the community.

This time the priest says: "You have shown us all that you know the ways of Orlanth, now is the time for you to join with your boon companions and quest for adulthood". This initiation requires the characters to travel in groups to the Otherworld and complete several tasks that require groups. The "winner" of the first phase ( the character that earned the greatest status ) is the leader of the second phase. Getting atop a large standing stone (standing 3 high on each others shoulders, for example). Here the initiates learn that no one is so great that he does not need friends. Every individual must rely on others of the community to come to his aid in times of need. A valuable lesson that the young, brash, "heros" must learn before they can be considered true adults.
Again, any good ideas for fleshing this out?

I've been toying with Pendragon pass as system for resolving these two scenarios. I think it would work pretty well, but from what I'm reading lately, perhaps Hero Wars would do an even better job. Comments?

Thanks for your time...


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