FWIW, back when I was writing initiation ceremonies
for both genders (same myths, but RQ rules), I had
three parts to it for each gender.
I used the Second Son / IFWW as common to both.
"The initiation of Orlanth" was male-only, with any of
the tests being an option, not just the Strangers Pit.
A female-only quest, roughly as suggested here, had
various choices that showed which of the Earth
goddesses the questor was drawn to.
And as the third part, there was the bloodline
initiation - meet your ancestors time.
RQ startup initiates were supposed to get 3 spirit magic spells - they got one from each quest. Yes, I know, making the world reflect the rules, not vice-versa. But three tests also seems to me to be good story balance.
Possibly having more than one part to the initiation quests would work here, as well? Three quests, not one, at different "widths" - Orlanthi, Heortling, bloodline.
> You can set up a contrast between the men's and
> women's rites here.
>
> The boys have spent their lives being supported and
> helped by their
> kin, but must now venture _alone_ ..
> Girls, meanwhile, have been encouraged throughout
> childhood to be independent. ...
That strikes me as a very nice idea.
> Incidentally, as a side issue, do people think that
> there will be as
> many men who follow Nandan as women who follow
> Vinga? And if not, why not?
I suspect it will, like most things, vary widely between clans and with time.
There also seems to me to be a distinction to be made between those who follow Vinga because they want to be Vingans (stereotypical woman warrior), and go for specifically Vingan sub-cults, and those who use Vinga as the gateway to Orlanth sub-cults. (Which can also be warrior-type, of course).
Nandan doesn't seem to have been explored as fully. I only know him as the gateway to Ernaldan subcults, for men. He doesn't seem to have much individuality in his own right, yet. Which doesn't mean it isn't there, of course, just that we haven't yet found out about it.
Jane Williams
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