Err, wasn't the initiation being delayed becase of Bad Things happening during intiations, so some of the "young boys" were in their 20s? (Or was that some other story I read?)
> *yesterday*: they get to see the universe from creation on, meet the gods,
> act like gods, fight in the greatest battle of all, and when they come
back
> they can own cattle, choose their deity, learn new magics, join the fyrd,
> raid, boast and make songs, be listened to in the moot and legitimately
> have sex. Initiation may even promote or 'initiate' secondary sexual
> development like beard growth. That's quiet a package - after all that
> you'd want a nice hot cup of tea. :)
Or a cigarette...
> The adults know how much preparation counts for any heroquest, how
precious
> adolescence is, and how dangerous initiation can be - they will also have
> experiences of agemates lost or driven insane by the rites. They also know
> about learning from mistakes; something that in my experience every young
> Orlanthi male seems to be genetically impervious too, perhaps due to the
> innate thickness of a Heortling skull. :)
Nah, that's *all* males, everywhere.
RR
It is by my order and for the good of the state that the bearer of this has
done what he has done.
- Richelieu
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