Char-Un Rider Initiation

- by Wesley Quadros

Many thanks to
Jeff Kyer for
his input.

As is it practised among the Laguros Clan in the far north.

Introduction: When the children of the Char-Un reach their 13th summer, and they are deemed ready by the clan elders, they are taken by the shaman onto the spirit steppe of Kargzant the Bright Ancestor and initiated into the ways of Morgzil the Hunter, patron of the Riders. On their quest they are shown what it means to be a Rider of the Char-Un and the joy of the hunt; this is the first step into along the path of adulthood and both boy and girl take it. They explore the four parts of their lives: their values, spirituality, physical skills and mental abilities.

Benchmark: This initiation is designed for characters with most skills around 13 and with Ride and Archery around 16. This can be used as background for starting characters to give them a flavour for their traditions; run the episode as a flashback and reduce their skills to the appropriate level. Give any bonuses they receive to their starting character.

1. Cross to the Spirit World

The clan has settled into its summer pastures and the elders have selected those children they think are ready to meet Morgzil. The shaman has spoken with the spirits and selected an auspicious day and gathered the clan at Kargzant's Print, a large hoof-shaped hollow in a nearby hill. This is a holy site to your clan and its location is jealously guarded. You fast for two days while sitting in the sun in preparation for your journey.

The shaman paints your faces with red and yellow dyes while singing the calling song to the ancestors. His apprentice beats the sacred horsehide drum calling the spirits to witness the ceremony. When the shaman is finished he leads you into the spirit circle that he prepared earlier. When done properly this takes place at noon when Kargzant is directly overhead. The families and clan members, led by the lo-Pan (clan chief) continue the chanting. The il-Pan (war captain) stands as the North Guard defending the circle from enemies. Other warriors stand to the east, west and south. The north is the most dangerous point and there is almost always some danger that comes during the ceremony. The South Guard usually falls asleep for everybody knows that nothing ever comes from the south, neither friend nor foe. The shaman leads you in the sacred dance that Morgzil taught the Sun-sons during the Hard Times and you are soon covered in sweat and feeling faint from the presence of your ancestors.

The drumming starts to fade and mighty warriors appear among the crowd, the clan's ancestors come to watch you. Kargzant's light grows brighter, as the drum grows fainter, until you cannot see through the glare. When the light fades you are on Kargzant's Steppe. The drum continues to beat in your heart, very faintly. Behind you stand the shaman, his face hidden in mists, and your fathers, their souls radiant in their glory [1].

The characters have now entered the spirit world. As this initiation takes place on Kargzant's Steppe in the spirit world - a favourable place - all Char-Un gain +5 to their abilities while they are there. For ease of play assume that the shaman provides 4 points of carry-over from the initial ritual.

2. Select a Spirit Mount

You are standing on a wide plain bathed in Kargzant's light. Your spirit mount stands before you eager to stretch its legs across the steppe. Before you stands a man holding your mount. Does the man have the head of a deer, of a dog, of a hawk, of a horse, of a wolf or is it shrouded in shadows?

Each player needs to chose which man holds his mount and should describe, in detail, what their spirit mount looks like and what its name is. They should add this to their character sheet.

Now that they are mounted, the characters ride towards the horizon followed by the clan's ancestors; they are headed to Kargzant's Yurt, his camp, to join Morgzil in the Great Hunt.

3. Kargzant's Yurt

Your ride over a ridge and see spread on the plain before you Kargzant's Yurt. You can see that preparations are being made for the Great Hunt. Bands of riders are approaching from all sides and threading their way through Kargzant's herds. There are many gers, tents, in the yurt with riders gathered around them. In the centre of the yurt rises a great golden ger that radiates light like the sun it self. Twenty and four, how the Char-Un count a man [2], mighty champions stand guard around the ger. Around the golden ger are the gers of the noblest ancestors and among them stands a small tent that emits a muted glow and is warded by four warriors of fire. Outside the ancestral rings stands a tattered black ger. A dark owl sits atop the felt [3]. Which gathering do you join?

Give them +2 bonus to their abilities, depending on the tent, when they are accepted. If they don't have the ability then give it to them at 12.

4. The Hunt

Any character that manages to fell their prey on their own should get a bonus to the skill used. Also award one fetish or talent to each successful hunter. This should be a Morgzil spirit that related to some aspect of the hunt that the character did the best at.

5. The Feast

Back at the yurt the hunter's bounty is roasted and consumed. The riders gather before Morgzil's ger. They sit on their saddle blankets, illuminated by the light of ma-Tamara shining from above. The Hunter's Ger is large enough for the assemblage to gather within but none wish to on the night after the Great Hunt. The mare's bladder, or wineskin, is passed around and Morgzil's slaves dance before the assembled warriors and hunters. Those who did well during the hunt are praised, those who did poorly are ridiculed. Boasts are exchanged among the gathering, tales told and rebutted. Everybody has a great time.

6. The Return

After the feast you ride out of the camp and find the shaman waiting for you. You rejoin him in the sacred dance and hear the drumming, that never stopped, grow louder. Kargzant's light grows brighter and until everything is white, as the light fades the drum grows more distinct and your families reappear around you.

If the character was successful in three or more stations in the quest then they are now adults in the Laguros clan. They are riders and are now responsible for herding the horses and hunting for their families. They will be given their first adult composite bow, though they need to make their own arrows, and they are given a horse of their own - remarkably similar to how they described their spirit mount. Failure in the quest means that they are still children and will have to work hard over the next year to regain the favour of their parents and the elders so that they may gain initiation next year.

Any character that chose the Shadowed man in stage 2 AND the Glowing Yurt in stage 3 has a fetch that can be awakened. The shaman will probably, unofficially, adopt them and will train them as his apprentice. When he deems them ready their fetch will be awakened and the character will become a shaman. If the character is not currently a shaman do not tell them this. Any character that chose the Shadowed man OR the Glowing Yurt may have a fetch, or may gain a special affinity with the spirit world that may lead to the future gaining of a spirit ally.

Notes:

Any Critical Roll: If the players roll a critical during any contest then the GM should note the skill and give the character a +1 bonus to the skill at the end of the quest.

[1] This may be the appropriate time for some flaw in their father's being to become evident, some shadow on their soul.

[2] To most people, a score, the count of a man, is 20. The Char-Un know that this is wrong. No man is complete without his horse. Therefore the count of a man is 24, 10 fingers, 10 toes, 4 hooves.

[3] The owl is a creature of the night and is thus the opposite of the hawk, Kargzant's bird. Owls represent death to the Char-Un.

[4] Morgzil's Arrow has a weapon rank of 6. Its use must be declared during bidding and may only be used once during any contest.