The Proposal for First Realm Initiation
True Cultivation is the birthright of all Norsemen, but denied through the machinations of the great Foe. To overcome such a nemesis, one must take the reins of education and Sacrifice from his hands, and forge it into Tradition strong enough to ward off their vengeful gaze. Because this is also a Cultivation Story, this means we can mix it all up as the Shit You Need To Do in order to enter the Sect, which doesn't exist yet but very well might in a few generations, if we play our cards right. To win, we must keep the themes of genre and culture in mind, and create a kickin' rad tradition that leaves no handle for The Enemy to grasp.
The Trial of Contest:
All Norse must have the strength to defend their homes, be it from Troll, Beast, or Foe. Strengthen the Body, Sharpen the Mind, and Enrich the Spirit--when the time comes, one must march out into the world and overcome a Worthy Opponent in fair, honorable contest. Only once one has shown the ability to defend the Home can one be called a proper Adult
TL;DR: The Trial of Contest is how we gate the minimum Orthstirr needed to make much progress in Odr Cultivation in the first place. You will note that it's ambiguous about what form that Contest takes, only that it be fair and honorable against a Worthy Opponent (So that you don't pick a fight with a Troll Man or a random Christian peasant and call yourself a badass). This is equally satisfied by killing a Troll as it is seeking out a renowned gamesmaster and defeating them in a public match. The point is getting out in the world and having your Name be heard, which generates the Orthstirr you need to get much use out of this. It doesn't need to be to the Death either, just that you challenged a worthy opponent in your field and came out on top.
The Trial of Learning:
All Norse are Cultivators, this is a truth that all hear, but not all understand. One must familiarize themselves with the arts of the homestead, the crafts of the household, and know how they all come together in the carving of Civilization from the Wilds. To this end, one must study the Blackhand Codex, and glean from it the secrets held within. Only one who can derive enlightenment from even the simplest of tasks can earn the right to compose their own Saga.
TL;DR: This is the purpose of BOOK, to effectively hide the steps of Cultivation into a book filled with wisdom on farming, the maintenance of a household, and the proper role that Norse Folk should take to live a good life. Only someone who can Read Underneath the Underneath has much of a chance of getting very far.
The Trial of Courage:
All Norse must have the courage to face death, for it walks hand in hand with us at all times. When one has shown themselves to be a defender of their home, and mastered all of the steps to make it thrive--one must be willing to bet their life to take the First Step to our birthright. To risk everything they have earned for the mere possibility of greater power. For to seek to awaken and take their First Step is to court death, and one who is not willing to offer their life as collateral to the Nornir will go no further.
TL;DR: The actual Initiation, which as we know, is doing something
incredibly fucking dumb by common knowledge--but if you understand enough, and have learned well the secrets of the prior step, then you can survive the Initial Opening, and become initiated as a Saga Establishment Cultivator. This is basically just formalizing what we already knows happens when you Open the Gate.
All things considered, I think this is a fairly good format of what we need to set up a Formal Cultivation Initiation System. It's not mandatory and you can step off at any point and still benefit from going through the steps, but you can't take that final step unless you're willing to bet your life for even the possibility of greater potential. Which is true, because even if you succeed, you're now part of the Shadow War by definition.
What do you all think of this as a framework?
