Trials of the Pack
History
Most origins of the trials are unknown and many appear to have originated organically from many different sects of Ferventi's cult independently of one another, functioning as a way to test its members before they settle into life-long or career spanning roles among their peers. The trials only appeared across all sects of the pack in 6,385, after Ferventi himself enforced that career members of the pack should be tested prior to officially receiving their status. This tradition however, was present among many individual sects prior to this point.
Execution
Although there is no hard rule on when a member of the pack can undergo their trials, it is widely accepted that members of the pack, whether they were born into it or joined later in life, must have already spent a number of years acting as an apprentice to someone who had already completed the trials themselves. Usually, the role as mentor to these apprentices falls upon the most senior members of the individual sects, who often have decades of experience themselves, and oftentimes overseeing the trials of their apprentices is considered a requirement itself in being considered a master or senior of their field.
The early trials for hunters are mostly relegated to those without prior experience, or children of hunters. Adults with prior hunting experience almost always skip these, as they are quite basic lessons and tests in tracking, identification, and trapping quite small game.
Advanced Trials
The advanced trials of a hunter begin once they have mastered skills in tracking and have begun hunting on their own. While initial solo hunts are almost always supervised by senior members of the pack and restricted to small to medium game such as deer, as an apprentice hunter's confidence and skill grows they may begin to join other members of the pack on harder hunts for animals such as bison, moose, griffons, small dragons, or bears.
A trial that is often considered the 'midpoint' of a hunter's trials overall is their first time leading a big game hunt. Generally, this follows multiple other hunts with senior members of the pack to determine if the apprentice is ready, and should they be deemed such, they will be tasked with leading other apprentices on a hunt. A senior hunter, navigator, or caretaker will oftentimes shadow the hunting party while using the Boon of Ferventi- Wolfshape, however, are encouraged to not intervene, offer advice, or assistance unless the apprentice or other members of the group are in immediate danger. This trial is less about overall success in killing a large animal, but instead the hunter's own conduct and care of those under their wing; they are evaluated on if they are properly teaching themselves, safety, and competence. Even if successful in bringing down large game, a hunter can still fail this trial for being overzealous, cruel, or using underhanded methods such as claiming others' kills or trying to cheat. Oftentimes, this trial coincides with the trials of apprentice caretakers to test their own abilities in dealing with injuries, much like those of warriors.
Final Trail The final trials for hunters is the longest, most dangerous, and most likely to fail. The apprentice hunter will be given access to the Wolfshape boon themselves, and once able to freely use it, will be tasked with hunting enough game solely with the boon in order to provide a feast for their entire sect of the pack (Particularly large sects may deem that enough food for 20-30 people is more than sufficient). The apprentice must kill and bring their quarries back entirely by themselves while using the boon- tools, outside assistance, and transportation is not allowed, and their kills must be butchered and prepared by them as well in order for it to count. While not a rule, most hunters in areas where such game is available often choose to go after larger animals- bison, bear, moose, griffons, and in very rare cases, sub-adult wool-hides are generally seen as favorable, heavily reducing the amount of animals that must be killed due to their very high yields of usable meat. Risk of injury, failure, or giving up is extremely high, and the vast majority of hunters do not pass this trial the first time. Some sects may replace this trial with one to instead create the Stew of the Everlong Hunt, if there is not enough game or are higher than usual hunting restrictions in their region.
Early Trials
Most often, the earliest parts of their trials consist of memorization of poisonous or toxic plants and mushrooms from similar looking safe-to-gather species by sight, smell, and texture. Oftentimes this test coincides with tests on the local laws surrounding foraging and gathering in the wild. These skills are practiced, applied, and retested over a course of months, generally from late spring to early winter, in order to have the widest array of flora available to test apprentices on.
Advanced Trials
The advanced trials for woodsmen are most often their final trials. Aspiring woodsmen will be retested on their knowledge, often using the plants and mushrooms they themselves gathered in their early trials, and they will be tasked with gathering all items they were tested on from the wilds of their pack's home region over a period of days or weeks. Where foraging licenses are required, the aspiring woodsman will often be required to pass whatever is required to obtain one as well.
All caretakers initially begin as apprentices to more senior members of the group, almost always starting as apprentices to other roles such as hunters or woodsmen. Rarely do they start as apprentices to pack leaders, and doing so is generally discouraged. In some sects, a caretaker may apprentice may begin their role outright under a senior caretaker, such as within the Montana Mountains Pack.
Early Trials
In the early stages of their role, apprentice caretakers oftentimes are given a wide berth of duties and have not specialized. Their duties will oftentimes require looking after the pack's children, animals, and minor duties in supplying medications and basic first aid. A very common trial for early apprentices is to temporarily take over the duties of a senior caretaker for a period of time, oftentimes when their mentor has left on a supply run or a hunt, while being supervised by other members of the group. This may be another apprentice who is in the later stages of their trials, a leader, or medical personnel depending on the group's needs and location.
For those who have already begun to specialize, or sects that allow apprentices to choose their path directly, medical centered caretakers are commonly tested on their knowledge at random points alongside more traditional schooling and training. When senior members of the pack as well as their mentors agree that an apprentice is ready, they may be presented with test scenarios without warning or notice. A key early trial is recognition when a person or animal's treatment is beyond their scope of care and requires outside assistance, be it from other members of the pack or professional care at a medical facility. Oftentimes this is done by taking an apprentice and asking them to diagnose a complex condition, or their advise in treating a serious injury, be it a real scenario or a hypothetical. The apprentice is asked what their course of action is as though they are leading that person's treatment, with the expectation of realizing it is beyond their capability and asking for assistance . Only caretakers that can pass this trial are permitted to advance and begin treating serious ailments and injuries where threat of death is a strong possibility- failure to pass this trial requires that apprentices are closely monitored by their mentors, and kept to a first aid role.
For caretakers specializing in childcare, an early trial is oftentimes to supervise their sect's children alone for a period of time without outside assistance. Most often, this will coincide with large gatherings, holidays, or feasts where multiple sects may come together. This will include getting children up for the day, meals prepared, taking over schooling during this period, and leading a trip for a designated time frame. Children of the pack are encouraged to make this endeavor as stressful and chaotic as possible to test their caretaker's patience, oftentimes being given sweets high in sugar to encourage high energy as well as participation.
At this stage, caretakers who are specializing in animal care generally are not given their own trials or are still heavily overlapped with other caretaking duties.
Advanced Trials
If not already specialized, caretakers will begin to do so at this stage in their apprenticeship. For sects without distinct specializations for their caretakers, they will often undergo the individual trials of more specialized roles. These trials generally do not have outlined dates and are done as they come or as needed, and can occur in any order.
Healthcare and childcare caretakers both share a trial in assisting with midwifery, in most sects requiring formal training from a specially trained midwife or healthcare worker alongside proper certification if required by local law. This trial almost always culminates in successfully aiding in a member of the pack giving birth. For births that have complications beyond their scope, the apprentice is required to recognize such as with previous trials, and will be barred from participation if they fail to do so. This trial is oftentimes considered retroactive for members who have prior experience in healthcare or have otherwise performed a major healthcare procedure.
A similar trial is in place for those moving into animal care, requiring that the apprentice assist in the birth of one of the pack's horses or a litter of war wolves. This trial does not end at a successful birth, however, and requires the apprentice become the primary caretaker of the animals born and raise them until they can be ridden. This will almost always include being the animals' primary trainer, and can be failed if at any point the caretaker causes deliberate harm to the animal.
Similar to an early trial for caretakers specializing in childcare, an apprentice must supervise an extended trip for their sect's children. While this trial is rarely permitted to be done alone, the caretaker will be put in the primary position of care and supervision, requiring their planning, acquisition of supplies, and choice of navigator. Oftentimes this will coincide with a navigator's own trials, and in such cases an additional member of the pack with navigation experience will be added to the group. Most trips are to designated rendezvous points where the caretaker and their chosen group (as well as supervisor) will split from the rest of the group to reunite later. During this time, they are responsible for the daily care of all children in the group with little outside assistance.
A common trial regardless of specialization is to host a feast during one of the pack's many festival gatherings, almost always hosting another sect within their territory. The caretaker must acquire all proper food and drink for the feast, be it themselves or from other members of the pack, and temporarily will take over leadership duties to organize other members of their group, location, and preparations. This often coincides with the trials of hunters to prepare the feast- if no hunters are available for cooking duties, they are placed upon the caretaker themselves.
Saving the life of another member of the pack is considered a trial in of itself, be they person or animal. Although not a requirement, it is often viewed as the most surefire way to guarantee one's ascension into a full time caretaker and earning their shawl. It is noted that the caretaker cannot cause the situation in which someone needs saving from.
Hunter's Trials
Early TrialsThe early trials for hunters are mostly relegated to those without prior experience, or children of hunters. Adults with prior hunting experience almost always skip these, as they are quite basic lessons and tests in tracking, identification, and trapping quite small game.
Advanced Trials
The advanced trials of a hunter begin once they have mastered skills in tracking and have begun hunting on their own. While initial solo hunts are almost always supervised by senior members of the pack and restricted to small to medium game such as deer, as an apprentice hunter's confidence and skill grows they may begin to join other members of the pack on harder hunts for animals such as bison, moose, griffons, small dragons, or bears.
A trial that is often considered the 'midpoint' of a hunter's trials overall is their first time leading a big game hunt. Generally, this follows multiple other hunts with senior members of the pack to determine if the apprentice is ready, and should they be deemed such, they will be tasked with leading other apprentices on a hunt. A senior hunter, navigator, or caretaker will oftentimes shadow the hunting party while using the Boon of Ferventi- Wolfshape, however, are encouraged to not intervene, offer advice, or assistance unless the apprentice or other members of the group are in immediate danger. This trial is less about overall success in killing a large animal, but instead the hunter's own conduct and care of those under their wing; they are evaluated on if they are properly teaching themselves, safety, and competence. Even if successful in bringing down large game, a hunter can still fail this trial for being overzealous, cruel, or using underhanded methods such as claiming others' kills or trying to cheat. Oftentimes, this trial coincides with the trials of apprentice caretakers to test their own abilities in dealing with injuries, much like those of warriors.
Final Trail The final trials for hunters is the longest, most dangerous, and most likely to fail. The apprentice hunter will be given access to the Wolfshape boon themselves, and once able to freely use it, will be tasked with hunting enough game solely with the boon in order to provide a feast for their entire sect of the pack (Particularly large sects may deem that enough food for 20-30 people is more than sufficient). The apprentice must kill and bring their quarries back entirely by themselves while using the boon- tools, outside assistance, and transportation is not allowed, and their kills must be butchered and prepared by them as well in order for it to count. While not a rule, most hunters in areas where such game is available often choose to go after larger animals- bison, bear, moose, griffons, and in very rare cases, sub-adult wool-hides are generally seen as favorable, heavily reducing the amount of animals that must be killed due to their very high yields of usable meat. Risk of injury, failure, or giving up is extremely high, and the vast majority of hunters do not pass this trial the first time. Some sects may replace this trial with one to instead create the Stew of the Everlong Hunt, if there is not enough game or are higher than usual hunting restrictions in their region.
Woodsman's Trials
Perhaps the most relaxed trials of any member of the pack, Woodsman's Trials are primarily focused on the knowledge one has acquired over the course of their apprenticeship as well as its application, rather than primarily being a physical challenge to their skills such as the trials for hunters, warriors, or navigators. Although it heavily varies depending on region and local sect of the pack at large, woodsmen are tested on their knowledge of fauna, flora, and their home region's geography as well as their understanding of foraging and gathering.Early Trials
Most often, the earliest parts of their trials consist of memorization of poisonous or toxic plants and mushrooms from similar looking safe-to-gather species by sight, smell, and texture. Oftentimes this test coincides with tests on the local laws surrounding foraging and gathering in the wild. These skills are practiced, applied, and retested over a course of months, generally from late spring to early winter, in order to have the widest array of flora available to test apprentices on.
Advanced Trials
The advanced trials for woodsmen are most often their final trials. Aspiring woodsmen will be retested on their knowledge, often using the plants and mushrooms they themselves gathered in their early trials, and they will be tasked with gathering all items they were tested on from the wilds of their pack's home region over a period of days or weeks. Where foraging licenses are required, the aspiring woodsman will often be required to pass whatever is required to obtain one as well.
Caretaker's Trials
Caretakers among the pack have a variety of trials, mainly dependent on their specific role. Depending on their sect's size, they may have split caretaker duties into different duties that are mutually exclusive with one another with little to no overlap, though some sects do not do this depending on their size and individual needs. Most often, splits in duty are almost always between those who provide healthcare to the pack's members, those caring for animals, and those whose duties revolve around the group's children and their schooling.All caretakers initially begin as apprentices to more senior members of the group, almost always starting as apprentices to other roles such as hunters or woodsmen. Rarely do they start as apprentices to pack leaders, and doing so is generally discouraged. In some sects, a caretaker may apprentice may begin their role outright under a senior caretaker, such as within the Montana Mountains Pack.
Early Trials
In the early stages of their role, apprentice caretakers oftentimes are given a wide berth of duties and have not specialized. Their duties will oftentimes require looking after the pack's children, animals, and minor duties in supplying medications and basic first aid. A very common trial for early apprentices is to temporarily take over the duties of a senior caretaker for a period of time, oftentimes when their mentor has left on a supply run or a hunt, while being supervised by other members of the group. This may be another apprentice who is in the later stages of their trials, a leader, or medical personnel depending on the group's needs and location.
For those who have already begun to specialize, or sects that allow apprentices to choose their path directly, medical centered caretakers are commonly tested on their knowledge at random points alongside more traditional schooling and training. When senior members of the pack as well as their mentors agree that an apprentice is ready, they may be presented with test scenarios without warning or notice. A key early trial is recognition when a person or animal's treatment is beyond their scope of care and requires outside assistance, be it from other members of the pack or professional care at a medical facility. Oftentimes this is done by taking an apprentice and asking them to diagnose a complex condition, or their advise in treating a serious injury, be it a real scenario or a hypothetical. The apprentice is asked what their course of action is as though they are leading that person's treatment, with the expectation of realizing it is beyond their capability and asking for assistance . Only caretakers that can pass this trial are permitted to advance and begin treating serious ailments and injuries where threat of death is a strong possibility- failure to pass this trial requires that apprentices are closely monitored by their mentors, and kept to a first aid role.
For caretakers specializing in childcare, an early trial is oftentimes to supervise their sect's children alone for a period of time without outside assistance. Most often, this will coincide with large gatherings, holidays, or feasts where multiple sects may come together. This will include getting children up for the day, meals prepared, taking over schooling during this period, and leading a trip for a designated time frame. Children of the pack are encouraged to make this endeavor as stressful and chaotic as possible to test their caretaker's patience, oftentimes being given sweets high in sugar to encourage high energy as well as participation.
At this stage, caretakers who are specializing in animal care generally are not given their own trials or are still heavily overlapped with other caretaking duties.
Advanced Trials
If not already specialized, caretakers will begin to do so at this stage in their apprenticeship. For sects without distinct specializations for their caretakers, they will often undergo the individual trials of more specialized roles. These trials generally do not have outlined dates and are done as they come or as needed, and can occur in any order.
Healthcare and childcare caretakers both share a trial in assisting with midwifery, in most sects requiring formal training from a specially trained midwife or healthcare worker alongside proper certification if required by local law. This trial almost always culminates in successfully aiding in a member of the pack giving birth. For births that have complications beyond their scope, the apprentice is required to recognize such as with previous trials, and will be barred from participation if they fail to do so. This trial is oftentimes considered retroactive for members who have prior experience in healthcare or have otherwise performed a major healthcare procedure.
A similar trial is in place for those moving into animal care, requiring that the apprentice assist in the birth of one of the pack's horses or a litter of war wolves. This trial does not end at a successful birth, however, and requires the apprentice become the primary caretaker of the animals born and raise them until they can be ridden. This will almost always include being the animals' primary trainer, and can be failed if at any point the caretaker causes deliberate harm to the animal.
Similar to an early trial for caretakers specializing in childcare, an apprentice must supervise an extended trip for their sect's children. While this trial is rarely permitted to be done alone, the caretaker will be put in the primary position of care and supervision, requiring their planning, acquisition of supplies, and choice of navigator. Oftentimes this will coincide with a navigator's own trials, and in such cases an additional member of the pack with navigation experience will be added to the group. Most trips are to designated rendezvous points where the caretaker and their chosen group (as well as supervisor) will split from the rest of the group to reunite later. During this time, they are responsible for the daily care of all children in the group with little outside assistance.
A common trial regardless of specialization is to host a feast during one of the pack's many festival gatherings, almost always hosting another sect within their territory. The caretaker must acquire all proper food and drink for the feast, be it themselves or from other members of the pack, and temporarily will take over leadership duties to organize other members of their group, location, and preparations. This often coincides with the trials of hunters to prepare the feast- if no hunters are available for cooking duties, they are placed upon the caretaker themselves.
Saving the life of another member of the pack is considered a trial in of itself, be they person or animal. Although not a requirement, it is often viewed as the most surefire way to guarantee one's ascension into a full time caretaker and earning their shawl. It is noted that the caretaker cannot cause the situation in which someone needs saving from.
Warrior's Trials
Navigator's Trials
Leader's Trials
Related Organizations
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