Festive Plots: Coming of Age
September 28th, 2010
Hello everyone, and welcome to another exciting Grave Plots. This week I would like to focus on the lighter side of the adventuring life, and start a new series entitled Festive Plots, which as the name might suggest focuses on festive adventure themes. This week we will be discussing coming of age ceremonies. For many cultures the coming of age rites and ceremonies serve as the defining moments in the lives of their young people. Here are a few suggestions for harnessing these themes in your own game.
Coming of Age
Since coming of age rites are typically conducted when a young person is ready to enter adulthood, this adventure hook is best used near the beginning of a campaign, just as the PCs are starting to begin their adventuring careers in earnest. If you want to use a coming of age-type hook in an existing game, fear not – the PCs can still get involved in coming of age ceremonies not their own. You can go about this either by arranging for them to aid in the ceremony of another (a beloved [or estranged] child of one of the PCs or their allies works best), or by having them accidently interfere with someone’s ceremony, then helping that person complete the ceremony in some way in order to avoid an incident.
However you decide to use this hook, the actual adventure should break down in the following fashion: Preparation, Opening Ceremony, Trials, Concluding Ceremony, and Celebration.
Preparation
Often, the most important step of a successful coming of age ceremony is the preparation before the event itself. This step might include such things as acquiring sponsorship, collecting ritual objects, memorizing lines to say during the ritual, practicing with weapons or spells, completing a project, or otherwise proving the right to come of age. Additionally, there are more ordinary, administrative preparations to be completed: ensuring food orders make it to the festival in time, making sure that the ritual sites are all properly maintained, and all the other arrangements that come with organizing an important function. The PCs can be involved in many ways during the preparation stage as they get ready to undergo a possibly (though not necessarily) dangerous series of trials, perhaps performing odd jobs to make sure the whole thing goes off without a hitch, all before the opening ceremony.
Opening Ceremony
Your opening ceremony sets the stage for what the rest of the adventure should look like. A person of authority (at least relative to those about to come of age) should conduct this part. He or she should say a few ritual phrases and lay out what those about to come of age are going to actually be doing. Perhaps include a flavor element like a traditional feast here. The PCs may have to perform ritual elements at this point (saying the right thing at the right time, rising and sitting, etc), but probably won’t be involved in doing much else. Afterwards, those about to come of age should be given a chance to say goodbye to their loved ones before moving on to the trials.
The Trials
This is the most important part of the entire coming of age ceremony, where the young prove their worthiness to enter adulthood. This stage of the adventure could consist of anything from the initiates making a public and explicit series of vows and speeches to speak of their worth to the community, or it might instead mean venturing into the jungle to kill a mighty beast, or delving into the depths of an ancient and monster-infested ruin in order to bring back the golden totem to the village chief. If you want something to go wrong, this is the time to do it. For instance, the PCs might awaken the powerful demon in the ruins who then vows destruction on the world, starting with their home town (which he promptly blasts to bits before flying off); or while out hunting beasts they could stumble upon a wounded elven princess who needs their help. Whatever happens, the PCs must be successful in their trials before moving on to the concluding ceremony.
Concluding Ceremony
After the trials are complete, the initiates have earned the right to enter the world of adulthood and the concluding ceremony is where they get to collect their due. A person of authority now declares those about to come of age to be adults and full members of the community (or else adults and free at last to strike out on their own to make their fortune). With considerable pomp, the officiator conducts the formality of the remaining part of the ceremony before moving on to the celebration.
The Celebration
Following the ceremony the PCs, as well as everyone else involved, finally get a chance to enjoy the festivities. A grand feast and dancing, perhaps complemented by acrobats and a fireworks display, provide a pleasant end to what was probably a very trying day (or set of days). Now would be a good time to include any side intrigues you might have had in mind. This is also a good time to give the PCs a new quest, or provide them with new allies or enemies, or perhaps hand out some treasure.
Ideally each of these elements should be custom-fitted to suit your campaign setting, the culture the PCs are currently dealing with, and your group’s play style. Until next time, I would like to wish you all the best in your gaming endeavors, and I hope you keep a look out for future Festive Plots, where we will discuss weddings, town festivals, and more.