Warden Initiation Night
The last test
Becoming a Valley Warden and being accepted into the ranks of the Wardens of the Valley is quite a time consuming task. But when a person makes it through these obligatory courses, the last thing to complete is the Warden initiation night. When the recruit completes this night in the valley, they will officially be accepted into the ranks of the wardens.
The most important night
The warden initiation night is often treated as a very big and challenging moment for a new warden, and they are told that if they don't pass the last test, they will not become a warden. Those who face the initiation night often prepare months in advance and fear what might await them. However, telling the apprentices that the night is tough and all-important is a long upkept jest. In reality, the night is full of fun little challenges and don't truly determine whether you get accepted as a warden or not. As long as you don't go directly against the warden code during the initiation night, you are bound to be accepted into the ranks of the wardens. The night is mostly meant as a bonding and team building exercise to ensure that the new recruit forges bonds with more wardens than just their teachers or those they were apprenticed under.The events of initiation
To begin the initiation night, the apprentice is escorted to the outer bounds by their mentor they're apprenticed under. Usually their family sees them off as they go into the dark night. Then they are brought to the Arch of Harmony, a big monument left by the fae, which is often used by the towns-people for important events. Here, the rest of the wardens will be waiting. After a bit of a dramatic entrance and the wardens pretending to be very serious, they will eventually reveal that the night is not so all-important. Then, the fun will begin.Team building activites
The wardens spread out into the valley, usually not further away than they can yell or whistle to each other. Each group of wardens have a lit bonfire to mark their location. At each bonfire, there will be an activity for the recruit to complete. But it's not meant as a challenge for the recruit alone, but a team activity. Every time the apprentice completes a challenge, the people from the bonfire challenge location will come along with the group supporting the new warden. This is done to demonstrate how the wardens always have each other's backs.Celebration
At the end of the long and exhausting night, the wardens journey together to the center of the town. Here, the towns-people will be waiting, ready to celebrate and congratulate the new warden. Drinks and food are prepared and after having a grand time, the new warden is escorted to his home and told to get some rest.Ceremony
The next morning, the official ceremony will take place at the Harmony Arch. Here, the Clover Chief will bestow the badge of the Warden onto the new warden as the whole town watches on. From that moment on, they're officially a Warden of the Valley.
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Oh, I love how they play it up as a serious challenge beforehand! The idea of fun team bonding is very clever, it really shows that the community is their top priority!
Creator of the Kaleidoscope System and the planet Miragia.