Legend Tripping

"Legend Tripping" is a practice very common among adolescents, which involves trekking to supernaturally or ritually important places as a test for courage. The locations are recorded and passed on in the Stenza's rich oral tradition, and the motivations to see them vary from taking up a dare to trying to see if the stories are true.

History

Legend tripping is thought to be tied to (and in fact a modern iteration of) ancient coming of age rituals that also spawned the Citizenship Trial. This influences the perception that a legend trip is meant to be a test of skill, bravery, or some other attribute. The informal legend trip only rose in prominence with the advent of regular space travel, allowing a more formal Citizenship Trial to take place on other worlds. As it developed into a separate ritual from the Citizenship Trial, still retaining many associated aspects related to daring and proof of worth, the legend trip became something of a "practice run" before its more formal cousin. Many youths use it to test whether or not they will endure the more punishing ritual to gain citizenship, while others use it to steel their nerves for the big event.
Additionally, a legend trip may be undertaken around significant events, such as First Sunrise, Last Sunset, or the days before Migration. Ideal times of day include, respectively, sunrise, sunset, and the hours before the rise of Parevia; these represent liminal times in Stenza thought, and it is believed one could reach the spirits and the gods more readily (this belief is also attached to Mountain Peaks as a location, although it takes many years of religious and technical training in order to be allowed to attempt the feat unassisted).

Execution

The locations and figures associated with them are pulled from a milieu of stories that adolescents learned growing up, and most commonly place the setting in the mountains and beyond the relative safety of the rim surrounding the Ice Flats, although not too far into the Frozen Wastes to be truly dangerous. At some auspicious time (as set forth by the tale in question), a youth or group of youths sneak off to the location, often under cover of night.
At this point a series of actions may be undertaken. It could be as simple as staying the night, or as complex as reenacting long scenes from the story. The purpose is usually to come face-to-face with the supernatural (most commonly the Snow Warrior) and return home to tell their peers the tale.
Adults are aware this goes on, and sometimes study this behavior in its folkloric context and relation to the rest of the mythopoeic milieu. However, fewer adults engage in the behavior in turn. When they do, it is usually for the purpose of studying the paranormal directly. Adolescents argue this is rarely successful because "they aren't in the right mindset"; in youths this is a thrill seeking behavior, where this is untrue in adults.

Primary Related Location

Mudewei