Rite of Passage

A rite of passage is the ritual one uses to test the right of a young boy to enter the ranks of manhood. For the Orcs of Kara'Kar, this is done by killing a beast out in the wilderness all by the boy's lonesome. To prove he is a man, a young orc must go into the wilderness and kill a beast to bring home for a feast. Most boys choose to hunt a hart buck, but others want more challenging prey. A young boar or perhaps a monster like an owlbear or a peryton. Once caught, he brings it home for a feast. Through this rite of passage the boy proves that he has . . .

• courage.
• determination.
• strength.
• learned all the skills he needs to be an adult.
• and can responsibly take care of a family of his own.

Although a boy wasn't considered a man until he was of seventeen years of age.  This meant that he either grew a beard or he completed the hunting trial.  For orc girls, they weren't considered an adult until they were of the age of fifteen.  At that age, they were considered an adult and may choose a husband to raise a family. The coming of age ceremony for young orc girls was not the same as a boy.  Girls had to weave a garment from wool.  They also had to make a quilt and cook a meal.  Through this rite of passage, a girl proves that she has . . .

• life skills
• determination
• versatility
• learned all the skills she needs to be an adult.
• and can help take care of a family with her husband.