Awakening of Fury

One cannot simply become a Berserker just by getting angry. They must become a vassal of rage that will slaughter everything in their path without even hesitating - Former Berserker

The Awakening of Fury is an initiation all Norrians must take to become a full-fledged berserker. The final trial deals with the so-called awakening of true rage known as berserker rage or the fury of beasts. This is not an easy feat as the one who wishes to gain access to it must unlock it themselves, finding it within themselves.

History

Unleashing Rage Incarnate

The berserkers have always been known for their skill in a battle fueled by the uncontrollable rage that gives empowers them. But it is not as easy as one might think to tap into such power. One must find and unleash it to learn how to use it. In contrast, these where originally used with a Ring of Rage, the effects and their rarity of them have made them obsolete. Another method was created to ensure this power could be tapped into. However, it would be up to the individual themselves.

Execution

The initiate of the ceremony will often arrive wearing little clothing as they will most likely be ruined at the end of the ritual. They will be tied down to the ground with many ropes they cannot move. From this, the berserkers present will begin to chant and bang weapons together. The Huthra Priest present begins to call up Kroll, the god of the wilds, to send one of its many beasts to go into the initiate as he prepares to enter his mind. A special soup is made using mushrooms with significant powers over the mind. It is often called Rage Bringer as it cause those who drink it to become lost in their minds to allow the initiate to go on their journey. While this happens, the initiate becomes disoriented and goes deeper into their mind. But the power of the soups will cause them to convulse uncontrollably, and foaming at the mouth is one of the first reasons they are tied down in the first place. While they go into a trance, the berserkers act more like animals as they dance around them while howling and shouting, and the priest continues their call to summon the beast.
The initiate will soon find themselves in a strange place, and what goes on in their mind is different for each person, but they often find themselves in the same place eventually. They will often find the snares and roars of the rage with them and are afraid to go near it until another creature finds its way into their mind. The Spirit beast of Kroll will begin to hunt the initiate, and to survive, they must flee from it as they are not strong enough to face it. Soon they will reach the prison where their rage is kept locked away and must free it before the spirit beast gets them. The only way to release the rage is to break the prison, but the method is to make it angrier by allowing their current rage to strengthen. Once it breaks out, they will begin to possess the initiate, making them more powerful and monstrous. When they come across the spirit beast, it will cower in fear from the amount of bloodlust and rage coming from themselves and flee as quickly as they can.
Once the spirit beast is gone, the initiates, fueled by their rage, will make their way out of their mind and slowly begin to regain consciousness, still fueled by the power of their first berserker rage and being free themselves from the ropes that tie them down. All present will continue to the ritual and are ignored by the newly made berserker as they seek the spirit beast that fleed them and will run into the wilderness as weapons are thrown to them before they run off. In the wilderness, they will seek out the animal that the spirit beast looked like and kill it. Most creatures will flee away from the berserker as it rages, will bring terror to all who witness it, and when their kill is made, the berserker rage will wear off and collapse from exhaustion. Not too far behind, the berserkers present will collect the initiate and the beast's corpse. Once they awaken, they will be tasked to skin the animal, wear it, and feast on its flesh to become the beast they defeated. From that moment on, they are now an official berserker as they have the power that will make them destroy all that cross them until their final breath.

Components and tools

by carboxaldehyde

Rage Bringer: A soup made from mushrooms with powerfully hallucinogenic properties. It allows those who drink it to journey deep into their subconscious, find the rage inside them, and unleash it.

Participants

It is the final step for one to become a berserker and join the ranks of their future brothers and sisters. Here several veteran berserkers and a Huthra Priest will be present. Along with the initiative that is part of it are the only ones present.

Observance

The ceremony takes place during a full moon as the berserkers believe that it makes the bestial nature of men much more accessible and allows the ritual to run more smoothly.

Related Ethnicities

• Norrian

Danger of the Awakening

Unleashing the rage within someone should not be taken likely as a newly created berserker is just a rage-filled beast just as a veteran berserker is in battle. The precautions ensure that the participant does not kill anyone during the ritual and focus their rage on a single creature to take it out on. But there is another dark reason they are held down, to ensure that the groups with the initiate are themselves. Those that fail the ritual will have their die within their mind should the spirit beast catches them, and the bloodshed will cause the rage within the mind to break their prison and merge with the spirit beast. Once the merger is complete, they will control the body and try to break free, acting like a wild animal. Once the group realizes that the initiate has failed, they must kill the processed body to ensure it does not kill them and anyone else in a mindless killing spree.