When Uther Andahar became Blackmoor’s king, he issued a decree to the region’s nobles. Because of the dangers of living on a frontier, Uther and the Regency Council mandated that all nobles of all races loyal to Blackmoor are required, upon reaching maturity, to spend five years traveling throughout the land in service to their people. Only after a noble completes this test, called “validation,” can she assume power.
The decree was designed to encourage communication between traveling nobles of different races, and it serves as a rite of passage into nobility’s upper echelons. This decree has an interesting effect — it is responsible for keeping the nobility’s growth to a negligible amount, as many have proven unable to survive for even five short years in Blackmoor’s wilds. Those who do survive are much wiser for it and become well known as strong and reputable leaders. Uther is praised for this decree and for providing the common folk with such ready access to their future leaders of Blackmoor. The Peshwah and Westryn mock and ignore this order, as they have their own rites of passage. They see the test as weak and pathetic since no real danger comes to those who travel carefully out of harm’s way.
Quote above taken from Dave Arneson's Blackmoor copyright 2004 Zeitgeist Games. For additional details, pick up a copy of the source book.