Training
Path of the Ancients
What is the Path of the Ancients?
Long ago, some of the first Aurals wanted to prove that they were worthy to the gods. They worked for years on finding the best way to appease their deities and finally, they did. Now called the Path of the Ancients, Aurals follow in their ancestors footsteps to complete these tests. These tests are very important to their culture and those who have not completed them cannot do certain things.
Aurals normally start the tests when they are 2-3 years old. After the tests are completed they will be aged to three years old.
What can I do without completing the Path of the Ancients tests?
Not much, your Aural will only be able to hunt, gather, dig, and complete Apprenticeship. In Aural culture they are only allowed to do these things so they can stay alive.
It can breed before the Path of the Ancients is completed IF the path of Fertility has been completed. If PotA hasn't been completed before they breed litter count is 0-1. It is frowned upon in Aural culture to breed before taking the Path of the Ancients, but you know, sh*t happens.
What will the Path of the Ancients test allow my Aural to do?
The tests unlock their ability to go on quests, battle in the arena, up their litter count to 1-2 offspring. Depending on the score of your tests, your hunting/gathering/digging payouts will increase.
The Path of the Ancients does not have to be completed before breeding your Aural, but to prevent an empty litter, it should be. (and of course, again, the Path of Fertility needs to be completed for your Aural to breed).
THE TESTS
You may depict up to three Aurals in each test.
Path of the Heart: An Aural that is strong of heart is brave and true. The purpose of this path is to give an Aural a sense of self and confidence, that they can overcome anything in front of them. They must trust their heart and their instincts while completing this test. The Aural(s) will travel through an area that is difficult to traverse.
The Ancients took three paths and your Aural may choose a location to complete their Path of Heart journey:
- Through the Gidal Mountains
- Through the Thana Desert
- Along the Andor Fringe and to swim to Ambra Island
How to: Draw or write about your Aural traveling through one of these areas which can be found on the map so you can see what kind of climate they are in:
Path of the Mind: A mind is the only thing that can truly belong to an Aural. The path of the Mind is not physically demanding. It is done through a sleep-like mediation. The Path of the Mind is almost always done near a body of water, as it heightens the connection with the Gods. During the Path of Mind, the Aural(s) will lie down by a body of water, this may be a lake, river, or pond anywhere in their territory (so it doesn't have to be one on the map). They will then be granted a vision by the Gods in which they must fight their greatest fear. This fear may be completely irrational, like that of the dark or it could be serious, like losing loved ones. They must conquer the fear by the time the sun rises.
Your Aural doesn't believe in the gods? Then maybe they pass this off as a weird dream or just something they can't explain.
How to: The Path of the Mind is done through the minds eye, so it can look kind of dreamy and foggy. Get creative with it. As long as your Aural is battling it's fear in the image or writing, then that's fine. You may draw them sleeping in the corner and then put the image of them battling their fear across the upper part of the picture. Like I said, this is a really creative test.
Path of the Body: After the two test before this, the Path of Body is usually the most fun for the Aural(s). The path of body is all about coming into oneself and vitality. It's about freedom and the will to live. Their body, mind, and heart are one. This test is completed through hunting. The Aural must take a solo hunt and take down a large prey animal from the area they live in.
How to: Draw or write about your Aural hunting and enjoying thoroughly. It doesn't have to be bloody at all. Aurals tend to have an awareness that other animals have souls too and will keep the kill clean and quick.
After you've completed all three tests:
After you've completed all three tests, the Gods will present the Aural with a blessing (your score). Depending on how the gods think they did, the Aural will receive a blessing to reflect that (this is your quality of art).
Please respond to this log: Score Log
The Scoring System
You can receive one of three scores: Excellent, Advanced, and Mediocre. The scores are technically blessings from the gods, so they are not actual objects. Aurals know who has been blessed by the gods and who hasn't.
Effort Score: 1-10
- You do not have to have a certain quality of art or writing for your PotA entries. The type of art you do determines your score.
- Your effort is judged by the scale below.
- EP bonus's do not apply
Scale
1-4: Sketchy, no color, no BG or very simple BG, Literature Entries are under 1,000 words and very basic in detail
5-7: Lined (or painterly), colored, simple shade, simple BG, Lit entries are 1,001 - 2000 words and clearly tell the tale of the Aural going through the prompt
8-10: Lined (or painterly), color, complex shade, complex BG, Lit entries are 2,000+ words and tell a detailed story
For lit counts, one word will not change your effort score if your writing is not detailed and or smoothly telling a story. If it's obvious you're being wordy to up word count, then you will still receive a lower effort score.
Random Roll: And to shake things up, a random roll from 1-10 is given for each piece and added to the score.
You will also get rewards for each score.
(32+ Points)
3,500 AT
Bonus 10 EP
x1 Sage Salve
- now gets 5 rolls for foraging
(16-31 Points)
2,000 AT
Bonus 5 EP
x1 Mixed Healing Treatment
- now gets 4 rolls for foraging
(0 - 15 Points)
1,000 AT
x 1 Mixed Healing Treatment
Apprenticeship
Typically, an Aural will become an apprentice from any time between 1-2 years old. Apprenticeship is an important activity in Aural culture. On the approach of the Aurals first year, they will be eligible to start an Apprenticeship with a clanmate that holds the Rank they wish to follow. Though depending on your Aural(s) story it may not apprentice until they are older, or apprentice at all. An Aural may apprentice up to 2 pups at a time. For storyline purposes here is some info on the Apprenticeship Ceremony.
Apprenticeship can be completed before the Path of the Ancients. Though, like it says below, this activity is optional.
Is this activity optional? Yes, you do not have to do this, but it'll give your Aural some bonus's.
The Apprenticeship Ceremony:
On the eve of their first year, an Apprenticeship ceremony will be held for all pups of age. The clan gathers and Aurals that are available to take on an Apprentice and have been approved by the Alpha to do so will be at the front. The pups are brought forward and the Alpha generally speaks to them directly before telling them that they can now choose their Rank and a teacher. However, some clans may choose a teacher for them. And depending on how you want your story to go, clans may thwart the ceremony a little and force pups into ranks and/or heavily suggest which ranks they should take or is expected of them.
After the pups have chosen their rank and teacher, the clan will generally celebrate the coming of age of it's newest members. They will sing, dance, and probably have a feast. Again, that depends on your clan.
If your Aural is not a pup at the time of apprenticeship, its clan may still perform a ceremony for them.
How to complete Apprenticeship:
Each rank has several prompts that you must depict your Aural completing. All ranks have been included, but some typically do not take Apprentices. For example, the Alpha position is typically not apprenticed for, but may occur if the Alpha chooses to groom the next leader from the very beginning. Some may have fewer prompts then others and some may have the same prompts.
The prompts may be listed as a single Aural, but you can depict 2 Apprentices in one piece and typically the Apprentices are almost always accompanied by their teacher unless they have been sent out alone.
Alpha:
Natural Leader: Depict your Aural speaking to others or taking control of a situation even in it's young age.
Politics: Depict your Aural going along with the Alpha to a meeting of area clans or a meeting within the clan discussing laws, rules, territory boundaries, etc...
Beta:
Good Listener: Depict your Aural taking orders from the Alpha and delivering them to the Aural that needs to hear them.
Politics: Depict your Aural going along with the Alpha/Beta to a meeting of area clans or a meeting within the clan discussing laws, rules, territory boundaries, etc...
Healer:
Memory: Depict your Aural learning the different healing plants and remembering where they are located in the territory.
Dressing a Wound: Depict your Aural learning how to dress a wound.
Poultice Particulars: Depict your Aural learning how to mix plants and materials for different wounds and sicknesses.
Healers Life: Depict your Aural going through it's first patient death, mass sickness or mass injury situation, still born pups, etc... Healers deal with the life and death of the clan up front and if they cannot deal with this, then they are not suitable healers.
Warrior:
Fighting Moves: Depict your Aural learning how to fight.
Bravery: Depict your Aural showing great bravery at an early age by fighting, saving another Aural, etc...
Patrol: Depict your Aural learning how patrols work and the territory boundaries.
Guarding the Den: Depict your Aural learning how to guard the den and the particulars of it.
Hunter:
Prey: Depict your Aural learning the prey in the territory and what they look like.
Hunting Skills: Depict your Aural learning how to stalk prey, but the prey is an unsuspecting clan mate to practice on.
Tracking: Depict your Aural learning how to track prey through scent and tracks.
First Kill: Depict your Aural taking down it's first prey, even if it's small. Depending on how lenient the Clan is, this can be as small as an insect or fish.
Gatherer:
Good to Eat: Depict your Aural learning about all the edible plants and where they are located in the territory.
Gathering Skills: Depict your Aural learning how to gather plants. Some have to be carefully picked, some can't be dug up willy nilly, etc...
Healers Help: Depict your Aural bringing supplies to a healer. Gatherers often retain knowledge of the healing plants as well and bring back supplies for healers when they can't.
First Gathering: Depict your Aural going on it's own to find enough edibles to feed the clan. It'll be accompanied by others, but it's in charge of finding the plants and how much to gather, testing it's knowledge.
Scout:
Sharp Eyes: Depict your Aural learning the layout of the territory so they can spot differences and trouble more quickly.
Patrol: Depict your Aural learning how patrols work and the territory boundaries.
Guarding the Den: Depict your Aural learning how to scout near the den and the particulars of it.
Strangers: Depict your Aural learning how to pick out Aurals of it's own clan vs. enemies or those not of it's clan.
Caretaker:
Little Ones: Depict your Aural looking after pups that have not opened their eyes/ears and must be looked after at all times.
Birth: Depict your Aural helping with the birth of a litter of pups. Caretakers work in conjunction with healers when a mother goes into labor.
Bravery: Depict your Aural protecting the pups from an enemy. This can also be a non-Aural animal that might like a pup as a snack. Caretakers are taught defensive and offensive moves that will help them get themselves and the pups out of the den uninjured.
Densites: Depict your Aural learning where the other den sites are in the territory and the easiest way to get there.
Entertainer:
Talents: Depict your Aural finding it's talents. Is it singing? performing stunts? etc...
Lessons: Depict your Aural learning how to get better at it's talent. voice lessons, practicing their stunts, etc...
Stage Fright?: Depict your Aural performing in front of an audience for the first time. Are they nervous, do they enjoy it?
Oracle:
Mystic Mystery: Depict them learning how to separate dream and imagination from real visions. This is typically done through meditation.
Signs: Depict your Aural learning which signs mean something and things that occur naturally. Such as a dead bird flock vs. one dead bird. Odd lights appearing. Mass drought and disaster.
Trader:
Wheeling and Dealing: Depict your Aural learning how to barter and know a good price for an item.
Trading Paths: Depict your Aural learning the trading routes and which is neutral terrirtory and which isn't.
Assassin:
Stealth: Depict your Aural learning how to be stealthily sneak up on an enemy.
Quick Kill: Depict your Aural learning how to kill quickly. for example, the soft or vulnerable parts on an enemy or using poisons.
Observation: Depict your Aural learning how to observe quietly and out of sight. Sometimes Assassins act like spies and do not kill without further orders or information.
Tracker:
Prey or Enemy: Depict your Aural learning the differences between scents and tracks
Long Road: Depict your Aural learning how to track over long distances.
Found: Depict your Aural finding a lost pup or lost artifact.
Explorer:
New Territory: Depict your Aural learning how to determine if a territory is safe to cross or not. Some Aurals erect signs, fences, or lay bones and other objects around the edges of their territory to show the boundary, just to further show there is a boundary.
Survival Skills: Depict your Aural finding food or shelter. Explorers need to know how to survive on their own away from their clan.
Valuables: Depict your Aural finding valuables. such as lost tokens, buried treasure, gems, etc...
Requirements:
- Art must be larger than 300 x 300 pixels
- Art must be clean, colored, and have a simply BG at least
- Writing must be 800 words or more.
- You may depict up to 2 Apprentices in one piece. They do not have to be trying for the same rank, as long as the two ranks being shown together makes sense.
- The Apprentices teacher does not have to be shown unless it's stated that it does.
Submitting and Judging:
These entries aren't judged, they just have to be completed to the requirements above. You'll complete each prompt and then submit them to this log: comments.deviantart.com/1/7145…
Rewards:
For completing your Aurals Apprenticeship, it'll earn these rewards:
+1 stat to one of it's rank stats (for ex. if you're Aural is a warrior it's rank stats are Strength, Speed, Stamina, and Bravery. Every time it earns one of these stats, the point value will be +1 point higher.)
+1 EP continuous art bonus in all work Aurals is featured in
5% increase in getting items during Ranking Activities.
Energy Mastering
Before it can use it's energy the right way, an Aural must go through Energy Mastering. After this Activity is complete, it'll earn bonus's for having the Energy! It can complete this activity at any time, but it's Path of the Ancients must be done first.
Do you have to complete this activity in order for your Aural to use it's Energy? No. Your Aural can use it's energy at any time during your storyline with any skill level and experience. So this activity is optional. However, if completed, your Aural will earn bonus's!
Again, Aurals are born with the Energy. You will know if your Aural is born with it or not as it'll say in the geno. Uploaded Aurals with the energy will have this symbol in the title of their import: |*| (it'll also say in the import sheet). If your Aural does not have the energy, it cannot learn it through this process or anything else.
How to Complete Energy Mastering:
You will follow the steps and the prompts below and then submit them. When completing prompts, they can take place at any point of the Aurals life.
The Awakening: At some point in it's life, you Aurals Energy becomes physically prevalent. Depending on the power level (this is totally up to you) other Aurals may be able to sense your Aurals Energy, typically the stronger the Energy, the more easily it's sensed without physical manifestation being present.
You will draw or write about the first time your Aural uses it's Energy. Typically it is brought out through intense emotion and not something that can just be drawn out of them with a simple thought. It's a wild and untamed thing when the Energy is 'released' from an Aural, but this may not always be the case.
Finding a Master: After your Aural has manifested it's Energy, it'll will seek out a master of that energy type to teach them. Sometimes, the master is in their own clan, may be their parent or they might have to journey to find a master.
If you want the master to be someone in their clan, that Aural must have already completed Energy Mastering.
Energy Masters can be characters you create, so they can be Aurals without imports or anything that you create for the storyline only. Pretty much they are an NPC you create.
You will draw or write about your Aural finding or meeting the master it's learning from. If your Aural has known this Aural previously, if it is it's own parent, etc... then all you have to do is draw or write about them together, talking over the aspects of what's to come.
Beginners Skill: Your Aural has begun to learn the aspects of controlling it's Energy and using it for daily activities. However, it is still a beginner and makes mistakes. You will draw or write about your Aural learning the firsts of it's Energy. You can depict them happily conjuring something, making a mistake, causing mischief, being clumsy, it's up to you and your Aurals personality, but they will not be doing any of this with great skill.
Last Lesson: It may take years for your Aural to fully perfect it's Energy. Your Aural and it's master have gone through alot of struggle and your Aural has learned alot. Draw or write about your Aural going through it's last lesson. This can be a bittersweet moment for most, especially if the master has other Aurals to teach or is not of your Aurals clan. You can depict your Aural showing the full extent of it's power, saying thanks or goodbye to the master, etc... It's however you want their last lesson to go.
Art/Writing Requirements:
- Art must be larger than 300 x 300 pixels
- Art must be clean, colored, shaded, and have a BG
- Art must depict at least 75% of the Aural learning the Energy
- Writing must be more than 1,000 Words
- You can only depict ONE Aural that is learning the Energy at a time. Masters and others to not count. (so if you have three Aurals that have the energy and you want them to become Energy Masters, you can only take one through at a time.)
Rewards:
A blessing stating that your Aural is now an Enery Master and get's the below rewards.
5% increase in passing down the Energy to it's offspring
+1 continuous EP bonus for all art Aural is depicted in.
Allows Aural to heal others and use Energy in gameplay
Judging and Submitting:
- There is no judging, as long as the art or writing meets the requirements, it'll pass. (if it doesn't meet requirements you will be informed)
- Then you'll submit them to this log: comments.deviantart.com/1/7145…
Journey to the Gods
What is this and what is it for?
The Journey to the Gods is an optional activity that your Aural can partake in. This journey is for experienced Aurals only, so yours must have 401 EP (Proficient) before it have do this activity. It'll give your Aural several bonus's and unlock breeding slots.
How do I Complete the Journey to the Gods?
Below is the lore and the 4 prompts you must complete. Each point is a generalized prompt. Read the small story below each point and formulate a story of your own. Imagine your Aural(s) going through such things and then draw or write about them at the mark that is stated (The eye in the glacier, Starfall Lake, The highest peak in the Sara Mountains, and the oasis with the eternal fire). These entries are not judged, so once they are completed following the requirements below and submitted to the log, the blessing will be added to your Aurals import sheet.
You'll complete these four prompts with these requirements:
- Art must be bigger than 300 x 300 Pixels
- Art must be clean, colored, shaded, and have a background
- Writing must be more than 1,000 words
- 75% of any Aurals depicted must be showing
- You may depict up to 3 Aurals in 1 piece.
And then respond with all four pieces to this comment: comments.deviantart.com/1/6445…
Bonus's:
The Journey's Blessing, which gives them the rewards:
For completing this activity, your Aural will receive:
- injury/sickness immunity (your Aural will not receive an injury/sickness roll)
- A +2 EP continuous bonus on all artwork it's featured in
- 2% decrease in birthing ailments
- Unlocks a bonus 5 breeding slots
With the Path of the Ancients completed, having walked through the past with their ancestors, an Aural will set upon another journey, one to reconnect with power far greater than their own. This journey is arduous and dangerous, what journey's aren't? They'll face many trials. They'll face enemies and their greatest fears to get to the end.
There are four points to this journey. Four points where the Warriors once came to Najwa, leaving their unearthly marks.
Point of Esen: The Wind of Change
On the frigid and desolate Andor Fringe, one might not notice the cave. It's hollowed right out of a glacier. Only the keanest of eyes can spot it and only the bravest of hearts can enter. Inside it's hollowed blue realm sits a glittering piece of ice shaped like an eye. It never melts, never fades, some even wonder if it's ice at all. Is this eye to see all? The winter wind of Esen gives change and insight, a breath of life to start the Journey.
Point of Ryven: The Pool of Dreams
A glittering expanse. An endless dream. The water of Starfall Lake is said to be the messenger of Ryven himself. Surrounded by bountiful forests and vast plains, Starfall is a veritable dream itself. The water carries visions of a happy life. To stay or to go. For weeks, the visions plague, night after night they haunt the sleep. Is it worth leaving? Worth ending the Journey? The water must be entered, the depths must be seen in the starlight. There, the answer will be found, when the stars shine brightest, the mouth of Ryven will be revealed.
Point of Balkan: The Peak of Strength
The wind is cold, the water is rapid, and the stone of the Sara Mountains stands stark against the waves of the ocean. The climb, after mental exhaustion, takes what is left of any stamina and strength. Among the peaks, there is no hope left. Maybe staying in Starfall was the better option. Finally, they reach the highest peak thinking that they've found the point, but nothing happens at first and hope is almost lost; then the wind calms, the air warms, on the shoulders of Balkan, strength returns. The courage to seek Journey's end becomes unbreakable. The path to the last point opens up and the Journey is almost at it's end.
Point of Fajra: The Sands of Time
The Bero desert is the hottest place on Najwa. The sands shift constantly, making it an endless wastland to the outside eye. It's heat and disorienting dunes can cause someone to be lost forever, their bones whitewashed and entombed for eternityr. However, those who have taken something from each point already can find the way to the only oasis ever to be found. In the mane of Fajra, between the dunes sits a place of untold beauty. A fire burns eternal, this is the final test, to face the fire of ones past and future. To make peace is the last step, when the fire reliquishes it's grip, the blessing is earned.
The Journey to the Gods has completed. Once the blessing has been added to your Aurals import sheet they will get the rewards.