[center][b]RECRUITING! Several spots open![/b][/center]

[b][center]Hello and welcome to the Interest Check for ‘Rites of Passage’! [/center][/b]

[center]My name is Lupus and I will be your co-host for this tale along with my wonderful friend, Astarael42.[/center]

Now, Rites of Passage is an adventure conceived by Astarael42 quite some time ago and many episodes of the adventure have been played out on various RP forums around the web to great success. I was a part of one such adventure (the first RP I ever joined, back in '06, actually!) and so when Astarael42 finally decided to join me here on RPG I convinced him that it should be the first RP we GM together. 
No knowledge of these previous tales is needed as this will be a new and separate story and though knowing a bit about Wizard of the Coast’s [i]Forgotten Realms[/i] is helpful to understanding the world it is not required to join.

This adventure will be high-casual (we like character development and one or two paragraphs per post).

[center]Here’s the set-up:[/center]
On the continent of Faerun, in the world of the Forgotten Realms, the Time of Troubles has just ended. The godly pantheons have stabilized, the divine beings are no longer forced to walk the earth as mortals, and their powers are once again being fueled by their worshipers on the mortal plane. Gods, both good and evil, seek to secure a place in the heavenly and abyssal hierarchies and for some the acquisition of devoted followers, through any means necessary, is the only way they will achieve the dominance and influence they crave. For though Faerun is enjoying a much needed time of peace, a sigh of relief after a terrifying time in history, the wars of the heavens and hells are eternal. 

The battlefield has simply moved planes.

For you, however, all this is a fairy tale: a legend whispered by a parent, a guardian, a friend, or a stranger simply to make your heart tremble and your eyes light up in wonder. You are just a child of about 10 to 15 winters living in a small, isolated village between the Anauroch Desert and the Lonely Moor and far removed from the excitements of the world. It is a peaceful life, for better or for worse, and you have your own tasks and apprenticeships to attend to and your own mentor to guide you as you grow. It is just when you start to think life will stay as it is forever that Fate decides to deal you a new hand and a terrible event sets you on a journey you never expected: one of struggle and pain that, should you survive, will act as a forge over which your spirit will be tempered.

These are your Rites of Passage.

[hider=Characters:]
This RP will have approximately 8 player spots (not counting Lannick or myself), with one character each (to start, at least) and acceptances will generally be on a first-come, first-serve basis. We are limiting races to the ‘common’ fantasy races, particularly those from 3.0-3.5 Dungeons and Dragons, (human, dwarf, elf, half-elf, gnome, halfling, half-orc).
Characters must be aligned towards a certain ‘class’ from the standard fantasy pool (fighter, ranger, mage, cleric, druid, ect., ect.). Characters, being mere children, will be limited to a certain number of skills, or ‘talents’, in order to discourage God-Modding and Perfect-Jack-of-All-Trades and to allow your character to grow, in both mind and body, as the adventure progresses. Your character will start as a mere apprentice, ‘Level 0’ in table-top terms, but with time and dedication they will hone their abilities and acquire new ones in order to survive. 
Now these classes and skill choices are not rigid and there is no dice-rolling or stat sheets; we simply ask characters be guided towards a certain class (a role, if you will) in order to encourage a wider variety of tricks and talents available to the party (things are more interesting that way; having a party of eight lvl 0 mages is not as exciting as it sounds). Trust us, they’ll need all the help they can get and every person will get a chance to shine!

Our class limits will be:

•	3-4 fighter types (paladin, plain fighter, barbarian, ranger)
•	2 divine magic types (priests, druids, monks) [i][Druid, reserved by LupusIntus][/i]
•	2-3 rogue types (bards, thieves) 
•	1-2 arcane magic type (sorcerer, mage, etc) [i][Sorcerer and Mage reserved by Lillium and Astarael42][/i][/hider]

[hider=CS:]
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Class: (Level 0)

What you want to be when you grow up? (What do you aspire to be, or to do, in the future when your apprenticeships and training are complete?)

Who is your mentor? (name, relationship, craft: Someone must have raised you? Taught you a trade? Your skills? The only ones who might not have had a mentor are those petty thieves and urchins who were raised on the street.)

Brief Biography: (Tell us where you came from and how you were raised.)

What person(s) of interest do you know in the village? Who all do you have a relationship with?:

Equipment: (As a child, you don’t have much aside from a few tools of your trade and perhaps some knickknacks that have special sentimental value.)

Class Skills: (What skills do you possess? Can you play an instrument? Pick a lock? Remain hidden in the shadows? Can you swing a sword? Draw a bow? Perhaps you’re even studying the magical or divine arts and know a few basic cantrips that you can list? Most of the skills your mentor taught you should be listed and described here. Please limit yourself to no more than 4 skills [NOTE: each cantrip/spell counts as one skill])

Villager Skills: (What special things have you learned from your time in the village? In your day-to-day life? Can you read? What about write? Has your training as a blacksmith taught you how to repair metal equipment? Has farming taught you of poisonous plants or poultices? Maybe your mind is sharp and you can instantly recall names and faces after a single meeting? Your life and profession skills should be listed here. Please limit yourself to no more than 3 points of knowledge.) [/hider]

[center]We hope you’ll join us on this perilous journey of childhood self-discovery and adventure![/center]

[center][url=http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Political_map_of_Faer%C3%BBn]Here's a map of Faerun![/url][/center]