The towns square was bustling as all the citizens gathered around a large runic tower. Normally, this tower was off limits to the citizens, yet for the next three days it is the center of attention.
This five leveled runic tower is 10 meters tall, made of a mysterious dark silver metal, and has a large groove running vertically up the base of the structure on both sides. The pagoda has five sections that are separated by engraved runes, depending on the outcome of the test, those runes will illuminate.
The runes on each side of the tower test for two different things.
On one side it tests a candidates spiritual root quality, the other tests their bloodline.
If the candidates roots were of bronze quality it would go up only one level, silver it would go up two and so on.
Spiritual roots are known to be separated into different tiers.
Bronze >Silver > Gold > Obsidian > Divinium
To test a candidates spiritual roots, they would place a hand onto the golden panel on the base of the tower. This process activates the tower to begin the test.
To test for root quality, the tower syphons mana from spirit stones hidden within and pours the mana into the candidates body.
If the candidate is lucky, it will be absorbed. The mana upon entering the body would shock all the cells within, activating the candidates spiritual root and strengthening them overall.
This is called an awakening, immediately elevating ones status to a squire, the lowest level of cultivator.
The tower analyzes the candidate during this process and determines the rate in which the mana was absorbed. The quicker it is absorbed, the higher the root quality.
If a candidate awakened, the next step would begin. The tower would automatically rotate around 180 degrees where five more levels were visible.
At this stage the Justiciar will come to the candidate, take a knife and cut their hand over the golden stone bowl which was normally dyed red after so many tests. The bowl would collect the blood and begin channeling mana into the recently awakened cells.
This test determines whether the blood is pure, or if it contains special properties. Even the most common bloodline would give the cultivator a unique boost when facing others without.
Bloodlines are a bit tricky to determine, and the exact bloodline wouldn't be revealed without a more in depth test which isn't given to every town.
However, the quality can be determined. Bloodlines, like spiritual roots, are separated into different tiers,
Common > Rare > Superior >Mythic > Divine.
Yet no one was sure whether Divine is truly the highest tier.
Cultivation on this planet is still in its adolescence and many mysteries were still to be discovered. Cultivation takes lots of time, and cultivators live long lives. This longevity allows the time necessary for discovery and innovation.
---
Over the next few days all the children of the town will be tested and thousands of futures will be determined. Even those in the surrounding smaller villages showed up, hoping to have some light shown on their darker less prosperous lives.
For this awakening ceremony, everyone dressed their children in their fanciest of clothes. Which for most, were just clean rags that they didn't wear while working.
Some of the wealthier kids wore beast skins and different trinkets, yet only the town leader's son wore fine silks which were purchased by the caravan who just arrived.
The grand test will be completed over a three day period since there are so many in attendance.
The first day, the oldest of them will be tested.
Those who are at 15, the next generation, have only a year or so left. At 16 they would be drafted into a local lords army, join the hunters guild, or begin working the crop fields like their parents.
Many of the kids were excited, some terrified, who wouldn't be?
One 30 second test could tell you whether you could become something greater. If found to be a cultivator, instantly your status, and that of your family's would rise within the town.
Parents were almost more excited than the kids, after working so hard for so long, they yearned for status and the comforts that came with it.
Cultivator families were able to earn much more money and have more access to goods than the mortal townspeople.
Cultivators could apply to become guards on caravan's, instantly leading a troop of mortal warriors. Even if they possess a bronze root and inferior bloodline, they would still be stronger than the toughest mortal.
They could be scouted by the local lord, gifted land and taken into their service if their results were outstanding.
This was the dream for a lot of mortals, who didn't want to become one of the nobility?
A few years of good service and they could be given a town of their own, if they have exploits on the battlefield they could be given a rank within the peerage. Anything was possible.
Nobles however, weren't the only ones in attendance.
Outside of the noble families were the sects, these groups lived outside the influence of local lords. Only dukes and above had enough cultivators to challenge their might.
These sects pursued the great Dao and didn't trouble themselves with worldly mortal matters. Yet they couldn't get away from having to come around mortals to find new disciples. These sects lived within the large mountain ranges across the continent, looking down on the mortal world.
They simply cultivated within their mountains and competed against other cultivators around the world. They traditionally left the mortals alone, this was more for the mortals safety than that of the cultivator.
The life of a mortal barely reaches 80 years, yet the life of a cultivator could span many millennia. Detaching oneself from the mortal world is common for cultivators, they live longer lives. Who would want to see friends and family wither away without any ability to help.
Near to the town of Varun, is the righteous Jade Serpent Sect who is attending the Grand Awakening. Sects generally lean one of two ways, Righteous and Demonic.
Only righteous sects were allowed to live within the borders of the Thrackan Empire, this is because they lived their lives to uphold justice within the world.
Demonic cultivators were deemed evil due to their aggressive nature and unnatural practices. Some demonic cultivators manipulate blood as a weapon, some can create corpse soldiers from the dead, and some even turn themselves into ghosts to gain everlasting life!
There are endless roads one can take to cultivate, but some more extreme methods are shunned by the vast majority.
Yet it is all about perception, a righteous sect could wipe out another simply because they had a dispute. Is the slaughter of so many not demonic?
A demonic sect could stop a beast tide for precious materials, saving millions of mortals, is that not righteous?
It's all about perspective.
---
All the nearby powers attended the grand awakening that was now beginning, a large bell rung in the central towers three times to signal the beginning of the grand event.
Near the runic tower, a small man in silk robes accompanied by armored guards walked onto a small elevated platform. Ahead of him was a small stone with a runic symbol engraved on it. As he spoke into it, his voice became louder and reached everyone in attendance.
"Welcome all! It is this year, the year of the dragon, 3892 on the Thrackan calendar which we hold the town of Varun's first official testing."
Cheers erupted from the crowd, this was a big deal for their town. Not only were they officially being recognized as a cultivator town, but over the next couple days new dragons and tigers could emerge among them.
The small man cleared his through,
"Over the next few days we will hopefully welcome more cultivator warriors into our ranks, to defend the town, and to strengthen the empire!"
The crowd cheered once again.
Varun is close to the southern border, and to the Orc infested forest in the northeast. There were common occurrences of townsfolk disappearing with the smell of orc left behind.
More warriors meant more protection, yet this statement by the Justiciar also held deeper meaning. He stated his clear intention to take the awakened cultivators into the service of the count within the empire.
This caused the faces of of the local sects, mercenaries, and the town leader to become stiffen. Yet all hope wasn't lost. In the end, it was up to the child to chose his path, strength is the determining factor in the world.
No count had the the power to overshadow great sects and large mercenary groups.
Unless they simply courted death.
All the different powers within the empire created balance, which gave the rise to different opportunities.
The children lined up one by one, and the testing began. Locals started to play music and performers started to dance and sing on nearby roads. While most were attending the Grand Awakening, it was simply was impossible for all to see. If something truly important happened, the bell would ring and new would quickly spread like wildfire.
Valkir however, wasn't interested in the ceremony on this day, and would only attend on the third.
When the child Tristan would find out his fate.
Valkir decided to take the child he purchased for many gold coins to the blacksmith. They were bound for the frozen south and the rags which Tristan called clothes wouldn't suffice.
They walked into the store where a small burly dwarf no taller than three feet greeted them with a deep voice,
"Welcome to Darnek's Forge, what can we do for you today?"
Tristan walked in behind Valkir nervously holding his small black fox closely,
Valkir set an even bigger bag of gold than he used to purchase Tristan and winked at the dwarf,
"Master Dwarf, we're going to need clothes, armor, and a weapon of the child choosing. Go on Tristan, look around."
Both the Dwarf's and Tristan's eyes glowed with excitement.
Tristan started wandering around the store to find a weapon that called to him.
Every warrior had to make this choice, a weapon is a lifeline for a warrior. Tristan being a cultivator, couldn't avoid this.
Is was then that he saw it.