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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kennew142" data-source="post: 4055965" data-attributes="member: 18490">Off the top of my head, I would respond:1) The game doesn't make a difference between male and female characters. Unless you are running a simulationist game in which females are second class citizens and barred from spheres of male activity, it makes sense to include female characters in such a rite of passage. The particular setting may allow for a modern style double standard in which females are not required to undergo the ritual, but they are welcome to do so if they want to be able to participate in traditionally male  spheres of activity, such as adventuring.2) To be cynical, most pre-industrial societies had no shortage of youths on the verge of adulthood. Maybe they are winnowing out the weak. Maybe the area the youths traditionally spend the night in isn't all that dangerous, and it is the village cleric who recognizes the potential in this particular group and sends them on a secret mission into the dungeon. Maybe he had a divine vision, or odd dreams brought on by indigestion that he misdiagnosed as a vision, which he interpreted to mean that this particular group should be given something special to do.3) If the players understand the setting, they shouldn't see this as a case of DM fiat. If the GM has a party who wouldn't respond to such a hook, he shouldn't use it. Not every hook is workable for every group. That's why P&P games are better than video games.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> I still don't see why your group would question the believability of the scenario. But if they would, this hook is not for you. See #3 and find another. I would add that this scenario described isn't for publication. If it were, we would likely see more than one available character hook. It's the set-up for the author's own group. Presumably, he knows what will and will not work for this particular collection of players.</blockquote>

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