Forest of Knowledge
from Famine in Far-Go
Every child in A-10s faces the same challenge, a rite of passage that must be fulfilled before the youth can take on the full responsibilities and benefits of adulthood (such as getting married, owning property, and paying taxes). The initiation ritual is simple, but it can be dangerous-the candidate must travel 50 miles south along the 666 and enter the mysterious Forest of Knowledge long held sacred by Far-Go’s folk. The initiates undertake this ritual without foreknowledge, having learned little about why they have to go or how long they are supposed to remain in the forest. Before setting out, the adolescents meet with the high priest of A-10s (currently Arx Skystone), who explains that they will receive “wisdom” within the wood in the form of a portent about their destiny. The high priest says only that they must seek and eat the purple berries of the forest and wait for
The Forest of Knowledge is safe, for the most part, with trees spaced widely apart and sparse
underbrush that yields inviting berries in purple, black, red, and blue (see the sidebar). A few creatures roam the woods, but they show little interest in dining on the passing mutant child. The primary danger comes from a gang of badders that haunts the areas where blue berries grow. Forest visitors who eat these berries are dragged off to fates better left unspoken. See page 115 for more about this location.