The Awakening

"The Mantle. A terror stalks and desires to consume. Let it be your burden, but let it not feed."
"The Journey. Our ancestors carry you across the world. Their spirits guide and watch over you."
"The Spirit Walk. Enter the fade and journey amongst the ancestors. The path of our people will reveal your burden."
"The Fear. Awaken, reborn. Renewed, not consumed. Your heavy burden, transformed. Light as the feather."
"Face the creature."

—The Awakening poem on the carving in the Weilehan hall

The Awakening was a rite of passage for young Weilehan warriors where they would travel to Pahanu to face the Wakaatu.

History

Rite of Passage

Despite abandoning their previous homes on Pahanu, the Weilehan continued for generations with the Awakening. This rite was eventually abandoned for decades and at least some Weilehans came to consider the Wakaatu a myth.

Lahni Kaliso heard stories of the Wakaatu and the Awakening from her grandmother who had left Weilhei at a young age, although Lahni's grandmother considered the creature to be nothing more than a myth. Lahni's ancestors were amongst those who had taken part in the rite.

Team Scorpio

In 42 AE, Team Scorpio briefly passed through the Weilehan ruins on Pahanu which Lahni recognized from her grandmother's pictures. They subsequently encountered the Wakaatu itself as it attacked the Swarm forces on the nearby beach while Scorpio made their escape in Tak's King Raven.

After their Venom Bombs failed to destroy the Swarm Hive in Sanctum, Mac sarcastically suggested combining the "nightmare acid" that the team had seen on the beach with the New Hope Research Facility gas which Hana Cole admitted could work. Recalling her grandmother's stories, Lahni suggested visiting Weilhei to ask her grandmother's people more about the creature that they had witnessed.

However, Scorpio discovered that the Swarm had abducted all of the villagers. From the carving in the center of the village hall, the team was able to learn the specifics of the Awakening.

In order to find the Wakaatu Nest, Scorpio undertook the Awakening themselves, although their journey started by having Jasi Tak drop them in the ruins where the Spirit Walk began. Thus, they effectively skipped the Mantle and the Journey parts of the rite. Lahni was excited to follow the path of her ancestors and honor their traditions, but Scorpio's journey was far more complicated due to the presence of the Swarm in the ruins.

Finally, Scorpio reached the nest where they fought and defeated the Wakaatu. Petting the creature, Lahni recited the poem from the village carving and expressed confidence that the Wakaatu would survive its injuries. Mac collected a sample of the Wakaatu's venom and, having completed the Awakening, each team member took a Wakaatu feather for themselves as per Weilehan tradition. The collected venom was used by Hana to perfect her Venom Bombs.

Description

The Mantle

The young Weilehan warrior was stalked by a terror that desired to consume them.

The Journey

The warrior traveled from Weilehi to Pahanu by canoe.

The Spirit Walk

The warrior would then go on a spirit walk through the Silver Era ruins of their people, starting at the altar. An incense burner would be used to clear the cloud of hallucinogenic gas generated by Wakaatu's feathers blocking the entrance to the ruins.

The Fear

After passing through the ruins, the warrior would take the Weilehan Raft to the Wakaatu Nest where they would face the creature itself in an arena like location. If they survived and succeeded in defeating the Wakaatu, the Weilehan would take one of the creature's feathers to bring back home with them. The feathers would be hung up in the Weilehan town hall where they released the Wakaatu's acid in the form of a gas, but the gas would be held at bay by an incense.

Known Participants

• Lahni Kaliso's ancestors
• Lahni Kaliso
• Leslie Macallister
• Jeremiah Keegan