Merfolk Calling
Keywords:
MERFOLK-CALLING, CALLING_MERFOLK
The Calling is a period of time in which a merperson leaves their natural habitat and home to journey onto land, exploring it and thereby expanding their understanding of the world. As an answer to the merfolk post-adolescence tendency toward extreme boredom and the species' ingrained desire - at least in their youth - for foreign curiosities, the Calling evolved sociologically as a way to provide structure and form to the process.
There is no standard age for when the Calling is embarked upon, though most set out almost immediately following their sixteenth birthday. Callings fulfilled in middle age are not unheard of, however, and a merperson may choose to hold off until they simply cannot contain the desire any longer.
The fulfillment of the Calling serves a vital purpose for developing merfolk, not only allowing them to leave and find out exactly what they aren't missing on land, but also ensuring that the individual reaches adulthood with a thorough, well-rounded understanding of the world beyond their habitat. A significant amount of a merfolk's education takes place during this time, as they are made capable of learning about histories and cultures outside their own through osmosis.
When the merfolk eventually returns home, they are expected to take their place in society as a functional, responsible elder. The Calling may last anywhere from months to years. Individuals are encouraged to continue until they no longer have anything left to pursue that interests them.