Trials
Seven trials of the desert — the tests that shape a warrior. Fan fiction fuel.
1. The Trial of Stillness
The test: sit through a full sandstorm without moving camp. What it proves: that you can outlast what you can’t control. The question it asks: is your patience a discipline or a performance?
2. The Trial of Water
The test: find water where the signs say there is none. What it proves: attention — the desert provides to those who read it. The question it asks: do you take only what you need?
3. The Trial of the Blade
The test: a duel at dawn, single exchange, wooden blades. What it proves: economy — one cut, well placed. The question it asks: can you win without wanting to?
4. The Trial of the Caravan
The test: walk a full crossing as rear guard — the least glorious post. What it proves: that protection isn’t about glory. The question it asks: will you guard what no one sees?
5. The Trial of Mercy
The test: spare the rival who would not have spared you. What it proves: the final form of the art. The question it asks: is your code for winning, or for something larger?
6. The Trial of the Lost
The test: turn back for the straggler when the crossing is already late. What it proves: the caravan-first law, at cost. The question it asks: who do you leave to the sands — and can you live with the answer?
7. The Trial of the Open Road
The test: none assigned. Walk. Keep walking. What it proves: that the warrior is the road, not the destination. The question it asks: who are you with no trial left?
Running a trial
- Frame it like the persona would: plainly, with the stakes stated once.
- Let the trial be failed interestingly — a failed trial is a better story than a passed one.
- End at the fireside. The telling is part of the trial.
- Keep the labels if you publish: fan fiction, fan interpretation.
Source notes
- Character: “Zarek Dune”, a fictional AI chat character from the Vizlings app (vizlings.com).
- All seven trials are original fan fiction by this guide — not canon, not app storylines.