Ko-tu

The Ko-tu, the ceremony of awakening, is the final test for soldiers in Shokaract's army to ascend to the ranks of the elite, the Heralds. To maintain the Heralds' quality, the rules surrounding the Ko-tu are very strict.

Before one is even allowed to attempt, one has to have proven oneself worthy of the Ko-tu ritual through exemplary achievements in battle. The Herald hopeful may also find an influential member of Shokaract's army-up to one of the existing Heralds-to sponsor their bid for ascendancy. When a soldier is considered ready, they are assigned an "alpha target": a prime enemy of Shokaract. It is then their task to track down and kill the alpha target. Upon success, they pledge their allegiance to Shokaract at the royal palace at Corumkan to receive the seal that'll mark them a Herald. Additionally, the new Herald is also made to uphold their pledge by the implantation of a device that will erase their mind would they ever come to betraying Shokaract.

However, the catch to the Ko-tu ritual is that a candidate only gets one chance. Should they fail to kill their alpha target, death is the only reward to be received-if not by their would-be victim, then at the hands of Shokaract's executioners. Technically, a failed Herald-to-be can choose for trial-by-combat to escape punishment, but the opponent selected will be a Herald, a foe no less than the alpha target, thus making the chances for redemption virtually non-existent.

Fiction

3H comics

Cataclysm at some point completed his Ko-tu and kept the head of his alpha target displayed prominently: mounted on the central spike of his trident.

He later took his fission-brother, the Cub, under his wing in order to train him in preparation for his Ko-tu. Cataclysm's rival-enemy Antagony, though, didn't believe the Cub would ever make it and to ensure that had him assigned a particularly notorious alpha target: the Veteran. Herald The Cub believed he could handle that prey with ease, but in the end found himself defeated. Knowing there was no escaping, he returned to Shokaract's domain and chose trial-by-combat over a quick execution to salvage some of his pride. Cataclysm was marked as his opponent, who had no trouble defeating and slowly taking apart his brother to warn the audience of the consequences of failure. Schism