Image by: Evil Twin Comics
Used with permission.

Each stage requires a different method to move forward:

Start!

Move off of start by doing something noteworthy in class. Win the Kahoot!, be brilliant, win at Hermaphroditos, or do something else and make your claim that you have answered that call!

Just having a Blue Chosen One Star will automatically allow you to leave this spot (and you get to keep the star!)

Making it through the Maze of Theseus will get you past this level.

The Call to Adventure

You have been called, but going on an adventure is not cheap. Once you have earned 3 drachmas, turn them in and move on to the next stage!

Making it through the Maze of Theseus will also get you past this level.

Refusal of the Call

Heroes often refuse the call to adventure. Bilbo was happy at home. Spider-Man was selfish and didn't care about others. Luke Skywalker was all talk and no action. Something must happen. Bilbo was tricked by Gandalf. Spider-Man's Uncle Ben died due to Spider-Man's selfish behavior. Luke's uncle and aunt are killed by stomtroopers (a lot of uncles die to make a hero...). So you need to find your mentor. You need to find the ones who will inspire you to greatness. You will need . . . signatures!

Get this paper either from Lord Alford or print it out. Get the required signatures and turn it in to move forward!

REFUSAL OF THE CALL SIGNATURE SHEET

Making it through the Maze of Theseus will also get you past this level.

Supernatural Aid

Heroes are often given assistance. In Star Wars Ben Kenobi gives Luke the lightsaber and comes back as a ghost to tell him how to win. In Lord of the Rings, not only does Frodo have Gandalf to bail him out of trouble using magic, but he also has a magic sword and magical armor given to him by Bilbo.

You are going to research and find supernatural aid (objects or assistance) given to mythological heroes (from any culture) and some more from modern day movies or books. Then you will let me know what supernatural aid you wish you had for your adventure.

SUPERNATURAL AID SHEET

Lazy and do not want to do the research? Well, that's not very heroic, but you can turn in a Blue Chosen One Star to bypass this square if you have one. Making it through the Maze of Theseus will also get you past this level.

Crossing the First Threshold

The hero must leave his/her/its comfort zone. This can be challenging for the hero as he/she/it is just getting started. Bilbo joins the dwarves and leaves the Shire. Luke Skywalker boards the Millennium Falcon and leaves Tattooine. Neo exits the Matrix. Stitch crash lands on earth. Peter Parker shows up in public dressed as Spider-Man. Dorothy lands in Oz.

Our first threshold will be to stop relying on classmates, and to openly declare war on them. Once you do this, you will have crossed out of friendly territory and now have made all your enemy. Here you must wait until someone else comes to this space. In order to leave, you must defeat this person in a game of Amazons (Greek unit) or in a game of viking chess (Norse unit) or in a game of senet (Egyptian unit).

If you are on this spot and you get challenged, you MUST defend yourself by playing. Throwing a game will get you moved to FALLEN HERO. Not a good game player? After three tries, you also have the option of paying 5 drachmas to leave this space.

Making it through the Maze of Theseus will also get you past this level.

The Belly of the Whale

The hero is now fully submerged into the realm of darkness. Bilbo is in Mirkwood. Luke Skywalker is in the Death Star.

So now YOU are surrounded by the enemy (in this case, your fellow classmates). To prove you are one of them, you must gain their trust by assisting them on their journey. You can do this by giving one of your classmates either:

• 5 Drachma -or-
• A Chosen One star

You may not give this to a player who already went through this part and moved ahead by giving YOU something.
You may not give this to someone else on this space.
You may not TAKE Drachmas or the Chosen One Star from someone you gave yours to.

Making it through the Maze of Theseus will also get you past this level.

The Road of Trials

Must complete 8 of these trials:

1. Envision yourself as a god or goddess. Write out what you are god/goddess of. Explain your powers. Tell about your origin. Then write a 500-700 word myth about yourself.
2. Complete the Superhero Mythology Chart
3. Get over 30 right on a Medusa exam while you are on this space
4. Complete a task given to you by a teacher (not me) that the teacher feels is a MONUMENTAL task. Maybe he/she wants to you to carry something heavy for them, clean their desks, do this crazy assignment, whatever that teacher thinks is a task worthy of a hero. Then he/she will sign a paper saying that you satisfactorily completed the given task.
5. Complete the Percy Jackson Greek Heroes Word Find (Available from Mr. Alford)
6. Make Ambrosia and Nectar.
7. Complete the Bible and Mythology chart
8. Bring in a penny with a date of 1970.
9. Complete this Harry Potter/Mythical Allusion chart
10. Beat Mr. Alford in a game of Amazons
11. Beat Mr. Alford in a game of Viking Chess
12. Beat Mr. Alford in a game of Senet
13. Turn in THREE Drachma
14. Create a Monster - use the directions on this sheet (it is a very old assignment - created my very first year teaching and is, ergo, flawed, but as I am lazy, I don't plan on making a new one.
15. Make it through the Maze of Theseus (this will count as completing 3 of these tasks - but you cannot have already advanced a level for this same thing.
16. Turning in a Chosen One Star will count as three of these tasks.
17. Beat the Egyptian Dead game in 9 seconds or less.
18. Bring in a box of character-themed Band-aids for Mr. Alford to use in class
19. Bring in 25 sheets of light-colored card-stock paper for Mr. Alford to use to print Drachmas (you may bring in 50 sheets to count for three of these actions)
20. Make a mythology meme that is worthy of passing a Road of Trials task (you must make it - not find it somewhere on the Internet)

The Meeting with the Goddess

Along the journey, the hero will meet the ultimate good in the hero's world and attempt to prove his worthiness. Usually, this presents itself as a powerful female figure. The goddess will give the hero a token to show his worth. It may be a small part in the story, like Frodo meeting Galadriel and getting the supplies he needs to complete his journey, or it may be a more lengthy part of the story, like Luke and Leia with Luke getting the medal. This unity with her makes the hero whole. If the hero is female already, then this would be the Meeting with the God. The idea is that the hero has met his/her opposite as represented by a powerful person of the opposite gender.

READ THESE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!

Find Mr. Alford's goddess here at ERA. Once you have done so, wait until she is at her temple to approach her. If you are correct in both the goddess and temple location, she will give you a riddle. You may not consult oracles or the Internet to answer. You either know the answer or not. You only get one chance to answer. If you are correct, she will grant you a success token. If you are incorrect, she will give you a failure token. You may NOT approach the goddess for the rest of this day or the next, or else you will incur her wrath and become a FALLEN HERO. After today and the next day, you may approach the goddess again for a different riddle.

You will leave this spot by presenting Mr. Alford with a success token

-or -

By presenting Mr. Alford with three failure tokens along with a Chosen One Star.

Atonement with the Father

This is the most dangerous part of the hero's journey. They meet the boss. The hero either defeats it (if the force is evil - like Harry Potter defeating Voldemort) or earns its favor (if the force is good - like Hercules earning Zeus' favor in the Disney cartoon version). It is a task of monumental proportions.

You are at the mercy of a parent or guardian here. You must get an Atonement sheet from me, then take it to your parent or guardian. They will decide what your task is and then sign it when they are satisfied.

The Ultimate Boon

This is the goal of the quest. Indiana Jones gets the ark. Simba gains the kingdom. Luke destroys the Death Star. Frodo destroys the One Ring. Jason gets the Golden Fleece.

In some stories, the Ultimate Boon is just a plot device to get the characters in motion. In this case, it is a called a Macguffin.

You are going to have to work at this. In order to move on to the next stage of your journey, you will have to bring me the Ultimate Boon.

*******ULTIMATE BOON WILL BE FIXED IF YOU GET TO HERE AND IT IS NOT FIXED, TELL LORD ALFORD*******

 

Refusal of the Return

Just like the first movie of the video game Jumangi, the hero didn't wish to return to his ordinary life. Since we are going back the way we came, rather than moving forward, you are going to re-complete one of these tasks:

• Supernatural Aid
• Crossing the First Threshold
• Belly of the Whale
• Meeting with the Goddess
• Atonement with the Father

Magic Flight

Luckily, most stories have a faster way to get back, or in the case of Bilbo, the longer way does not have any perils to read about. The price of air fare isn't cheap, you know. This will cost you one CHOSEN ONE STAR.

Crossing of the Return Threshold

Often, coming home presents new problems. It can be simpple like the Sackville-Baggins trying to auction off Bilbo's stuff or more severe like when Merry, Pippin, Sam, and Frodo return only to find that Sauraman has taking up residence in the Shire!

Go back to the Road of Trials. Complete any two that you did not complete the first time through.

CONGRATULATIONS! YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE! FORTUNE AND GLORY ARE YOURS TO REVEL IN!

• nerd honor
• your name on this web page
• your name on my wall for all posterity to see and marvel at
• exemption from the final exam.