Preamble: "Do you see the crowd that has come to your summons? There is no one at all here to support you, yet you call yourself a leader." It is a tautology that to be a leader, one needs others to support them in that endeavour - followers that will watch them, trust them, join them, and honor them by helping with the projects and ideas they stir forth. Can you convince the people of Egypt to watch, trust, join, and honor your cause - release the Test of the Followers!
Participants show their initiative in the Test of the Followers after signing up for the test by creating a Follower's Pedestal. This building is somewhat expensive and contains requirements that require a standing network of craftsmen.
Other citizens of Egypt, in the role of followers, will then submit a resource to the Pedestal (similar in effort to 100 debens of iron in tale 2.) This resource is kept by the pedestal until the participant passes the test at which time the passer has access and can do as they please with the proceeds.
The followers will then subscribe to following the participant by performing a ritual of 7 prescribed emotes, in the correct order, next to the participant (and only the participant) and then requesting to join. Once subscribed, the follower can attach (or join) onto either the participant or one of the other joined followers in the followers tree and the joins will accrue points for the participant.
For every link in the participant's tree of followers, there is an amount generated towards the participants score in a given time period. The value of the links are generally the same, but are increased by special relationships between the linker and linkee. Follower's can change the value of their support to the participant by linking up in such a way as to maximize the value of their link. This optimization requires a good deal of organization well suited to the skills of a good leader.
Special relationships detemine the amount above normal for the value of a link. One such relationship may alignment for example (see tale 1.) In this case, alignment of a linker and linkee would increase the value of the link between them. One would guess the number of these special relationships to be seven and that the other relationships besides alignment be determined by Pharaoh and left to the participants to figure out.
At the end of a given time period, 7 times the length of the period for which points are accumulated, the leader in points shall pass the test and the proceeds of the Follower's Pedestal are released to the passer.
The 'joins' are not entirely dissimilar from the Test of the Bureaucracy. However, instead of 3 joins allowed per 'node,' you can have any number of followers (nodes or leafs) off any node. For example, every follower can be following the participant - or, you can make a train of singly joined followers (p-f-f-f-f-f.)
Followers can only follow one participant and must not have a Follower's Pedestal themselves in activity.
An active Follower's Pedestal is one in existence for a participant that has not yet passed the Test of the Follower.
...of a special relationship affecting the value of links in a participant's followers tree:
Let's say we have participant A who builds a Follower's Pedestal, gets B, C, D, E, F, G, and H to subscribe and are available for joining the followers tree. A situation may be alignment adds a double value link, and alignment pairs include AB, AE, BC, CE, DG, and EF. A participant not worried about optimization might simply allow all his followers to follow him:
B -> A (2 pts) C -> A (1 pt) D -> A (1 pt) E -> A (2 pts) F -> A (1 pt) G -> A (1 pt) H -> A (1 pt)
.. which would give 9 points towards a pass. The pariticipant would be much better off optimizing the tree as follows:
B -> A (2 pts) E -> A (2 pts) C -> B (2 pts) F -> E (2 pts) D -> A (1 pt) G -> D (2 pts) H -> A (1 pt)
... which would give 12 points to the pariticipant.
The test cannot be performed without the aid of others. - Temm
It is assumed many will make agreements to return the resource to their original owners. Any agreements made are outside the scope of the test itself, but add to its appeal since people will only put trust in those they feel can pass the test. - Temm