History Main / TheCallLeftAMessage

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** And in the original novel, they put another one on Saturn (Jupiter in the film and in the novel sequels) for them to make the trip to when they've advanced far enough to do ''that''.

** In some version of the legends, one knight did make a drunken vow that he would sit in the Siege Perilous. He regretted it when he sobered up but, rather than break his vow and be dishonoured, he sat in the seat and was incinerated.

** ''Ocarina of Time'' manages to invert this, actually: Link accidentally accepts TheCall seven years too early, rather than too late, [[TheCallPutMeOnHold forcing him to be put in stasis until he's actually old enough for it]]. Too bad Ganondorf was expecting this... This is at least partially based on the Arthurian legend/myth of the Sword in the Stone.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheTransformersTheMovie'', even after the Autobot Matrix has been given to Ultra Magnus, nothing really happens until [[spoiler: Hot Rod gets a hold of it ande becomes Rodimus Prime]].

* The Hotline from ''VideoGame/{{Control}}'' is a SupernaturalPhone that can [[PhoneCallFromTheDead receive messages from beyond the physical world]]. Like the [[Service Weapon]], only [[TheChosenOne the Director of the Federal Bureau of Control]] can use it, and while it's never stated what exactly it does to anyone else who answers it, it most certainly isn't pleasant. When Jesse becomes the Director, she receives calls from [[SpiritAdvisor Trench]], [[EldritchAbomination The Board]], [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Darling]], [[KilledOffForReal Marshall]] and [[AndIMustScream Alan Wake]].

* A literal message is left on Literature/OctoberDaye's answering machine in ''Rosemary and Rue''.

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* In ''Film/ANewHope'', Princess Leia is about to be captured by the Empire and entrusts the droid [=R2D2=] with the stolen plans for the Death Star. She also has R2 carry a message for the reclusive Jedi master Obi Wan Kenobi, in which she begs him to take [=R2D2=] to her home planet Alderaan so the rebels can use the plans. Luke Skywalker acquires R2 and sees the first part of the message, but R2 refuses to play the rest for anyone except Obi Wan. When they finally track down Obi Wan and show him the message, he says that he's getting too old for this sort of thing and Luke will have to help him do it.

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* OlderThanPrint: [[KingArthur Arthurian legend]] has more than one of these. Other than the Sword in the Stone, the most notable is the Seat (or Siege) Perilous, which was Galahad's call. No one but the greatest knight could sit in it, and considering the number of enemies Arthur had, no one had either the confidence or pure innocence of purpose to actually take the seat until Galahad got to the court some weeks later.

* The staff Drum Billet passes on to Esk in the Literature/{{Discworld}} novel ''Discworld/EqualRites''.

* [=R2D2=] and the message from Princess Leia in ''StarWars: A New Hope.'' Possibly the single most iconic version in modern fiction.

Sometimes, when the CallToAdventure is made, no one is there to pick it up. But YouCantFightFate, and the call [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive won't take no for an answer]]. If no one's there to pick up, [[TitleDrop the call will leave a message]] that can only be "answered" by [[ChosenOne the person(s) that it was originally intended for]]. This also has the added benefit of dispelling any doubt that the character might not really be a hero.

Sometimes, when the CallToAdventure is made, no one is there to pick it up. But, as any GenreSavvy person knows, YouCantFightFate, and the call [[TheCallKnowsWhereYouLive won't take no for an answer]]. If no one's there to pick up, [[TitleDrop the call will leave a message]] that can only be "answered" by [[ChosenOne the person(s) that it was originally intended for]]. This also has the added benefit of dispelling any doubt that the character might not really be a hero.

* In ''{{Transformers}}: TheMovie'', even after [[spoiler:the Autobot Matrix has been given to Ultra Magnus, nothing really happens until [[strike:Hot Rod]] Rodimus Prime gets a hold of it]].

* Literature/HarryPotter: Surely the Hogwarts letters that just ''keep on coming'' for Harry are an example of this? Throw one away? Another is delivered. Throw that one away? They come by the bucketload. Try to take him away to a remote place? A huge freaking giant comes and breaks down your door, bends your shotgun like a licorice stick and gives your son a pig's tail, THEN gives Harry his letter. At last. If that's not [[CallToAdventure The Call To Adventure]] refusing to take no for an answer, what is?

* The Helmet of Fate tends to be this in ''TheDCU''. It will transform the person it was intended for into the hero ComicBook/DoctorFate. If anyone else dons it, the results are not pretty.

* In ''TwoThousandOneASpaceOdyssey'', aliens leave the Monolith behind for humans to discover once they've advanced far enough to travel to the Moon.

* One of the books in the ''{{Redwall}}'' series delivers the message rather forcefully when a bolt of lightning knocks an heirloom sword from its hiding place on a high weather vane. The weapon comes within a few feet of skewering its intended recipient.
* In ''SwordOfTruth'', [[spoiler: a magical message left for Verna forces her to become Prelate of the Sisters of Light]]. Despite all the other Sisters trying first, it could only be triggered by her.

* ''MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha'' has Raising Heart, an [[EmpathicWeapon intelligent device]] found by Yuuno, an archeologist, who could not use it properly despite being a trained mage. She becomes fully functional when she was given to the titular heroine, a resident of a planet without magic.

* Villainous example in ''TheSagaofDarrenShan'' where the Vampaneze have a coffin of fire, that only the true leader of the Vampaneze can sit in without dying horribly.

* The Helmet of Fate tends to be this in ''TheDCU''. It will transform the person it was intended for into the hero DoctorFate. If anyone else dons it, the results are not pretty.

* [=R2D2=] and the message from Princess Leia in StarWars A New Hope. Possibly the single most iconic version in modern fiction.

* MagicalGirlLyricalNanoha has Raising Heart, an [[EmpathicWeapon intelligent device]] found by Yuuno, an archeologist, who could not use it properly despite being a trained mage. She becomes fully functional when she was given to the titular heroine, a resident of a planet without magic.

* Literature/HarryPotter: Surely the Hogwarts letters that just ''keep on coming'' for Harry are an example of this? Throw one away? Another is delivered. Throw that one away? They come by the bucketload. Try to take him away to a remote place? A great big fucking giant comes and breaks down your door, bends your shotgun like a licorice stick and gives your son a pig's tail, THEN gives Harry his letter. At last. If that's not [[CallToAdventure The Call To Adventure]] refusing to take no for an answer, what is?

* In ''MassEffect'', the Protheans left their [[FlingALightIntoTheFuture warning about the]] [[AbusivePrecursors Reapers]] in beacons. Both [[PlayerCharacter Shepard]] and [[TheDragon Saren]] answered.