In comparison to his previous existence, the wanderer's current life is filled with loneliness and despair. The traveler recalls a glorious past in which he feasted with his friends in his master's hall and received vast wealth from his lord in exchange for services done. Now alone and without means, he is forced to make new friends as he travels through hostile lands looking for work. The wanderer thinks of his loved ones back home and wishes that he could be with them again, but this cannot be. He has left behind everything that was important to him, including his family, so there is no going back now. All he can do is try to make the most of his situation and keep traveling in search of better days. Wanderers are one of the commonest characters in fantasy literature. They usually come from upper-class families who have fallen on hard times when their father is killed in battle or by poisoning for being a royalist, or their mother dies while giving birth to their next sibling. Sometimes the wanderer is an orphan who is looking for good people to trust. Most often, they are young men who have found no way to get along at home so they go looking for adventure instead. Wanderers usually travel around the world because there are many places where there might be work or fame to be had.