Wanderers

Wanderers are tall, skittish spirits that, as their name suggests, wander the overworld of Rathnir, particularly the high peaks of mountains. Tales say that they were once travelers who dedicated themselves to pursuing the gateway to a fabled sky dimension and through an unyielding yearning to finish their journey became Wanderers after death. When given enough Glowstone they will disappear and leave behind items that most deem "valuable".
== Origins ==
Though no one can point to a true origin of the elusive Wanderers, stories both oral and written exist about where they may have come from. The most popular story tells of several travelers, perhaps even an entire ancient civilization who were deeply obsessed with the sky. Through their lives they built elaborate yet fruitless portals of Glowstone and flew high on insectoid elytra they crafted to fulfill their mission: to reach a sky dimension where resources known and unknown were abundant and those who lived there were prosperous. It is said that although these adventurers never completed their mission in their original lifetimes, their yearning and wanderlust ran so deep within their blood and souls that they were brought back as Wanderers, now spending their eternal second life walking the world of Rathnir amongst an unfamiliar landscape.
== Taxonomy ==
Wanderers all share key similarities to each other and overall despite their rare status are easily identified at first glance. They stand absurdly tall at about 4 blocks, the majority of that height being their long arms which they walk on using their knuckles (or in instances where they need extra speed, their fingertips). Their legs are largely vestigial and although they can walk on them, are impressively slow whilst doing so. The iridescent insect-like wings on their backs are ripped up and thus similarly useless for flying, refracting light through the remaining scales like stained glass. Their skin is smooth and colored a dusted purple which goes to a bluish-yellow at the extremities and becomes darker around their chest and shoulders. Their nails and the round protrusions on their torso and legs are made of smooth obsidian. Their heads and eyes are bulbous and round, bulging from their head. This trait along with the pupil-less yellow eyes gives them a doll-like quality. Their mouths are beaks composed of keratin, all the while being too pliable and weak to deal damage beyond bruising. Jagged horns made of Glowstone adorn their head, curved to resemble a broken portal from, possibly in memoriam to their forever unfinished quest. It is theorized that a shared ancestry with the Warden may be a reason for its coincidentally similar height, arms and head accessories, though there has been no concrete evidence for this beyond scholar speculation.
== Behavior ==
Wanderers are skittish creatures, so much so that until the modern day their existence outside of books of folklore had been hotly debated. They are found most often solo, however a rare group of Wanderers banding together are referred to as a "Beacon" of Wanderers. As their name suggests they trek the untamed wilderness, seeking out high areas. When not actively moving they stare into the sky, casting a brilliant light from their large eyes which appears like a pair of spotlights to the unknowing observer. Their breathless gasping cry has been likened to a mourning, chained ghost.
Wanderers are completely passive despite their abnormally large stature and refuse to fight no matter what circumstance. They will run swiftly from any human that attempts to come close, unless said adventurer tempts them to come close with Glowstone. When enough Glowstone is gifted to a Wanderer, it will disappear to an unknown location and leave behind shiny objects as a prize to whichever individual cared to assist it. This can range from chunks of iron and lapis all the way to a diamond, and even rumored debris from the deepest bowels of the Nether. Despite its lack of human speech, said behavior proves the Wanderers as being highly intelligible, if not socially anxious spirits that are capable of reasoning and bartering.
== Habitat and Folktales ==
Wanderers are attracted to areas of elevation and light, where they may be closer to the sun and sky. For this reason it's not uncommon to spot them on mountain peaks, where isolated towns may be close by. Several stories of high-elevation societies detail their odd habits, some as harmless spirits called Overseers who foretell good travels to whomever is caught in their gaze, whilst other stories paint them as malicious, soul-stealing Mountain Ghouls who steal the air from peoples lungs in the already oxygen-poor environment of the high mountaintops. However, their light-casting eyes have almost universally earned them the nickname "Sailor's Angels'' as they were told to save sea goers from smashing up against rocky shores on moonless nights by acting as natural lighthouses standing on the high cliff sides near the sea.
== Taming ==
Unfortunately, taming of a Wanderer has not been proven to be possible in either written or oral history. Their intelligence and elusive nature means that they are hard to work with, and their natural wariness of humanoids turns the idea of them working alongside travelers beyond simple Glowstone transactions into a pipe dream. Attempts to capture them to observe them within a controlled area have been similarly unsuccessful due to their uncanny ability to teleport far distances. However, their ability to procure goods in exchange for relatively easy-to-get supplies have spurred on brave souls to wander the mountainous wilderness in hopes to encounter a Wanderer to barter with.
== Videos ==
	
Category:Lore
Category:Traveler's Era