The Caravans

The Caravans: An umbrella term for the various groups of warriors/soldiers who act as a lifeline between forbiddances and the central cities in Immortuos. Though their individual make up and functions vary from caravan to caravan and amongst each city-state, caravanners in general are distinguished by the amount of time they spend on cursed land, fighting against Undead. Unlike cursedefiers, who primarily stay in one area/ work for individual forbiddances, the caravans service multiple forbiddances on trade routes and operate out of urban hubs. Despite their integration in the military, becoming a caravanner is often an informal process as groups will induct members outside of official means as they see fit.

### Travel

Caravanners spend the majority of their time off-forbiddance, including at night. In order to survive, caravans maintain an elaborate systems of warms and small scale forbiddances hidden alongside their routes. At the center of every caravan is at minimum one divine caster who will power these campsites each night, allowing the caravanners to rest as well as providing (some) protection against undead. While this system allows them to travel across cursed land, it unfortunately leaves units vulnerable to coordinated attacks by Necromancers and Undead. The loss of a campsite is often a a fatal blow as it forces caravanners to travel overnight to the next one while exposing them to increasingly dangerous undead. Even with all protections up and running, caravanners see high death rates, particularly in the first two years of recruitment. It is not unusual to see the corpses of abducted caravanners return as undead or vampire spawn and not unheard of for entire caravans to be wiped out.

Due to the extreme importance of the divine caster's roll in powering wards, caravans will often "hide" their casters within the group to prevent them being targeted by enemy forces. Captains and co-captains usually attempt to blend into the general rank and file as well. Codenames/Nicknames are often used off-forbiddance as well, in order to further obfuscate the enemy and caravanners are identified largely by their necklaces.

### Formation

Due to high death rates and limited access to divinity, caravans' individual configuration depends heavily on the group/where they are recruiting. However, generally caravans are comprised largely of martial classes with at least one member capable of healing and one (the same or another) capable of channeling divinity (usually a cleric). How firmly caravans are integrated into the military depends on the city-state, but all caravans are headed by a captain and a second. The captain and second are responsible for the leading their groups as well as maintaining the individual mental health of their members (captains are usually trained in grief counseling) and handling administrative duties/ relaying orders from the hub cities. Divine casters are responsible for powering the individual camp wards the caravans use when traveling in between forbiddances.

### Culture

Having to deal with almost constant threats to life, caravans value group cohesion and unity above all else. Captains are typically chosen based on a combination of both experience and their ability to manage others as opposed raw strength. As such captains are frequently not the most powerful individuals in a given caravan. As they spend a lot of time away from centralized communities and are banded together, caravans often develop strong individual identities (particularly in Wavecrest). Members who fail to adequately integrate within their squads are usually transferred and any who have a repeated pattern of causing problems are quickly removed.

Caravan relationships with individual forbiddances vary widely but it is not unusual for caravanners to marry within or retire to forbiddances they served on their trade routes. This is in spite of most caravanners being seen as odd or "weird" by civilian populations at large. In much of Immortuos, caravans are usually manned by those with some kind of baggage or score to settle.

While caravanners occupy a vital role for forbiddances in all central cities, their esteem in the general population changes within in central city: Wavecrest >Valor's Creed > Raven Isle > Stormstricken.

#### Wavecrest Caravans

In Wavecrest, caravans are technically part of the military but are managed between the Flores and Hidalgo families jointly. They're allowed more individual freedom, as there is a starker delineation between them and the people who are specifically dedicated soldiers. Individual caravans are more separate and allowed to manage their affairs more than in other city-states, leading to the creation of unique identities.

#### Valor's Creed

Valor's Creed caravaners are the city-state's literal military.

#### Stormstricken

Stormstricken has a significantly smaller amount of active caravanners than the other central cities as they have invested heavily in teleportation technology. Their inner forbiddances are connected via teleportation circles and caravanners service mostly only the outer rings. As a whole, Stormstriken has a significantly smaller military than the others three as they have instead invested into using magic and wards to protect themselves from even needing to engage with the undead.

#### Raven Isle

In a stark contrast to Wavecrest, caravanners are largely temporary and the job is seen as a stepping stone to prove their worth, and, ideally, become a Ravenguard. It is less of a career path as in the other central cities.

### Bloodhunter Test

Of interesting note, Bloodhunters are extremely common amongst caravans. While they existed before the rise of the caravan system, they have proliferated ever since and caravans usually test and convert any recruits they believe could survive the transformation. The exact methodology of the process of Bloodhunters is not widely known, as it requires a working knowledge of alchemy, magic, and monster hunting. That being said, it is by no means a state secret and most caravans usually have at least or two members who know the process of creating others. Becoming a Bloodhunter is a two-fold curse and a surprisingly un-coordinated affair. While some cities have dedicated schools within, new bloodhunters are usually exposed to the blood curse and, should they survive, apprentice under a senior bloodhunter in the caravan. If they survive long enough off-forbiddance then eventually they will be inducted in a Bloodhunter Order and undergo the second part of the curse.

#### Order of the Ghostslayer

By far the most populous order, Ghostslayer bloodhunters focus primarily on dispatching undead. Induction requires the infection of curses as well as training on weaponry of choice. This Order compromises the majority of caravanners, especially in Wavecrest. Notable examples: Basanio Vladilyn

#### Order of the Lycan

Significantly less common then Ghostslayers and Mutant, those inducted to the Order of the Lycan are infected with a modified version of Lycanthropy. In addition to surviving the initial curse, users must learn to control themselves during transformation. Notable examples: Tadgh Whelan

#### Order of the Mutant

Another order, induction involves the taking of a number of incredibly dangerous alchemical potions alongside the bloodhunter curse.

#### Order of the Profane Soul

Inductees to this order make pacts with "lesser evils" to fight undead and fiends. Who they make a pact with varies wildly, though some gods have been known to bless order. Tempus is a common choice.