Sojourner

**Sojourners** are a culture that can trace their origins to the ending of the Titan Age located primarily in the regions of Iycodust, Morrodust, and Winterdust. The Sojourners are well known for their rather grim philosophy as well as the iconic skull masks that they create and decorate themselves. As a people, the Sojourners are not as unified as others, living in semi-nomadic clans that wander the expanse of the Dustlands.

While many cultures choose to worship a god or have a pantheon of various gods, Sojourners believe in the personification of the cycle of life and death they refer to as Thanatos.

## Name

Sojourners are named after their own philosophical beliefs in a concept called the Sojourn; the struggle of the soul. Sojourners believe that struggle and conflict, life and death, are what turns the great wheel of the planes. The Sojourn focuses on the whole soul's journey and not just one's mortal life.

## History

The Sojourner culture traces its routes to a group of giants known as the 'Shepherds.' After the cataclysm of the Titanomachy that left the giant pantheon decimated, wanderers and refugees of various folk and groups sought out the old giant knowledge of the shepherds and were met with a somber and grave message that would develop into their unique philosophical and religious beliefs that would vastly guide the Sojourner culture's development. Being born of wanderers and various groups, the Sojourners developed a semi-nomadic life-style, wandering the Dustlands in the warm months and settling into their cities in the winter. As the divisions and territories of various Sojourner families and clans became clearer, many began to develop a less nomadic life-style. After being exiled from Lunargoth (modern-day Mekkenheim), the Moonshadow family came to settle in Iycodust where their family over time developed into a whole Sojourner tribe.

Many Sojourners have found themselves no longer independent, with Iycodust divided between a various political powers including: Imperial Kovith, the Neutral Frontier, the Greater Albion exclave, Kainhurst, and the Rendwood. Due to Kovithian conquest and occupation in the west and Vampire rule in the east, the Sojourner people have spread further south of Iycodust into the Bloody Steppes, the Ghost Vale, and even have gone north into Morrodust. Others have sought refuge in the mountains west of the ogre kingdom of Kangliv (technically an ex-clave of Albion). In Kovithian Iycodust, the Moonshadow clan led a rebellion against their Kovithian occupiers. Egon Morgenstern led the charge against this revolt that saw the end of House Moonshadow's line with the exile of the rebel's leader, Gabriel and with Ionia's marriage into House Kavandell of Cumbria, ending a centuries spanning family feud.

## Culture

Sojourners lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle, but there are portions of their population that do gather in more permanent settlements. They gather around ashwalker clans that are seen as guides in their journeys with the clans themselves functioning as separate groups within the culture with the ashwalker clans meeting in the city of Necropolis annually for a special winter festival unique to their culture, the March of the Dead. How each clan's politics operate is dependent on the clan with some, such as the Moonshadows having a more traditional hereditary based rule. Meanwhile, other clans, such as the Brekkan who follow a more elective structure of rule. Due to their philosophy surrounding Thanatos and their respect for the 'struggle of the soul,' the sojourn, an outsider may call the Sojourners macabre at best and at worst would misinterpret their practices and beliefs for devil worship. This is a gross misconception of their beliefs, as they instead see great value in turning the wheel of the cycle, as without life or death, without struggle or conflict, there is only stagnation.

Sojourner architecture is renowned for the ossuaries that dot the region of Iycodust, constructed from the bones of the dead. Sojourner cuisine represents that of a semi-nomadic society, with a focus on nuts, berries, meats (especially chickens, goats, and sheep) as well as grain and corn based foods.

### Demographics

The Sojourner people are a diverse group of people comprised of a wide variety of ancestries, and historically, as was the case with House Moonshadow, the culture does not take issue with welcoming other outsiders into their fold. It is not uncommon for a Sojourner clan to be a good mix of folk. With their basis in the giants known as the Shepherds as well as their proximity to Rendwood and Kanglive, Sojourners do have a larger percentage of folk with some sort of giant heritage (ogres, yetis, half-giants) than other cultures may have.

### Language

With their diverse set of demographics, the Sojourners quickly adopted the Common language after its codification. Sojourners are one of the few cultures in the world that continue to use the Jotunn language of the ancient giants. Their accent is often described as 'dirge-like' by non-Sojourners and for those not from Iycodust.

### Religion

The unique faith of the Sojourners is a large part of what sets them apart from other cultures present in Evarencia. The Sojourners place a great reverence on the cycle of life and death and hold great value in the cosmic concept of death. Instead of focusing their worship, ideals, or beliefs around a specific god or pantheon of gods, Sojourners instead offer fealty to a personification of the cosmic concept of Death itself, not just a singular death god like Ghuul. The Sojourners name for this personification of the cycle of life and death 'Thanatos,' an old giant word. Other names for Thanatos include Muertos, the Wheel, Saint Death, or Danse Macabre. With their views, the Sojourners believe in the Sojourn, which gave them their name, or rather the 'struggle of the soul.'

Sojourners place a great value on the great wheel and struggle of the soul, placing great respect on those souls that struggle. This struggle is said to not only improve the individual, and helping to strengthen and enlighten that soul, but the Sojourn also aids in the turning of the great Cosmic Wheel. Sojourners in their journey hope to obtain a concept they believe called "the Sojourn's End," which is thought to be a state the soul reaches once it has surpassed its final struggle and can finally, truly rest. Due to their fascination with this journey of the soul, Sojourners have a great understanding of the workings of the planes and Realms Above. With their philosophy surrounding Thanatos and their beliefs in the Sojourn, an outsider may call the Sojourners macabre at best and at worst would misinterpret their practices and beliefs for devil worship. This is a gross misconception of their beliefs, as they instead see great value in turning the wheel of the cycle, as without life or death, without struggle or conflict, there is only stagnation.

A darker aspect to their beliefs includes the scribing of names into the Wall of the Faithless should one choose to 'end their Sojourn,' and killing their name in a special prayer. This is what Sojourners require should someone chooses to forsake their people and/or their faith, and this tradition effectively is believed to consign the soul to Gehenna so that it may atone for abandoning Thanatos and damaging the Great Wheel. In a prayer, the Sojourner kills their current identity symbolically by offering that name to Thanatos and taking on a new name. This is evidenced in Fenris' backstory in which he refers to his Sojourner mother giving him up at birth, to which he believes, due to the cultural practices he observes, consigns his soul to Gehenna when he dies. A Sojourner may 'kill their name' for other reasons as well such as atonement, personal growth, or self-discovery, and not adhering the the tradition of a killed name and referring to someone as such is considered not only taboo, but a sin amongst Sojourners.

Interestingly, the Sojourner people do not shun the worship or observance of other gods provided that the deity's domain is adjacent to death. Their faith believes that these gods are representations or manifestations of Thanatos. Some gods observed by Sojourners include the gods in the Triad of Dead: Ghuul, Marlfax, and Urboch. Some clans will observe Aor as an acceptable deity as they are the god of judgment. The efreeti known as the Demanresh of the dwarvern tradition is also accepted on similar grounds. Many Sojourner elves pay fealty to the Adjudicator and see her as their guide. Any who observe the draconic gods would turn to Drakaan and even many non-Felpurr Sojourners pay some respect to Nood. Kuries and Kabor are also quite commonly worshipped by Sojourners, their twin nature often used to represent different aspects of death.

### Fashion

A major part of Sojourner culture known across the realms is the skull masks that every member of the culture crafts, decorates, and wear these masks as a part of a coming-of-age ceremony in their culture. These masks are often worn into battle and during religious ceremonies. The skull represents many things, such as the devotion to Thanatos and to the cycle. It also is a representation of the soul, as it journeys through death’s cycle. The mask also is a representation of the link of one’s soul to the souls of their ancestors who have already journeyed the cycle and the desire to join with them in their Sojourn beyond the mortal realm some day when the soul is ready. Their dress consists almost totally of dark colors, and it is common to jest that Sojourners are always dressed like they are going to a funeral.

## Geography

The Sojourners are believed to have originated in the land of Iycodust and have spread from that region as parts of Iycodust have fallen under various rules. Other major Sojourner populations can be found in Morrodust, Winter Dust, the Ghost Vale, Kirkgaard, the Condemned Valley, and the Bloody Steppes.

## Notable Sojourners

* Fenris Amarak
* Juan Muertos
* Gabriel Moonshadow
* Ionia Kavandell

## Trivia

* Some inspirations for Sojourner culture creator Puddins looked to include the Mexican tradition including the well-known Day of the Dead and the folk Catholic saint Santa Muerte and the Dustmen from *Planescape* setting for *Dungeons & Dragons* as well as.
* The concept of the Sojourn or 'struggle of the soul' is a concept found in many religions with Puddins pulling largely from Catholic tradition. The concept of the Sojourn's End is inspired by the concept of achieving Nirvana in Buddhism.