Vagabonds

The **Vagabonds** make up one of the six playable factions in Starborn Alignment. The Vagabonds are not one herd. Vagabonds have no central culture or location, and make up the population of Hireath that lives outside of the societies of the five major herds.

Whether adventurers, criminals, or simply struck with a wandering hoof, the Vagabonds have existed since Hireath's beginning, but grew more numerous after the God’s War.

Vagabonds fill the cracks between Hireath's major societies, seeking a destiny that can't be granted in the structure of herds. Their lives are difficult and often short, but most consider it a small price to pay for their freedom. The vagabonds bow to no one, and follow no laws set by anyone but themselves.

No culture, religion, or heritage binds the faction together. They are not a single unit, but a mostly unassociated group of individuals, connected only by their rejection of herd life.

While many vagabonds lead a nomadic and solitary lifestyle, roaming between Hireath's continents, some belong to organized factions that operate independently of any herd's government.

Vagabonds are either unaffiliated wanderers, or belong to one of four organized factions: The Vindicators, Cultists, Freedom's Flight or Asylon.

## Culture

As a group, vagabonds have no laws or central culture. They are free folk, and follow no compass but their own. While some may go out of their way to spit on the rules of herds, the average vagabond neither adheres to nor intentionally breaks them. Vagabonds are free to worship any god or gods they wish, or none at all.

Vagabonds are uncommon, and sparsely populate Hireath; it is unheard of for unaffiliated vagabonds to travel in groups any larger than one or two immediate families, and larger vagabond bands often come under attack from either suspicious herd militaries, or even more dangerous factions, such as the Cult. As a faction, the Vagabonds have no formal holidays or customs. Some make up their own, some retain the customs from their original herd, and some don't bother with them at all.

### Wordsmith Gathering

Once a year, in early spring, Bards will gather at the Point in Sirith. They spend days telling stories, singing songs, debuting the new tales they'd crafted, and sharing tips. It's unknown when or how this tradition started, but it has evolved into a much-anticipated celebration of story and song, and many wandering vagabonds, Bards or not, often gather to witness and revel in the art being shared.

### Worship of Digend

In the aftermath of the God's War, those who felt abandoned by the traditional pantheon of gods in Hireath created their own entity to protect them. Initially a silly story, Digend has become a folk legend of sorts, of a being thought to bring good luck to the traveling Vagabonds. The Cult of Digend twisted this folklore into a much darker tale, and use their worship of Digend to excuse chaos and violence, but the mythology initially belonged to wandering Vagabonds who take comfort in having a god all of their own.

After Digend was summoned during the Wordsmith Gathering of 1701, word began spreading that Digend may be more than just a story. The message Digend passed down to the Vagabonds stated that anyone who believed in Digend and told her story would receive her protection. The lore surrounding this little-known entity is growing in popularity as speculation over her existence is occupying Vagabonds the world over.

As concrete marks of her existence and power - the Towers and Asylon - have risen, many Vagabonds have chosen to flock to them, either for safety or out of reverence for the new god.

## History

The God's War was a long-lived, bloody conflict that affected all of equine kind. For the first time, the few Vagabonds that existed found their quiet lives plunged into the turbulent chaos of the warring herds. Some wanderers managed to flee to Aquore, where they were forced to accept herd life out of necessity. Vagabonds unable to escape the onslaught were thrust into the roles of soldiers and slaves, their bodies shattered on the battlefields for causes that weren't their own.

At the War's end, vagabonds watched the dust settle around them, and knew they had gained nothing. The conflict had swallowed them into its darkness, snatching their homes and loved ones from beneath their hooves. Many more souls had joined their ranks as well, disillusioned by the gods and their herds. The Vagabonds, once just a few free souls, now numbered in thousands - proof of the terrible wound the war had left on Hireath.

Through the centuries since, the vagabonds have persisted in independence, bound by nothing but the desire to be free of herd life. They have developed little culture of their own, as most Vagabond traditions are only as long-lived as the few people who prescribe to them.

The Vindicators, Cultists, Freedom's Flight and Asylon have additional unique histories, expanded on their individual pages

Read the full in-game timeline of unaligned Vagabonds here!

## Playable Ranks

### Unaffiliated Ranks

* Bard
* Hedgewitch
* Peddler
* Thief
* Mercenary
* Ranger

*Retired Rank:*

* Wanderer - Retired. No longer available.

### Vindicators

*For a full article, click here.* In this turbulent world, the Vindicators consider themselves the last defenders of balance in Hireath. A motley group of guerrilla activists, they stand against the rich and powerful to defend the downtrodden in many ways, but are most notorious for their raids on Valore, and for freeing Aodhian slaves. They are the sworn enemies of the Cultists, and anyone else trying to sow conflict.

* Paladin
* Elite
* Keeper
* Soldier
* Support
* Cadet

### The Followers of Digend

The followers of Digend are made up of two separate but related factions: Asylon, and the Cult of Digend (click the links to view full articles). Asylon is a new faction formed around Digend’s city - an anarchist but peaceful society promising to offer safety to all those who need it. Meanwhile, the Cultists are a group of bloodthirsty devotees who believe the mayhem and unrest they cause will further empower their god.

* Ascendant (leader of both factions)
* Harbinger (agents of Digend hiding among the factions of Hireath)

#### Asylon

* Knight
* Missionary
* Vicar
* Settler

* All unaligned Vagabond ranks **except** Ranger and Wanderer

#### Cult of Digend

* Incarnate
* Channeler
* Hunter
* Disciple
* Nothing

### Freedom's Flight

*For a full article, click here.* Born from the latent anger of Talori's oppressed pegasi after countless pegasus Sacrifices, the Freedom's Flight is a well-armed rebel militia, aiming to depose the Talori Emperor and take Aquore back from the hippocampi. They are an efficient, organized, radical force who have been labeled terrorists by the Talori after they incited riots and well-organized attacks in Inaria. They seek more than just equality from the Talori-- they seek justice, no matter the cost.

* Primary
* Commander
* Sergeant
* Galewind
* The Flock
* Striker Squadron
* Sentinel Squadron
* Agitator

## Familiars

### First level familiars

Unlocked at level 4. Cost 20 CS.

* **Birds**: Small Flightless Birds, Scavenger Birds, Hummingbirds, Small Hawks, Small Owls
* **Mammals**:   Small Cervids, Okapi, Kangaroo, Mongoose, Wild Pigs, Foxes, Rodents, Bats.
* **Reptiles**:  Nonvenomous snakes, Small Lizards, Small Alligators, Land Turtles.
* **Other**: Butterflies, Moths, Spiders, Centipedes. (May have up to 3 for each familiar slot/purchase)

### Second level familiars

Unlocked at level 8. Cost 40 CS.

* **Birds**: Large Flightless Birds, Large Birds of Prey, Pheasants, Turkeys, Waterfowl.
* **Mammals**: Big Cats, Rhinos, Wild Bovines, Wild Dog, Hyena, Goats, Large Cervids, Pangolin.
* **Reptiles**: Large Lizards, Venomous Snakes, Komodo Dragon, Large Crocodiles, Tortoises.
* **Rare Familiars** (50 CS): Thylacine, Giant bugs (no larger than large dogs).

### Third level mythical familiars

Unlocked at level 12. Cost 60 CS.

* Gytrash
* Ursa Major / Minor
* Hireath Chimera
* Homunculus
* Rocatrice

## Notable Figures

* Avella, Group NPC. Avella is an unusually independent young Bard who travels Hireath with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to learn every song in the world. Avella always knows where to find the best inn, some local work, or maybe even some treasure; she is available to give characters art prompts, or "quests".
* Gunsmith, Admin NPC. The Gunsmith is a traveling merchant who used her knowledge of Aodhian explosives and blacksmithing to create a profitable and formidable new weapon. She calls them "firearms", and if you happen across her, she might sell you one for a high price.

## Herd Relations

Unaffiliated vagabonds are usually completely undocumented, and are offered no protection by Hireath's governments. They are often viewed as untrustworthy or potentially criminal by those who participate in organized society.

Vagabonds are not welcome in Eithne or Aquore (other than the Isles of the Dead), and will be persecuted for attempting to enter those areas. Vagabonds have mostly free roam on the Vastlands of Sirith (on the land above Breim's tunnels), and are often welcomed as guests in Sedo. The War-Forged have little trust for vagabonds, or anyone who doesn't contribute to society, so Onea can be a dangerous place for wanderers.

The Vindicators, Cultists, and Freedom's Flight have additional unique herd relations, expanded on their individual pages.