Wayfarers

The Wayfarers is the name given to the widespread group of travellers who can be found mostly across the continent of Estiel. Supposedly, these wanderers are the remnants of an ancient civilisation from far before the founding of Tyrrus. Wayfarers travel the world as entertainers and peddlers. They move from town to town, trading goods and services, and being friendly everywhere they go.

Wayfarers can be recognised by their distinctive red cloaks, often decorated with unique patterns and markings. Those born into the family will usually have bright yellow eyes. Additionally, no Wayfarer goes anywhere without their unique lucky charm.

Myth and mystery surround the Wayfarers, and one particular highly held tradition is that it's bad luck to be inhospitable to a Wayfarer. They are generally seen as eccentric and superstitious, but also bright and welcoming. The Wayfarers are not religious, but they are devoted to the group as a whole, and the ancient traditions that dictate their lifestyle.

However, in this age of industry and bureaucracy, there is some distrust towards the Wayfarers. Many see them as a relic of an age long gone by, others think they're lazy and that they should be working instead of frolicking and performing. The fact that Wayfarers always leave at the first sign of disaster does nothing for their reputation.

### The Family

Most of the Wayfarers currently active in the world descend from the survivors of an ancient disaster, the very same disaster that destroyed the Forgotten Empire, which once stood on the south coast of Tyrrus. The people of this family usually have pale skin, yellow eyes and bright hair in vibrant shades of red, yellow, or white. However, many are "adopted" by the Wayfarers. Homeless travellers, abandoned children, those whose homes have been destroyed by war or disaster. Anyone who needs shelter, food, and pleasant company is free to join the Wayfarers.

### Traditions

The Wayfarers are a very superstitious group, and any wayfarer who ignores the traditions is shunned. A lot of their tradition involves seeing omens in the natural world around them. The horses acting strangely means you can't camp here, if the sky is pink in the evening it's a sign of good fortune, a fallen Silverbirch means dark things lurk nearby. Though these are often seen as silly and irrational, they're usually right.

The Wayfarers love their stories, whether they take the form of theatre, song, or simply narrating a tale around the campfire. A popular saying is that a Wayfarer has a story for every occasion. They commit these tales to memory, and rarely write them down. Some of the stories passed down through the family date back to millennia ago.

Every Wayfarer has a lucky charm that they keep as a pendant, an object they keep with them wherever they go, that reminds them of good times and keeps them optimistic. These are unique to the person, and are usually gained during the teenage years. One may have a horseshoe that was worn by a favoured horse. Another may have the playing card that won them an important card game. If a wayfarer is separated from their lucky charm, they can become very distressed, as they believe that pent-up bad luck will come to get them.

### Magic

Some members of the Wayfarers are practitioners of magic. These are "mystics", mages who know ritualistic and occult magic. Mystics are known for trading in magical items and seeing the future, though this fortune telling is usually just superstitious pseudo-magic. Some are known to grant blessings to the kind, and bestow curses upon the wicked. Mystics always choose an apprentice or two, to pass down their magical knowledge to.

Around half of the Wayfarers who know magic, know Elemental. Since the Wayfarers are very in tune with the natural world and the forces of nature, this comes naturally to them.

Some mystics are druids, are even less connected to civilisation than most Wayfarers.

There is a long tradition of Forbidden magic among the wayfarers, and many mystics practice this. Though Forbidden magic has a terrible reputation, these mystics strive to use it benevolently. They may commune with the spirits of their ancestors to recieve wisdom, or use psychic magic to calm the minds of the stressed and fearful. Some can even actually see the future. However, they strive to keep this secret.

### Caravans

Wayfarers make their homes in caravans. Usually made of wood, and pulled by horses. Controversially, a few Wayfarers have begun using engine-driven caravans. The size of a caravan is dependent on the family living within it, a lone wayfarer may have a small one, whereas a large group will have a very large caravan pulled by four horses. The caravan is always brightly coloured and always features red most prominently.

### Fighting

Travelling the wild parts of the world is dangerous, and so the Wayfarers are usually stronger than they seem. Every Wayfarer is trained in combat, and large groups will have a few dedicated guards, in red leather armour. Most Wayfarers use bows or swords, of a curving design reminiscent of ancient Tyrranean falchions.

The smaller a group of Wayfarers, the more dangerous they are individually. A lone Wayfarer is usually very able to defend themselves.

Wayfarers will never fight unless provoked, and most are quite pacifistic.

### Archmage Ravian's Notes

*I was once a Wayfarer, did you know that? Yes, it was quite wonderful. That's why I know how to play the flute, and why I know so many stories. My mother was a mystic you see, and she taught me everything she knew. Then I went to all the other mystics, and learned everything they knew. And on and on and on.*

*The Wayfarers know the value of a story, it's a snippet of a life. In a story, you can be someone you never were. And even the most mythical, fictitious story has a core of truth. That's something you need to understand. And that's why I gathered stories from all the Wayfarers I could find, because I was piecing together an important truth from all the wonderful tales.*

*But I didn't realise the mistake I was making you see? It's like a jigsaw puzzle, you can't see the full picture until it's complete. And oh, what a terrifying picture it is.*