The World of “The Wayfarer”
The Wayfarers
The Wayfarers are said to be the descendants of Nimbion, The God of Storms. Nimbion blamed himself for the death of his sister, Gelidia. To repent for his wrongdoings, he gave up his godhood, and began to wander the roads of the world, swearing to only use magic to help people, not harm them. The Wayfarers are an order of wanderers who have taken Nimbions Oath to do no harm and help those who need it. The Wayfarers were said to be able to manipulate the magical energies from a gemstone known as Arctium. They could use that magic to do wonders, like heal wounds, call down lightning, and lift boulders without touching them.
During the Betrayal War, The Wayfarers appeared in droves to fend off the Siphons. Siphons could use the powerful raw magic from Arctium, so The Wayfarers formed the vanguard for the Elven army. The Wayfarers were able to defeat the Siphon Soldiers, but the efforts cost them most of their lives. After the war, the remaining Wayfarers went into hiding. Many folks believe that one day The Wayfarers will return, and bring magic back into the world. To heal the wounds left over from the Betrayal. Someday...
The Elves
Before the Betrayal War, Elves lived as most imagine them- in cities nestled into great expanses of forest. Tall and graceful, the Elves of old were wise beyond their years. Many Elven youths took the path of scholars, learning what they could of the world. Others swore oaths to protect their forests from harm. Of course, this was before the Betrayal. During the war, the Elves were forced to flee their capital city, taking refuge on ships. They sailed away from their burning city and were not seen again for many years.
When the Elves reappeared, it seemed they had taken to life at sea. Living on many different islands, they had become skilled sailors and boatwrights. Many elves took to becoming fishermen, merchants, or stevedores. However, some Elves took up the more nefarious trade of piracy. They sail the seas looking for poor merchants to rob, or raid the docks of port cities, causing havoc wherever they go. Many tales tell of Captain Silverleaf, a refugee among the Elves. Silverleaf was enraged at the loss of his people’s homes and gathered a group of like-minded Elves to go raid port towns, becoming the first Pirates among the Elven people.
The Dwarves
Dwarves did not always wander the plains. They used to live under the mountains in vast kingdoms connected by stone roads. They were skilled artisans, holding mastery over stone, and the metals and gems inside. The Dwarven folk were wealthy with trade and commerce from the topside kingdoms. Why did they leave? A thousand years ago the Dwarves and Goblins were at war. The Dwarves were beating the Goblins handily, and it seemed that the Dwarves would win the war. Unfortunately, most of the histories regarding The War Over The Mountains have been lost, but legend has it that near the end of the war, the Dwarves committed an act of horror. An unknown atrocity that enraged the Goblins and sent them into a violent rampage. The Goblins defeated the Dwarves, and as a recompense for their war crimes, banished them from their mountain homes. The Dwarves have lived in the plains ever since.
The Dwarves have tribal communities, living off the land for a season before picking up and moving to a more bountiful location. Young Dwarves are forbidden to grow their beards and braid. It is a mark of maturity, and can only be obtained by going on a Pilgrimage of Stone. The Pilgrimage of Stone is a right of passage where a young dwarf leaves their tribe for a year and travels the world. The Elders decide when a young Dwarf is ready to take their pilgrimage and are permitted to grow their beard or braid once they have set off. When they return to their tribe, wearing a full beard or braid, the tribe has a ceremony welcoming the youth to adulthood.
The Halflings
Short in stature and jolly in nature, the Halflings were a peaceful race, content with working hard and celebrating life. Many Halflings worked as cobblers, farmers, and blacksmiths. The post office was invented by Dramo Oddfoot, an extraordinarily lazy Halfling who was quoted to have said “my foot hurts! I’m not delivering messages today, so let the bastards come to me”. A common pastime of Halflings was brewing. Cider, beer, wine, or mead, Halflings loved it all, and they would have 4-5 batches going at a time. Some say when a Halfling was born, the parents would give them a taste of Mother’s Milk. Mother’s Milk, not to be confused with breast milk, is a thick, milky beer rumored to have healing properties. Halflings could also find any reason to have a festival. Sausage Fest, Brewers Carnival, and Pie Week were among the most famous of Halfling Celebrations.
A foul fate had befallen the Halflings. During one of their celebrations, The Queen of Aren destroyed the dam neighboring the Halflings capital city, Windermere. A horrible flood washed over the city, killing thousands of Halflings in the blink of an eye. The Queen had broken the ancient treaties, beginning the Betrayal War. After the war was done, The Halflings dispersed across the land. Their homeland was flooded forever, with no way of rebuilding the dam. Nowadays, Halflings are a rare sight.
The Goblins
Not much is known about the Goblin people prior to the War Over the Mountain. After they defeated the Dwarves, the Goblins moved their people to the other side of the mountain and began life anew. Instead of moving into the mountain halls of the Dwarves, the Goblins built cities on the sides and base of the mountains. Large lifts were installed for easy access to the mountainside cities. Historians have traveled to the far side of the mountain ranges in search of any clues to how the Goblins lived before, but they were met with a harsh swampy landscape. Any architecture they found had sunk into the swamp and had been destroyed beyond recognition. On top of the harsh landscape, many dangerous monsters have been seen and documented in Farside. While Monsters do exist, they are incredibly rare, making the findings in Farside all the more perplexing.
Goblins are far more technologically advanced than the other races of the world. Goblin inventors have been responsible for things such as firearms, clockwork, sewer systems, pianos, and advanced medicines. These are only some of the public Goblin inventions, and many believe there are more kept hidden. Rumor has it that some noteworthy engineers are working on Arctium powered devices, but those are only rumors. The Goblin people also have quite a hold of the market business, selling their wares wherever they can get them. Curiously, Goblins can grow hair on their head, but an old custom dictates that they keep their head shaved. Many scholars have tried to ask why the Goblin folk do this, but the Goblins simply reply “It’s as custom dictates”.
The Siphons
Before the Betrayal War, the Queen of Aren had made a decree to banish all non-humans from the kingdom. This action began the Aren Civil War. During this uprise, the Queen had uncovered notes on the magical gemstone Arctium. Arctium was said to be the broken remains of the Goddess of Ice, Gelidia. The notes gave a detailed theory on how Arctium could be implanted into the body of a person, and the person could siphon the raw magic from the gem.
The Queen began to experiment on her own people. By surgically implanting Arctium into the subject's body, she was able to achieve the desired effect. Thus, the Siphons were born. The Siphons harnessed the magic from the Arctium and used its raw power to annihilate any in their path. Soon, the Aren Civil War ended, and the Queen turned her eyes to other kingdoms.