Wayfarers

JOURNEY OF THE WAY

Being a glimpse into the workings of those mysterious followers of the Great Wolf

Know this student and apprentice of the way, we are bound to the sacred forces of the lands. They guide us and wrap us with destiny and desire.

We are bound to the Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit, and in turn we are bound to the Ashirion and the moon. But the Ashirion of the Seasons no longer govern the order - so we have had to rely now on the elmental forces themselves as the Great Wolf's gifts.

Earth
Air
Fire
Water
Spirit

The High Wayfarer

This is one from our ranks our leader who guides us in all things, the High Wayfarer is tied to all of the elements and resides usually at our great Temple in the North.

Our current High Wayfarer is Markus, a young enthusiast with a penchant for mischief and wit.

The Wayfarers

The Wayfarers are split into three distinct classes, Master, Journeyman and Apprentice.

New recruits become apprentices, training and learning the skills to rise into Journeyman (woman) and up to Master, it is impossible to become an Elemental master unless the High Master and his 4 Elemental Masters choose you. This usually happens when another Elemental Temple is established, or the individual performs a great deed.

Being a Wayfarer - The Way

Life is a journey; we travel the broken road for one reason, to learn. We do so in many different ways, having adopted skills in the bardic areas and the martial areas, we strive to balance magic and the blade with diplomacy and a hard stick. We are spies/scouts/information gatherers. We are charmers and dreamers, poets and warriors.

We must strive to keep the good name of Wayfarers within our hearts and deeds at all times, overcoming any jealousy or pettiness with an even hand and a fair voice. Knowing that Lore will not write itself we continue to etch the deeds of valour into the books of ages, writing down the great tales for other generations to read and understand.

Our Way is secret to us and we remain hidden to the world, whenever we act we must make our presence felt as little as possible, yet our actions should cause great waves against the darkness. We must take stealth and cunning to our hearts and learn to move unseen through the lands. We must be vigilant and ready to meet the threats of dark with planned action, our plots and schemes must be enough to outwit our deadliest foe, secrecy must be our middle name and silence our native tongue.

We must learn to care for all our own and those who are not with us, if there is evil afoot we must move to thwart it. Calling on the aid of the clan and those within the clan, and most of all each other.

There are no Lone Wolves in our ranks; if you do not sing with the chorus then we do not wish you to sing at all. Understandably there are times when you must be alone against a foe, but a true Wayfarer seeks allies in all places.

We must never kill another out of hand, there is no reason that a peaceable solution cannot be sought, but if we fail to find one, then we must act with deadly force.

We must never accept a commission from anyone to kill another for payment, these are tasks best suited to the assassins or the Ninja, we want nothing of them.

We will not be drawn into conflict with vendetta. Unless there is good reason we cannot take it upon ourselves to intervene in someone else's fight. If there is a problem, it should be brought before the Council of Wayfarers, who in turn may decide to ask us to discretely deal with it.

Come to the aid of the needy. Be sure of this before you stride into defence or battle, thinking it through, call to the person in need of aid, if they accept then bare your blade or wit and take on the foe with courage and valour.

Always keep in contact with your higher Wayfarers, information is what we do best, but the rest of your group needs to be informed as well, the team should be first and foremost as should the clan. If in doubt of something ask.

If you have a creative soul then by all means create. Making poetry and songs, writing and any other form of creation is to be greatly encouraged. We are after all akin to Bards more than warriors. But many have made the mistake that we are not versed in steel.

Learn your environments. We must know our way around the lands, learn the various maps of the world and the worlds that connect to them. Study and reveal hints to those who ask for them within the lands of Ashirion Do not horde the information like a Dragon keeps gold and gems.

The Credo - "We stand before the dawn and the darkness, walk in the shadow and leave with the light, never will our tread disturb the new born snow, nor the sand of the desert with our passing."

Wayfarer Code of Honour

Be the last to draw your blade when a word can turn the tide of battle.

Sometimes an enemy can become a friend if you have tolerance enough to work at this.

Be mindful of the actions of others know the codes of honour for combat and interaction.

A Wayfarer fights against the darkness where ere it might be, always be ready to challenge it, but never forget you have others to call upon.

Respect those above you and below you, we are always equal within the Way.

You must never refuse a just soul in need, but do not be misled into accepting to help one who is not worthy of such, you must judge for yourself. (The hardest task)

Do not be drawn into conflict save to defend a friend in need.

Always learn to heal as well as fight; in this we may better help our clan mates in their time of need.

Respect we are part of Wayfarers and keep that in mind always.

Do not be a Lone Wolf. Always stand together never apart.

Learn to be eloquent at all times, not only within the written word, but also with your interaction with others, do not curse or swear at those you know, or you do not know. Diplomacy can win a war as much as a 100 warriors.

Have a Tolerance for those who are not as skilled. Be mindful of those who may not be as skilled as you, and stand ready to help them learn to be better.

What are the Orders like, inside the concept of the Five Elements?

So you wish to play a Wayfarer do you? very well this is some information on the various orders inside the collective of disciplines and disciples that follow the elusive pathways that some of us dare to call - The Way.

The Order of Earth

Concerned now with defence and strength, these are the Wayfarers who almost seem to be of an unshakeable foundation in their personality and desires. They are deeply philosophical individuals and pragmatists. They have a power to their words that often rumbles like an old mountain, often they can make lesser beings stop and listen by a simple word - this is due to a force of personality and a certain presence than any magic or supernatural power. Purely a roleplaying tool and not set in stone. Pardon the pun. Often Earth Wayfarers can call on the magics that manipulate their local environment and the forces of the Earth - rockslides and rockfalls, earthquakes and effects such as this. Some of the more powerful of the order have been able to erect walls of mud, brick, rock or sometimes crystal.

The Order of Air

These are a flighty bunch, but again, they are Wayfarers. The order of Air are able to move quite quickly over most ground. The more powerful of the order are puported to be able to fly. These Wayfarers are quick to move from one subject/place to another and don't tend to stick around in one place too long. Always off on their travels and their adventures. They are however deeply loyal to their cause and their ranks. They often have no time for arguments or disputes and simply breeze on past them, again, no pun intended. Often Air Wayfarers can cause changes in weather with a single prayer to the Great Wolf, calling storms to put out small fires, or to water a long overheated crop. They can also call forth striking bolts of lighting from out of a storm and direct them if the Wolf wills it.

The Order of Fire

The hot tempers and brash nature of the Fire Wayfarers has always been tempered by the wisdom of their once Master Wayfarer. Markus is one of those men who instils a sense of loyalty and pride into his people. Also he was able to control most of that fire and turn it into the focussed force it is today. Currently the Master of Fire: Wyldfire does the same job as he did, aided by her student, Wren. So the Fire Wayfarers are still brash and hot tempered but they will also act like Wayfarers, never forget this. They are just more likely to use a fist or staff to solve a problem that is caused by injustice. Their powers are always drawn from the element of Fire and they can sometimes be seen wreathing their staves in fire, casting fire from their fingertips and some of the more powerful of that order can cause balls of fire to roar from the sky to smite their enemies.

The Order of Water

Once drawn to the Season of Winter, the Order of water has now been turned to the powers of healing and gentle persuasion. Like a slow moving river or a tranquil lake. Of course like a raging falls or roaring rapids they have the power to cause destruction as well. But they prefer to be a soft and well spoken order of Wayfarers. They study the healer's arts at all levels, both physical and mental. They employ magic and normal healing methods that can wash away the pains of those injured, and cleanse those who are diseased. Their powers tend to be associated with water, so they can usually operate much better in a rainstorm or a thunderstorm for offence. Sending floods over a battlefield or making a river rise up and attack their enemies. Some of the most powerful of that order have been known to forge elemental beings from the medium and use them as mounts to cross the seas. If this is true or not, it is for the Wayfarers to know. Their healers are powerful indeed and respected amongst all who know of them.

The Order of the Great Wolf (Spirit)

To walk any one path focusses you down to that choice, these are the Wayfarers who have attained a rank of Journeyman or higher and have been accepted by the Great Wolf into the mystical teachings that lie beyond the Grey one's halls. Some mysteries of the Moon Wayfarers take years to understand, if not a lifetime. Yet there are those who have been around that long on Ashirion. It can be said the order of the Great Wolf is all paths and none, under the light of the Moon/Spirit as their auspice.

Their teachings are detailed and monastic, with a rigerous and tempered training that pushes their minds/bodies/spirits to the limit. They are taught to channel the power of the Great Wolf and are often chosen to manifest Moon energies in battle. Those who have witnessed them at work have seen armies dropped in a single blaze of pure white power. They as people tend to be mysterious, somewhat aloof and often very, very reserved. Modest folks who like a certain amount of privacy, and fight like demons when roused to anger (It takes a lot). The Spirit Wayfarers also tend to be cryptic and delight in puzzles and connundrums, they have a questing nature and a desire to see history preserved in all forms. Devotees of the arts, music and dance alongside the martial arts, they could be described as a curious mixture of warrior, bard and monk.

Their highest ranking leaders are able to perform feats of great martial skill as well as to utilise the powers that harm and heal, with meerly a thought. The Master of the Spirit Wayfarers is none other than the Queen's Advisor and it is said of he that he has the power in his mind to move the very nature of the world if he so wished. Of course this is the thing about ancient legends and histories, rumour and happenspeak. Is it true? or is it the fanciful tale of a prattling old Widow or a wide-eyed awed child?

Wayfarer Symbol: Made of different materials, ebony (earth), copper (fire), coral (water) and for air, the symbol has a hole through the middle. Finally, the whole thing is set upon a moonstone base (spirit). The design is of a disc, similar in some ways to an ornate compass, with the northern point of the compass picked out by simple triangle, point upwards. Within this triangle is set a single runic mark, the mark is known as the 'Iterian' and represents the unity of all four paths leading to the spirit. The surface of the disc is carved to represent a perfect map of Ashirion pre 'Sundering'

Weapon: Traditionally the Wayfarer's stave is a magically hardened wooden weapon, but can be made of steel. They are manufactured by Lady Silverwolf and have the property to shrink down to a small size and to extend, some variants of this include additional weapons and designs. Silverwolf is nothing if experimental in those respects.