The Wanderers
Introduction
The Wanderers are a loose fellowship of women who have forsaken settled, conventional lifestyles in favour of a nomadic existence, offering protection, assistance and wisdom to those in need as well as music and storytelling to those who desire.
History
Back in the earliest days of Calmarendian civilization, when humanity was still struggling to establish a foothold on a planet that was far more alien and dangerous than the one we know today, each group of settlers, as they pushed out into the world, would appoint people to roles of scouts, explorers, protectors, trackers and hunters who collectively became known as rangers''. However, as human populations grew and communities became more settled, agrarian and industrialized, as threats from the wildlife became contained or eliminated altogether so the need for the rangers diminished.
For some, however, the lifestyle of the ranger remained an appealing one and so, whilst their numbers declined over time, they never entirely went away. With changing circumstances, however, the roles and, indeed, the very lifestyle itself, began to change as the rangers sought to remain useful to society. Now, whilst it is still the case that the modern day Wanderers, unbeknown to almost all but themselves, will employ their unique skill sets and insights to watch over and protect communities from untold and uncounted threats and dangers, their roles and responsibilities are today generally very different from those of the rangers of old. They have become not more secretive, as some suppose, just less visible. They abandoned, long ago, almost all engagement with the emergent cities in favour of smaller settlements and took to spending long periods away from society altogether, instead communing with nature out in the wild, lonely places of the world.
It was this latter tendency, together with the fact that they seldom return to the same place in between times, which earned them the nickname of "wanderers", a term they have been happy to adopt for themselves, though they have never given up use of the "ranger" appellation for the most revered of their number.
The Mythos of the Wanderers
The Rangers as Founders of the Gynocracy
It is generally held that, in the beginning, the roles of rangers had been given to, or simply taken by, men. I know, right; as though that was ever going to end well and, indeed, it did not. The early rangers quickly fell to adopting tribal mentalities and to regarding other tribes'' as rivals and then as enemies. They began, inevitably, to fight amongst each other. Skirmishes led to battles, battles became wars and it was left to the women of the communities affected to broker peaceful resolutions to such conflicts and to restore the spirit of mutual cooperation. In such situations the male rangers were quickly and decisively replaced by women who then oversaw the replacement of men by women in many, if not most, positions of power within the communities concerned.
It is a widely and deeply ingrained belief in Calmarendian society (though, it has to be said, on the back of little to no real evidence) that these newly established "gynocracies" prospered and flourished in ways that other communities simply did not and that this led to the adoption of similar structures in most and eventually all communities, whether or not they had become embroiled in needless, testosterone fueled conflicts. This state of affairs has endured over the centuries and thus we have, without any need of enforcement, the ruling classes made up almost entirely of women that we see today.
The Wanderers and the Fae
It is often assumed that, because the Wanderers spend so long in places generally associated with the fairy-folk, that they have become akin to the Fae and have acquired many fairy-like traits and powers. Now whilst it is certainly the case that Wanderers do interact with the Fae far more frequently than most ordinary humans and that they have earned the trust of the Fae in ways that would generally not happen, there has been no intermingling in any way comparable to that which gave rise to the Elmetian Fae. Certainly, however, each group has learned much from the other over the centuries of both practical value and spiritual, so it is perhaps not unreasonable to see in the Wanderers some traits that one might normally associate with the Fae.
The Wanderers and the Unicorns
Elsewhere it has been suggested that unicorns take captive any humans who stray too far into their realm. Now whether there is any truth to this is a moot point that even the Wanderers cannot answer but, notwithstanding what they may or may not do with other humans, the Wanderers appear to have been given leave to travel as they will throughout the eastern lands. In return the Wanderers stay well clear of the places where unicorns are known to breed and raise their young; they make no attempt to interact with any unicorns they come across; they are wary of drawing or even openly carrying a bow while out in the east and they never, save amongst themselves, reveal anything they have learned about unicorns in the course of their travels.
Now, of course, no Wanderer's repertoire of stories would be complete without a fanciful tale or three concerning or involving unicorns for such are, indeed, popular with audiences from the Wessex coast to the Bohemian mountains. But fanciful is what they remain and any similarity between the unicorns of myth and legend and those of reality are, as they say, entirely coincidental. Nevertheless, as with their supposed association with the Fae, the Wanderers' stock of unicorn lore has helped engender a sense of magic about them in the imaginations of the public that has no basis at all in reality. Probably.
A Wanderer Never Dies Alone
This is not so much an objective fact or literal truth, nor some kind of mission statement but rather a tenet of faith. In popular imagination, Wanderers are seen as tough individuals not prone to the same frailties and weaknesses that might overcome others and, whilst certainly not seen as immortal, are regarded as able nevertheless to survive just about anything long enough to return to some place of sanctuary. And whilst, indeed, there may well be a deal of truth in this, for a Wanderer, no matter where her travels may take her, has a sense of always coming home, she regards the whole never dying alone thing as being a spiritual expression of her connectivity with the planet, with nature, with her fellow Wanderers and with the communities she has been proud to serve: a sense that physical separations do not break the bonds that she has spent a lifetime forging.
The Roles of the Modern Wanderer
The Public Agenda
As resourceful and independent as they may be, every Wanderer has needs and desires that only the trappings of civilization can provide for and though every community on Calmarendi will gladly open its doors to weary travellers and not least to the Wanderers, a Wanderer will never leave without putting back into that community far more than she has taken. No small kindness goes without being rewarded many times over. Myriad are those who have, perhaps unknowingly, rendered the least of services to a Wanderer, to then find, perhaps many a long season later, a Wanderer by their side in a moment of uttermost need.
Indeed, it is at the very core of Wanderer ethics that they should actively pursue opportunities to make themselves useful to society rather than passively trading upon their skills and labour. To that end, much of a Wanderer's time is spent seeking and gathering information; whenever they might learn of a person or community having befallen or be about to befall some calamity, they will make it their business to render aid and assistance as they may, often quite anonymously where such is possible.
The Less Public Agenda
Much as their day-to-day exertions may be directed to small, isolated deeds, important to the individuals involved but insignificant in the grand scheme of things, one cannot, as they do, acquire so much information without seeing the larger patterns of the world. Whether they would acknowledge it or not, the Wanderers are the world's information brokers. And knowledge is power.
The Wanderers and Government
The Wanderers do not generally interact directly with formal structures of government or economics and it would be a strange day indeed if a branch of government were to reach out to the Wanderers for aid. It might be fair to say that the Wanderers and governments keep a respectful but wary distance between one another.
And then there is Princess Hana, a Wanderer first and foremost but Princess of Bohemia nevertheless. Here it is important to remember that Hana never sought after political office and that the Bohemian Senate elected her as their Princess in spite of, not because of her being a Wanderer. There are many, not least Princess Alexandra, who believe they made a grave error of judgement in doing so.
But it is, when all is said and done, Bohemia (and especially its mountains) that the Wanderers consider to be their spiritual and historic home; it is the people of Bohemia who have the greatest affinity with the Wanderers. If any province were going to have a Wandering Princess, it would be Bohemia.
The Wanderers and the Butterfly Club
On the face of it, the Butterfly Club and the Wanderers do not have much in common as regards motivations and objectives, nor does it seem as though either has any particular interest in what the other is up to. They do, however, share a high degree of affinity in both their philosophical outlooks and their activities as information gatherers. Both, as a consequence, recognize the value of mutual cooperation and information exchange to the extent that one of the Butterfly Club's governing Tetrad is always a Wanderer and one, moreover, with the status of Ranger; presently, that liaison is Hana, perhaps the most revered of their number.
The Wanderers and the Robots
We learn from Kumiko that the robots (and by that we can assume she means those robots who are acting independently of their Younger Human "masters") have contacts in the outside world who they rely upon for information. Much as the Butterfly Club believe in the existence of advanced technology, they do not know how that tech might manifest itself and really have little hard evidence for their beliefs; the possibility of advanced artificial general intelligence is something beyond even their wildest imaginings. There is certainly no one (that we know of) within the Butterfly Club who is making such contacts.
This leaves the Wanderers as our most likely candidates. Even if this were not the case, the Wanderers would almost certainly be aware of any other organization operating on their turf and would likely have infiltrated it just as they have the Butterfly Club. No such organization exists.
All of this, of course, raises a lot more questions than it answers. Why do the Wanderers not share their knowledge of the robots with the Butterfly Club? Might it be that Hana has been kept out of the loop on this matter? Do the Tetrad know but have chosen not to share their knowledge more widely amongst their own group? What benefits do the Wanderers perceive they are getting from their exchanges with the robots? Do the Wanderers even know they are dealing with sentient technology? What deceits might Kumiko and Natasha have woven to induce the Wanderers to believe that their existence would be of no interest to the Butterfly Club?
Skill Sets
Story and Song
Whatever other proficiencies a Wanderer may lack, music, song and storytelling are gifts which none are without.
Bushcraft
As you might imagine, Wanderers are adept at outdoor survival: navigation, building shelter, keeping warm, well fed and healthy. Perhaps those who are not don't remain Wanderers for very long but perhaps, also, it is an innate aptitude for these things and an indomitable sense of self-reliance that draws adventurous young women into such a lifestyle in the first place. As renowned as they are for their bushcraft, however, the Wanderers, individually and collectively, are a people with the utmost respect for nature who see themselves as guardians of its unspoiled beauty. But, be that as it may, do not be fooled into imagining they are romantic protectors of all living things. Whether for food or protection, the Wanderers can be, at need, efficient and ruthless hunters.
Artisanal
Most Wanderers acquire basic competences in crafts such as smithing and general metalworking or else woodworking and carpentry to furnish themselves with the skills needed to, for example, make and maintain their own tools or to make more effective use of wood and other materials out in the wilds. But perhaps of greater importance to the Wanderers is developing a set of skills which will make them useful to the communities they find themselves amongst and, to that end, they will not neglect other crafts; many become proficient in weaving and needlecraft or food preparation and brewing, while others might opt for some of the more aesthetic and decorative crafts such as pottery or jewellery.
Healing
The Reality
It is in the fields of medicine and healing that the Wanderers' talents might be regarded, justifiably, as somewhat over-rated. To be sure, they are all competent at rendering sometimes quite advanced levels of first aid as well as being highly knowledgeable in the lore of herbs and well versed in the medicinal and health giving properties of countless plant species. Of necessity - owing mainly to their collective reputation in the matter - most Wanderers also quickly acquire experience in midwifery.
And those, in reality, are the practical limits of their proficiencies and qualifications in medical matters. Whilst some may come to the fellowship with formal qualifications and some may go on to acquire them later in life, the reputation Wanderers have as great healers is built almost entirely upon the trust and mythology that has built up around them over time.
The Mythology
In the minds of the general populace, however, the Wanderers are possessed of almost magical (though generally ill defined) powers of healing. Although the Wanderers themselves play down these beliefs (not as much as they might or should, perhaps) tales abound of people who claim to have been cured of incurable disease or brought back from the brink of death by nothing more than the soothing words of a Wanderer. How much truth there is in any of them is hard to say; medical science yields no evidence to support such claims nor do the Wanderers make any such assertions. And yet the myths persist and there is never any shortage of people prepared to put their faith in a Wanderer where the skills of doctors and apothecaries have failed them. And there are few who would not consider their child especially blessed if the birth was attended by a Wanderer.
Perhaps it is merely the power of belief that enables patients to overcome their own illnesses or to bear pain that might otherwise seem unbearable but, in the absence of any other rational explanations, might there, after all, be some truth in the myth that the Wanderers do have something of the Fae about them?
Frequently Asked Questions
Are the Rangers and Wanderers different groups?
The Rangers are a subset of the Wanderers, generally those who have taken up particular responsibilities on behalf of the fellowship or those who have endured particular hardships while rendering service to the fellowship or to the wider community. All those who accept the title or roles of a Ranger still regard themselves, first and foremost, as Wanderers, not as a class apart.
Are the Wanderers celebate?
Not in the sense that they have forsworn sexual activity nor that they are expected to have done so. Rather, it appears, asexuality and aromanticism are portents or even triggers that might prompt an individual to take up as a Wanderer.
I heard some Wanderers have children. How so?
Although it is not common for a Wanderer to raise a family, particularly one of her own, it does happen. It should be kept in mind that, as adherents (if not defenders of) the Bohemian (liberal) Social Paradigm, Wanderers never see the need for romantic or sexual intimacy as a prerequisite to conceiving children. More likely, however, when you come across an instance of a Wanderer raising children, she will have taken on responsibility for the offspring of others, such as when Magdaléna the Wanderer took Erin and Andrea under her wing during the winter of 775-776.
Do Wanderers ever stop wandering?
Wanderers grow old, just as most of us do, but whilst their times in the wild places may become shorter and less frequent, whilst they may settle longer in the places they visit, particularly those where they have developed the strongest attachments, the wanderlust never leaves them. Always there is one more little adventure to be had, one more community to be helped, one more village in which to tell tales and sing songs; always there is one more place to stop off at on the way home.
Are the Wanderers telepathic?
Wanderers tend to have a highly developed affinity with the world around them and an empathy with their fellow human beings which give them a level of perceptiveness that might easily be mistaken for telepathy. However, there is no known propensity for Wanderers to be any more (or less) likely to be telepathic, at any level, than the general population.
Are there or could there be any male wanderers?
No. Although, in common with all Calmarendian institutions, there are no hard and fast rules on such matters, the Wanderers are the closest we have to one that would enforce a prohibition on male membership if the need arose. The historical significance of the Wanderers being a women only fellowship is too strong and the prospect of a new breed of male ranger is as abhorrent to the general populace as it is to the Wanderers themselves.
What's with the staves?
Whilst it is the case that you will seldom see a Wanderer without a staff, they have no practical value or purpose beyond being an aid in walking or climbing. More often than not, however, a Wanderer's staff will have been presented to her by family, friends or by grateful communities to whom she has rendered some service and, as such, are often of great sentimental value; you part a Wanderer from her staff at your peril.
How many Wanderers are there?
Around 256 at the time of Jennifer's arrival on Calmarendi, of which 37 have been given the title of Ranger.
Is it true Wanderers go about naked in the wilds?
What!? Are you serious? Do you not know how cold it gets at altitude and at night in the Western Provinces, even in High Summer?
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