The Wanderer

The Goddess of Exploration

The Wanderer is kind of an usual character among the gods. They are somewhat ephemeral and ever-changing to the people who worship them. They present themselves to their followers in many guises- though almost always a fellow traveler. The portfolio of this deity is murky, shifting, as if they themselves can never be fully certain of what they want and where they should go next. They are a deity of whims and whimsy. To some they are a trickster deity, to others a champion for peace and understanding. Some see them as a deity of nature and the world and to others they are a deity of heroes and bravery. The thing all the cultural variations of this deity have in common is that they are overwhelmingly viewed as a female deity and they are always on the road. Many cultures associate them with the stars as the stars are often used to navigation.

Pelenei of the Common Pantheon

Portfolio: Travel, Exploration, Heroes, Adventure, Friendship
Domains: Nature, Peace, Trickery
Alignment: NG
Alias: The Mysterious Stranger, The Stranger, Queen of Horses
Symbol: Buttercup, Boot
Pelenei is a goddess of travel (and to humans, also trade) primarily worshiped by halflings and adopted by humans. She is a goddess of safe travels and exploration, and is said to especially watch over traveling merchants and adventuring parties. Most inns in human territories have an altar to Pelenei. She is also, to humans, a minor goddess of ale as well as horses and other pack and travel animals. Pelenei is the goddess of the lost and safe paths through the wild. A minor nature deity as well, she is the goddess of small beasts and prey animals, often masquerading as them in order to lead unwitting travelers where she thinks they ought to go. Pelenei is also considered one of the deities in the Triad of Coin, as she facilitates travel both by merchant traders and tourists.

Pelenei of the Halfling Pantheon

Portfolio: Travel, Heroes, Friendship, Taverns, Freedom, Good Deeds
Domains: Peace, Twilight, Trickery
Alignment: NG
Alias: The Lady (or Maiden) of Many Faces
Symbol: Feather (pegasus feather)
Pelenei was, according to various myths, associated with the deity Nerys. Some say she was her champion or even a daughter. What is true across all stories is her wanderlust. She left the safety of her home early on in life and did not return until she was on her deathbed. She traveled the world, and her gregarious personality invited scores of other travelers to follow in her stead- those with adventurous hearts and curious minds. She had a particularly large following of gnomes as well as elves and dwarves who she tempted out of the familiarity of their home forests and mountain fortresses. She is the only halfling deity to have widespread worshipers among most other races and she was a unifying and diplomatic force during her time. She was also notorious for her mischievous nature- often using various identities and changing her appearance often depending on who she was with and where she was traveling. This is why the dwarves call her Bruselle (she likely traveled with them as one of their own) and the elves called her Mythelea. Pelenei was notable in many tales for winning the companionship of her steed, a pegasus, and she has long been symbolized with them or simply their feather. This partially represents her winning her freedom from the shackles of halfling society and propriety.

Mythelea of the Elvish Pantheon

Portfolio: Wanderers, Explorers, Refugees, Immigrants, Newcomers, Outsiders, Outlanders
Domains: Trickery, Life, Peace
Alignment: CN
Alias/s: The World Walker
Symbol: Wheel & Diamond Star, Horse
Mythelea’s origins are mysterious and in most myths she was divine offspring from one of the established gods (most stories name Elyra or Arthfael). She is the deity of those who wander the world, never fit to stay in one place for long, searching for or running from something or another. She is a champion of the curious who want to know what lies on the horizon, who risks it all to explore the uncharted wilds or taste the cuisine in each town coast to coast. She protects those who walk the roads and is said to take a particular interest in the exploits of traveling bands of do-gooders. She also watches over traveling merchants, sailors, refugees, and nomadic clans and tribes as well as lone rangers and hermits who live on the fringes of civilization. Like Elyra, whom most think to be her mother, Mythelea often takes pity on the lost and helps to guide them to safety.
Mythelea is also said to have a mischievous side, sometimes traveling alongside a group or caravan in disguise only to reveal herself at their destination in her signature way; during the last night camping, she leaves in the night, but she leaves her boots in the camp, filled with coin, food, or other helpful supplies- perhaps even something one of them were looking for or coming to that particular place for. With some groups, if she found them to be unsatisfactory company, she will instead leave and steal all their boots when she does instead. Either way, she has an association with boots. In these stories she is said to be meek and quiet, exceptionally kind, and capable of soothing ones fears and anxieties. Sometimes she appears in the guise of a lowly beggar or lost child and rewards travelers who offer help. It is common practice among elf-kind to always tip a beggar at least one copper, in case it is Mythelea in disguise.
Mythelea has a deep-seated disdain for highwaymen and brigands that make her roads dangerous to travel for others. She takes pity on those who are looking for a new home and elves who leave their home forests for new (and potentially terrifying) lands. Elvish sailors especially hold her in high regard, as she seems more agreeable than the chaotic and unpredictable Arthfael. She does not ask for much from her followers except to follow in her example- be kind to others on the road, be generous to the needy, and be brave in the face of the unknown. Her clerics often patrol or guard dangerous roads, apprehend bandits, and there are some groups of her followers who specialize as guides and escorts.

Bruselle of the Dwarvish Pantheon

Portfolio: Travelers & Surface Dwellers
Domains: Twilight, Arcana, Trickery
Alignment: CN
Alias/s: The Wandering One, The Surfacewalker
Symbol: Pine Tree Surmounted by the Sun
Bruselle is the daughter of Gwandela and Balmir, born out of wedlock (to Balmir's shame and Gwandela's joy). Though her father was the deity of Law, Bruselle inherited a wild heart from her mother. She was expected to take up a portfolio of mine excavation and underground exploration but this ultimately snowballed into something far more. Her uncle, Oroh, inspired her to follow her own path and passion. As a result Bruselle is responsible for many dwarves leaving home and exploring the limitless expanse of surface world. She considered most dwarven strongholds stifling and horribly boring and unchanging, and encouraged dwarves to either spice things up at home or find something better. She became the patron of surface dwarves, explorers, and outcasts. She even has an association among dwarves with sea-navigation- the ultimate and least dwarf-like activity one could partake in. She has also become a goddess of the labyrinthine Underdark and she is known for occasionally swaying Duergar away from her cousin Maluth and towards the surface. She has associations with the night in contrast with her mother's associations with the sun, as she is used to traveling the caverns below the world. According to many myths Bruselle was the one who swayed her cousin Thodar towards chaos and rebellion and they are on excellent terms- often partners in crime.

Goddess of Exploration

TEMPLES OF THE Wanderer

The largest temples to The Wanderer are located in the following places.

• Ilthir (Astrithyr)
• Aethdin (Hywela)
• Eriliath (Shora)
• Stillwater (Namiza)
• Port Yanimaz (Namiza)
• Kalima (Luxumu)
• Lyresong (Kardath)
• Ruža Dolina (Krasnava province of Belstrad)
• Khorezun (Stronghold of Khorez)
• Balgarhold (Stronghold of Balgar)
• Gefindiweld (Langollyn)
• Monastery on the Highest Hill (Hywela)

Worshipers

Worshipers of the Wanderer can come in any shape and size but there is one thing that is almost a must- they have to be travelers or at least be afflicted with some kind of wanderlust. They could be traveling merchants, any form of explorer, outlander, ranger or adventurer. Nomadic tribes, barbarians and druid circles sometimes worship them. There is even a monastery dedicated to them that teach their monks about traveling in the path for self actualization and discovery. A worshiper could be a charlatan, rogue, smuggler or criminal that always stays on the road to avoid being caught. Some are the bounty hunters who are after them. Many are far travelers who end up all across the globe. running from something to searching for something. Sailors are also often worshipers of the Wanderer in tandem with worshiping the Mariner. Some are traveling bards and folk heroes and other entertainers. Oddly enough, clerics and paladins are somewhat rare as this deity has very few rules or explicit tenants to follow. They don't even have many temples- generally just small altars in taverns or along the road.

On-Brand Worshipers

• Barbarian: All
• Bard: All (especially Glamour)
• Cleric: Peace & Trickery Domains
• Druid: Circle of Shepherd & Dreams
• Monk: Way of the Astral Self & Drunken Master
• Paladin: Oath of Redemption
• Ranger: All (especially Fey Wanderer)
• Rogue: Arcane Trickster, Thief, & Swashbuckler
• Charlatan Background
• Criminal Background
• Entertainer Background
• Folk Hero Background
• Hermit Background
• Outlander Background
• Sailor Background
• Far Traveler
• Mercenary Veteran
• Tribe Member
• Anthropologist / Archeologist