Wanderer
All Those Who Wander are Not Lost
Wanderers, or Cosmopolitans are a people who were born traveling across the stars. During the Age of Exploration, trips between the Outer Rim and the Core World could take almost 10 months, round trip. To move the goods across the stars, some spacers spent their whole lives traveling from one side of the galaxy to the other. When their children were born aboard space ships, lightyears from any settled planet, many gave them no citizenship to a vast majority of the growing nationstates. These wanderers brought with them goods from stars that were only a twinkle in the eyes of core worlders. They were always welcome to visit, but rarely to stay. As time went on and more generations were born into a life of traveling the Orion Arm, they formed a culture of their own. Many of them picked up beliefs and practices from the locals they spent time interacting with. Its why many Wanderers have so many shared holidays with all peoples, from earth day to Water Watch. Many of their own holidays tend to focus on the trials and triumphs of a life of travel. After generations, the Wanderers began to take on a whole new culture of their own. The Cosmopolitan culture was first observed in places like Mordana, Thraka, Straatos and Beacon, where the trade ships manned by thousands of wanderers would regularly bring the stories and ideas together in wanderer bars and clubs. Their lack of specific homeworld or specific group also meant that the Wanderers were a welcoming culture. Many joined the wanderer caravans as a means of escaping a life on their homeworld. Many would only return to their homeworlds a handful of times in their lives. The Cosmopolitans were happy to welcome the help. The trials of space travel have always been incredibly perioulous. A crew either worked together, or died. Caravans formed out of neccessity, where groups were less likely to be attacked by pirates or oppurtunistic warlords. It also meant that certain ships and crews could focus on specific tasks, like hauling, protection or fabrication. However, no matter the size of the caravan they all realized that each ship was important for the whole caravan to function. These caravans began to get so large that they formed the first Clans. Clans organized along specific routes, often negotiating as a group so they could score better contracts. The Clans were key in founding the Union of Socialist Systems, helping spread their ideas around the galaxy at large. Wanderer clans regularly smuggled weapons and provided ships, pilots and money to resistance fighters who were opposed to the empire. The empire would broadly paint the wanderers as supporters of all groups opposed to the empire, which push the wanderers to the fringe of imperial influence. The silence was what helped turn the Clans into nations. As space got smaller, the wanderers were forced to work under the thumb of more oppressive organizations. Some wanderers were forced to live among the asteroid belts or on defunct stations like High Sanctuary or the Long Belt. The silence was hard on the cosmopolitans, except for in a handful of places. In some places, the locals would kill the "void touched" wanderers in fear.Diaspora
The shared lense of the Wanderer is the shared experience of diaspora into the Mid and Outer Rims. No longer traveling the Arm and instead, many of them found themselves as indentured servants, slaves, or oppressed majorities. Many spent their entire lives in super mines, onboard orbital mining rigs, or under the skies choked with smog and pollution. Cancer, disease and famine was regular among the Wanderers, and all the wealth they generated made its way to the richest, like the Imperial Nobility or Guilds. The wanderer clans in many places began to form their own nations, to try and work together to protect their own interests. In some regions, they were recognized, in others they were forced to go underground as resistance fighters. The Cosmopolitans were key in ending the silence. In many regions, they had perserved the knowledge of the old gate routes that existed during the age of exploration. They helped re-chart the stars, and many of the Wanderer Nations began to reconnect with open arms. Tales had been passed down generation after generation of the great reunification.Five Nations
Generations of isolation have formed distinct nations out of the former wanderer clans, though they all realize they have a shared heritage. When the gates re-opened, many had shared tales of a great re-unification aboard High Sanctuary. So, on the year 1 of the age of the spacer, the great wanderer nations met. For many months they negotiated, argued and compromised. What arose was the council of the Five Nations, a collective of roughly 8 trillion souls, more than three fourths of the wanderer population as a whole. The five nations are recognized by a handful of progressive governments, like the Union of Socialist Systems the Republican Remnant and the Red Sun Commonwealth. Others might view them as a self imposed diaspora of nomads. They hold no static territory, save for a few orbital stations and embassies. They do have their own courts to settle matters between cosmpolitans. However, the treaty allows the free passage and semi-nomadic residence in each of those who recognize the treaty. This treaty manifests differently in different regions of the orion arm. Under the Union, this gives nomads the same rights and freedoms as full citizens (much in line with their governing pillars) while the Grand Republic of Free Systems sees them as "semi"-citizens, entitled to free travel, medicine and not much else. Some governments like the Musura Federation have their treaty terms on a system by system basis.- Andromeda Nation - One of the oldest nations, established as the non-aligned nomads. They are diverse as the entire nomad population.
- Ursa - A reclusive nation, closely tied to Seerist beliefs.
- Starwatch - Closely associated with Thondorian cultural exchange, Starwatch is almost an entire militant nation. The other nations might have some disagreements with Starwatch on their meddling, but otherwise understand the need for a well armed, well trained and highly loyal militant force to protect the nations as a whole.
- Blood Pact - Exists out in the reaches of Wild Space and even Far Space, Blood Pact has intimate knowledge of some of the most well hidden jump routes throughout the Orion Arm.
- Polaris - One of the largest and most diverse nation. Polaris has extremely close ties to the Union of Socialist Systems, who they regularly work alongside for disaster relief and to help provide aid throughout the Mid Rim. They have a large presence within Sovereign Space, where they are allowed plenty of freedom.
Culture
Shared customary codes and values
While wanderer culture is as varied as the settled planets in the orion arm, wanderers do have a shared knowledge of the "greater good". They realize that cooperation is neccessary for survival, and place a great emphasis on family above all. They want to ensure that they leave a healthy fleet for the generation after them.
Art & Architecture
Wanderer art and architecture is industrial and functional in nature. Heavy metal bands utilize the horrors of space to shape their music, while artists make functional pieces of art through modifications on their gate jumpers.
Common Taboos
Wastefullness of any kind is taboo among wanderer culture, especially when the vaccum of space is so harsh. There is also a great emphasis on solidarity and community strength. Space travel is harsh and deadly. Those who risk the ship risk death to not only themselves but the whole crew, so it is also important to uplift those who need the help.
Common Myths and Legends
Cosmopolitans have a close reverence for The Traveler, supposedly the very first wanderer of the stars. It is said that he helped lay the stars out in constellations, no matter where you were you could always find your way. Wanderers often pick up and share beliefs with the people they see and meet along their journey. It is encouraged to intermingle and learn and spread the beliefs of all, in order to bring the galaxy closer together. Many Seer wanderers find reverance in Zooma, while Ascetics will follow the Pilgrim.
Parent ethnicities
