Travelers

See here for Travelers in times past.

The Wandering Brothers, or Travelers, is one of the earliest of the Holy Militants, established by Arch-Warden Hedran Riqtelo in 125 FI. The Wandering Brothers dedicate their lives to the maintaining the roadways and protecting the pilgrims of the mainland. Founded in 104 FI by Grannet Adlethor, who is considered their Champion, as well as the Champion of Pilgrims and Stonemasons.

Founding of the Order

According to lore, Adlethor was a stonemason by trade, one of the hundreds of Dwarven wage laborers contracted by Hadrian Teldandilion to construct the Sacellum Chancel. Several years into the project, the supply of ore and stone being imported from Gildenhome became interrupted by bandits. The losses were small at first, but within a year came to be great enough to paralyze the entire project. During one such stretch, on this 111th birthday, Adlethor was stricken with a vision. He rallied the Dwarven craftsmen and masons of Alexandria City (still largely depopulated and under construction) and led them against the bandits, during which time he was credited with a great many miracles and astounding feats. When the bandits were crushed, they found that - though the metal had long been sold - all of the stone remained. He returned to Alexandria City amid a great fete and much fanfare, and even granted audience with the Arch-Warden.

Adlethor told of his vision, and declared that the recovered stone belonged to Alexandria Herself, and with it She wanted him to build a great, stone road, with sturdy and regular guarhouses to protect commerce, as well as the tide of pilgrims that had already been arriving in a steady stream for some years. Soon, Hadrian was convinced of the wisdom of this decision and granted the request. Within two years, the project was complete: the first engineered road since the time of the Ubrekti Empire. He assigned Adlethor a contingent of Dwarven stonemasons to maintain and expand the road, to be funded by tolls.

Within three months, all but seven of Adlethor's workers left, angered and annoyed the high expectations of piousness and devotion he demanded from his followers. However, as word spread of his dedication and miracle working, Dwarves began to flock to his banner. As he required a vow of poverty, money from tolls - as well as estates surrendered by those who joined - fueled continued building. In 125 FI, he petitioned Arch-Warden Hedran Riqtelo for permission to form a Holy Militant to maintain the road system and protect its travelers.

The Order Post-Calamity

Travelers help enforce the trade embargo with Nia-Agliare. Grenrhusk River and road travel is blocked at Mountain-on-the-Sea.

The Travelers remain a strictly Eastern Alexandrian organization and strongly support the Arch-Warden, and some have become more militant about protecting access and control of pilgrimage sites for the Eastern Orthodox Church in western nations which have left the unified church. While generally welcome among pilgrims and traders to whom wandering paladins will offer their protection, some Western Alexandrian churches and conspiracy-minded Protest-Stand groups denounce them as infiltrators and agents of Gilden control.

Already seen by many as a Gildenhome-focused order before the Calamity they now have even fewer Human and Halfling members and much of the order leadership is made up of Dwarves with ties to high-ranking Church officials or Gilden trading concerns. In some nations such as Odessa orders with many Human members like the King's Highway Travelers split off to form new paladin orders connected to the new national church leaders instead.

Hourglass of Vigilance

Although the eight-spoked wheel is the insignia of the Brotherhood, they are also recognized by the symbol of the hourglass. No Brother may allow a full night's watch to pass asleep, and upon ordination, all are given a small mithril and crystal hourglass on an electrum chain, which is actually a minor magical item. When turned, the sand will run through the hourglass in exactly 4 hours, at which time, if the owner is asleep, he will be instantly awakened.

The hourglass only wakes up the owner, does not grant any benefits of restfulness, and the owner is subject to all normal effects of extended sleeplessness when applicable. At fifth level, the Traveler gains the ability - once per week - to use the hourglass to awake fully rested and refreshed after the four hours. The number of times per week this can be used increases by one every other level, until maxing out at level 15 with 6 uses per week.