Meeting the Traveler [Archive] - Wizards Community

Meeting the Traveler [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Tek
07-31-06, 05:27 AM I just ran a pretty cool encounter with my players this evening. They're on a road in rural Breland, not having seen anyone for quite some time, and then they see someone up ahead. Here's the description I gave once they got up close.

The man easy swings down from the saddle, landing on the ground without making a sound. He smiles towards you, showing his clean teeth, and you take in his mostly plain face. Perhaps he has been moving through the wild for some time, as his beard is slightly grown out, and the opposite of his rather well kept black hair. He nods his head once, leaning gently against the side of his horse. His gear is commonly made and sold, hard leathers and other clothing made to withstand a long journey. "Greetings to each you, wanderers of the road."

They start talking to him, and then they ask who he is. He gives this big speech:

"As for the question of who I am... I suppose you could say that I am nothing more than a wandering gentleman, roaming the land in search of the needy and the poor, the rich and the wanting, the living and the dead. You could call me the seeker of the lost, or the finder of the forgotten, as those names suit me well.. Others call me the Giver of Gifts, the one truth in the shifting world of our Eberron, detached from all equals and yet connected by name and the power of words. Some believe that I am nothing more than a cheap trick, a changeling of considerable control over my capacity to concentrate on the divine and arcane. There is another name for me, ironically the most common despite my wishes, but special situations require special circumstances, so perhaps we should use that name, the name that I dread and love, the one you might understand. I am, quite simply, the Traveler."

At this point, they're kinda chuckling, and don't want to believe him. He goes on to say that he'll offer each of them a single wish for anything they want. All they have to do to get their wish is give him their full name. Once they do that, they can tell him what they want the most. Sounds simple?

It wasn't. The players were suddenly cautious about giving up their full names. They kept not wanting to believe it was the Traveler, but didn't want to take the chance it was. Eventually, two of four made wishes, while the cleric and druid didn't.

So, who or what was the person? Not up to me to say, but I'd definetly recommend this encounter in your game, it was really fun to run and see the players decide what they were going to do. What's in a name, anyways?
Thanqol
07-31-06, 07:59 AM I love it ^^. But with the name comes the identity. Perhaps they return home to find the Traveler impersonating them and, say, living with their wives - and the wives don't recognize them. The Traveler also somehow accumulates all the glory for their deeds - while they live as unrecognizeable, he becomes recognized and hailed as the Savior of the Redfoot Tribe, or whatever title the PCs get. After all their 'full name' includes any names or titles they may attain afterwards, ne?

They have the wealth, but not the glory. The experience, but not the recognition.

A nightmare enough to drive them to try and revoke the deal, ne?
Kaoru Nagisa
07-31-06, 06:01 PM It's settled. This must be used! This is exactly the way the Traveller should be portrayed. Or else he claims to be the Traveller after he's done with whatever he (or she!) is doing.

So, the question is, however, what effect would this have? Here, besides having the characters struggle with the decision, the effects would have to be done carefully.

If they get their wishes, it has to happen in a way that doesn't point towards any supernatural aid. (well... yes, they're sure to get plenty of supernatural aid, but not that kind of supernatural aid.)

What to happen, what to happen? This little plotline's a DM's delight. I shall be borrowing this bit for my own campaign, if you do not mind.
Loki5654
07-31-06, 11:07 PM While I think this is a well written/thought out idea, one of the main themes of religion in Eberron is the unverifiable existance of the Sovereigns. To mortal knowledge, the deities have never physically manifested themselves on Eberron, have not been seen in any Planar palaces and have never taken a direct hand in mortal affairs.

If an actual deity walked up to a person on Eberron, that person would probably need a clean pair of shorts.

Just my thoughts.
Kalanth
07-31-06, 11:16 PM While I think this is a well written/thought out idea, one of the main themes of religion in Eberron is the unverifiable existance of the Sovereigns. To mortal knowledge, the deities have never physically manifested themselves on Eberron, have not been seen in any Planar palaces and have never taken a direct hand in mortal affairs.

If an actual deity walked up to a person on Eberron, that person would probably need a clean pair of shorts.

Just my thoughts.

It does not have to be the Traveler himself. I personally love this idea, and might just be using it as well. I would make it a Gene in disguise as a representation of the Traveler. Give the speach, do the deed, move on. I am of the school that no wish goes without a dark side. Afterall, after my captain recieved his elemental gallion thanks to a wish it was only a few short weeks latter that the Blood of Vol destroyed it and the rest of the ships in Stormreach while the captain was in town shopping. :devil:
A_Wizard_for_Breakfast
07-31-06, 11:38 PM I've used the "I'll give you a wish if..." line before and you're right. Players get awfully cautious.

At any rate, I like the idea...perhaps he appears differently to the different characters (either as despicable, beautiful or plain as the character can imagine). I'm definitely going to use this the in my campaign, please understand.

P.S. I would use the Mockery to do the "taking lives" bit...just fits.
Just another user
08-01-06, 03:04 AM While I think this is a well written/thought out idea, one of the main themes of religion in Eberron is the unverifiable existance of the Sovereigns. To mortal knowledge, the deities have never physically manifested themselves on Eberron, have not been seen in any Planar palaces and have never taken a direct hand in mortal affairs.

If an actual deity walked up to a person on Eberron, that person would probably need a clean pair of shorts.

Just my thoughts.
You missed the point. That was just someone that said that he was the traveller, if that was the truth or he was just some loonie it is something that have to be seen.

P.S. Just because someone tell you that he'll give you a wish, it don't actually mean you'll really get a wish.
poisondusk
08-01-06, 07:12 AM the first thing that popped into my head is that this guy is a rakshasa with Truename magic.

The second thought I had was the guy was someone with a really really really high Bluff and a great Charisma.
Loki5654
08-01-06, 07:29 PM You missed the point. That was just someone that said that he was the traveller, if that was the truth or he was just some loonie it is something that have to be seen.
No, I got the point. I was just offering a different P.O.V.

But thanks for being so understanding.
Romulus LoneWolf
08-01-06, 07:56 PM While I think this is a well written/thought out idea, one of the main themes of religion in Eberron is the unverifiable existance of the Sovereigns. To mortal knowledge, the deities have never physically manifested themselves on Eberron, have not been seen in any Planar palaces and have never taken a direct hand in mortal affairs.

If an actual deity walked up to a person on Eberron, that person would probably need a clean pair of shorts.

Just my thoughts.

Except it doesn't fit the theme of the Traveller to show up in great pomp and glory. He's a trickster, and as such needs to operate subtly. So subtly, in fact, you often end up wondering if that was the Traveller at all. Kind of like this story (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/chk/azami).

It would be extra entertaining if the characters who made the wishes ended up getting them at great cost, only to later reveal that the mysterious stranger was in fact just a crazy travelling bum.. Because then it would mean that everything they accomplished, and every loss they suffered, was their own damn fault.

...Which, come to think of it, might make them wonder if that's not what the Traveller wanted them to do in the first place.
Edymnion
08-01-06, 08:03 PM the first thing that popped into my head is that this guy is a rakshasa with Truename magic.Truenaming was my first thought as well. But even without Truespeak in Eberron, there is a lot of traditional folk magic (typically sympathetic magic) that says that knowing the full name of your target can give you magical control over them.

Heh, its actually an old thing of mine to have my characters take "Travelling Names", not unlike how Aragorn in LotR went by Strider. Names are power, and giving someone your real name in something like this is generally not a smart thing to do.

Those two just bit down on one whopper of a plot hook! :D
ahiman
08-01-06, 08:55 PM oh man you could work it out like this. THey make a wish he says "I just happen to have that in my bag" Pulls it out and give it to them. From then on when every they say their name or anything to that affect no one knows them or even hears what they say. So the Wizard goes back to arcanix to get in to the library and the guards kick him out for trying to brake in even though he is a memeber. Evil and fun.
Tek
08-02-06, 03:04 AM Except it doesn't fit the theme of the Traveller to show up in great pomp and glory.

True. Directly from the ECS: A master of cunning and deception, it emphasizes subtley and careful planning.

Now, the Traveler emphasizes both of those things, so couldn't it be possible that he observed the group without them knowing he was watching? After doing this for some amount of time, he created a plan: his objective? Get each person to tell him their full name, knowing full well what it could mean. After carefully creating a plan, he decides to outright introduce himself: He -wants- them to think he isn't the Traveler, because that's part of his plan. This way, they're still thinking that maybe he's just some nut, and brush him off. Either way, I think that above subtley is the emphasis on cunning, intelligence, deception, and outright wordplay. But that's how I see the Traveler.

Of course, I'm not saying my players encountered the Traveler at all. Maybe it just was some loon, worshipper of the Traveler, who suddenly decided he wanted to -be- the Traveler. A religious fanatic. Alot of good suggestions in this thread: I particularly like the one where it's a supernatural being masquarading as the deity.

Either way, I agree with and support the 'no contact with mortals' for the gods of Eberron. Let's go about this a different way, shall we? Let's say you're in a church of the Host, and there's a woman, dressed in beautiful fullplate, just kinda standing around. She comes up to you and claims to be Dol Arrah, gives you a 'blessing' and then leaves. Would you believe it was her? Both sides can be argued, but I feel that "No, it wasn't Dol Arrah" would be the more common answer.

So, if some strange man rides up to you, dismounts his horse, and makes a long, diplomatic speech about how he claims to be the Traveler, would you believe him? I think this question, while similar, would get completely different results.

Finally, this was meant to be a RP encounter, and it turned out to be a great one. Use it if you like, get inspired by it, hate it, do what you will, but I enjoyed running it.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tek 07-31-06, 05:27 AM	I just ran a pretty cool encounter with my players this evening. They're on a road in rural Breland, not having seen anyone for quite some time, and then they see someone up ahead. Here's the description I gave once they got up close. The man easy swings down from the saddle, landing on the ground without making a sound. He smiles towards you, showing his clean teeth, and you take in his mostly plain face. Perhaps he has been moving through the wild for some time, as his beard is slightly grown out, and the opposite of his rather well kept black hair. He nods his head once, leaning gently against the side of his horse. His gear is commonly made and sold, hard leathers and other clothing made to withstand a long journey. "Greetings to each you, wanderers of the road." They start talking to him, and then they ask who he is. He gives this big speech: "As for the question of who I am... I suppose you could say that I am nothing more than a wandering gentleman, roaming the land in search of the needy and the poor, the rich and the wanting, the living and the dead. You could call me the seeker of the lost, or the finder of the forgotten, as those names suit me well.. Others call me the Giver of Gifts, the one truth in the shifting world of our Eberron, detached from all equals and yet connected by name and the power of words. Some believe that I am nothing more than a cheap trick, a changeling of considerable control over my capacity to concentrate on the divine and arcane. There is another name for me, ironically the most common despite my wishes, but special situations require special circumstances, so perhaps we should use that name, the name that I dread and love, the one you might understand. I am, quite simply, the Traveler." At this point, they're kinda chuckling, and don't want to believe him. He goes on to say that he'll offer each of them a single wish for anything they want. All they have to do to get their wish is give him their full name. Once they do that, they can tell him what they want the most. Sounds simple? It wasn't. The players were suddenly cautious about giving up their full names. They kept not wanting to believe it was the Traveler, but didn't want to take the chance it was. Eventually, two of four made wishes, while the cleric and druid didn't. So, who or what was the person? Not up to me to say, but I'd definetly recommend this encounter in your game, it was really fun to run and see the players decide what they were going to do. What's in a name, anyways?
Thanqol 07-31-06, 07:59 AM	I love it ^^. But with the name comes the identity. Perhaps they return home to find the Traveler impersonating them and, say, living with their wives - and the wives don't recognize them. The Traveler also somehow accumulates all the glory for their deeds - while they live as unrecognizeable, he becomes recognized and hailed as the Savior of the Redfoot Tribe, or whatever title the PCs get. After all their 'full name' includes any names or titles they may attain afterwards, ne? They have the wealth, but not the glory. The experience, but not the recognition. A nightmare enough to drive them to try and revoke the deal, ne?
Kaoru Nagisa 07-31-06, 06:01 PM	It's settled. This must be used! This is exactly the way the Traveller should be portrayed. Or else he claims to be the Traveller after he's done with whatever he (or she!) is doing. So, the question is, however, what effect would this have? Here, besides having the characters struggle with the decision, the effects would have to be done carefully. If they get their wishes, it has to happen in a way that doesn't point towards any supernatural aid. (well... yes, they're sure to get plenty of supernatural aid, but not that kind of supernatural aid.) What to happen, what to happen? This little plotline's a DM's delight. I shall be borrowing this bit for my own campaign, if you do not mind.
Loki5654 07-31-06, 11:07 PM	While I think this is a well written/thought out idea, one of the main themes of religion in Eberron is the unverifiable existance of the Sovereigns. To mortal knowledge, the deities have never physically manifested themselves on Eberron, have not been seen in any Planar palaces and have never taken a direct hand in mortal affairs. If an actual deity walked up to a person on Eberron, that person would probably need a clean pair of shorts. Just my thoughts.
Kalanth 07-31-06, 11:16 PM	While I think this is a well written/thought out idea, one of the main themes of religion in Eberron is the unverifiable existance of the Sovereigns. To mortal knowledge, the deities have never physically manifested themselves on Eberron, have not been seen in any Planar palaces and have never taken a direct hand in mortal affairs. If an actual deity walked up to a person on Eberron, that person would probably need a clean pair of shorts. Just my thoughts. It does not have to be the Traveler himself. I personally love this idea, and might just be using it as well. I would make it a Gene in disguise as a representation of the Traveler. Give the speach, do the deed, move on. I am of the school that no wish goes without a dark side. Afterall, after my captain recieved his elemental gallion thanks to a wish it was only a few short weeks latter that the Blood of Vol destroyed it and the rest of the ships in Stormreach while the captain was in town shopping. :devil:
A_Wizard_for_Breakfast 07-31-06, 11:38 PM	I've used the "I'll give you a wish if..." line before and you're right. Players get awfully cautious. At any rate, I like the idea...perhaps he appears differently to the different characters (either as despicable, beautiful or plain as the character can imagine). I'm definitely going to use this the in my campaign, please understand. P.S. I would use the Mockery to do the "taking lives" bit...just fits.
Just another user 08-01-06, 03:04 AM	While I think this is a well written/thought out idea, one of the main themes of religion in Eberron is the unverifiable existance of the Sovereigns. To mortal knowledge, the deities have never physically manifested themselves on Eberron, have not been seen in any Planar palaces and have never taken a direct hand in mortal affairs. If an actual deity walked up to a person on Eberron, that person would probably need a clean pair of shorts. Just my thoughts. You missed the point. That was just someone that said that he was the traveller, if that was the truth or he was just some loonie it is something that have to be seen. P.S. Just because someone tell you that he'll give you a wish, it don't actually mean you'll really get a wish.
poisondusk 08-01-06, 07:12 AM	the first thing that popped into my head is that this guy is a rakshasa with Truename magic. The second thought I had was the guy was someone with a really really really high Bluff and a great Charisma.
Loki5654 08-01-06, 07:29 PM	You missed the point. That was just someone that said that he was the traveller, if that was the truth or he was just some loonie it is something that have to be seen. No, I got the point. I was just offering a different P.O.V. But thanks for being so understanding.
Romulus LoneWolf 08-01-06, 07:56 PM	While I think this is a well written/thought out idea, one of the main themes of religion in Eberron is the unverifiable existance of the Sovereigns. To mortal knowledge, the deities have never physically manifested themselves on Eberron, have not been seen in any Planar palaces and have never taken a direct hand in mortal affairs. If an actual deity walked up to a person on Eberron, that person would probably need a clean pair of shorts. Just my thoughts. Except it doesn't fit the theme of the Traveller to show up in great pomp and glory. He's a trickster, and as such needs to operate subtly. So subtly, in fact, you often end up wondering if that was the Traveller at all. Kind of like this story (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=magic/chk/azami). It would be extra entertaining if the characters who made the wishes ended up getting them at great cost, only to later reveal that the mysterious stranger was in fact just a crazy travelling bum.. Because then it would mean that everything they accomplished, and every loss they suffered, was their own damn fault. ...Which, come to think of it, might make them wonder if that's not what the Traveller wanted them to do in the first place.
Edymnion 08-01-06, 08:03 PM	the first thing that popped into my head is that this guy is a rakshasa with Truename magic.Truenaming was my first thought as well. But even without Truespeak in Eberron, there is a lot of traditional folk magic (typically sympathetic magic) that says that knowing the full name of your target can give you magical control over them. Heh, its actually an old thing of mine to have my characters take "Travelling Names", not unlike how Aragorn in LotR went by Strider. Names are power, and giving someone your real name in something like this is generally not a smart thing to do. Those two just bit down on one whopper of a plot hook! :D
ahiman 08-01-06, 08:55 PM	oh man you could work it out like this. THey make a wish he says "I just happen to have that in my bag" Pulls it out and give it to them. From then on when every they say their name or anything to that affect no one knows them or even hears what they say. So the Wizard goes back to arcanix to get in to the library and the guards kick him out for trying to brake in even though he is a memeber. Evil and fun.
Tek 08-02-06, 03:04 AM	Except it doesn't fit the theme of the Traveller to show up in great pomp and glory. True. Directly from the ECS: A master of cunning and deception, it emphasizes subtley and careful planning. Now, the Traveler emphasizes both of those things, so couldn't it be possible that he observed the group without them knowing he was watching? After doing this for some amount of time, he created a plan: his objective? Get each person to tell him their full name, knowing full well what it could mean. After carefully creating a plan, he decides to outright introduce himself: He -wants- them to think he isn't the Traveler, because that's part of his plan. This way, they're still thinking that maybe he's just some nut, and brush him off. Either way, I think that above subtley is the emphasis on cunning, intelligence, deception, and outright wordplay. But that's how I see the Traveler. Of course, I'm not saying my players encountered the Traveler at all. Maybe it just was some loon, worshipper of the Traveler, who suddenly decided he wanted to -be- the Traveler. A religious fanatic. Alot of good suggestions in this thread: I particularly like the one where it's a supernatural being masquarading as the deity. Either way, I agree with and support the 'no contact with mortals' for the gods of Eberron. Let's go about this a different way, shall we? Let's say you're in a church of the Host, and there's a woman, dressed in beautiful fullplate, just kinda standing around. She comes up to you and claims to be Dol Arrah, gives you a 'blessing' and then leaves. Would you believe it was her? Both sides can be argued, but I feel that "No, it wasn't Dol Arrah" would be the more common answer. So, if some strange man rides up to you, dismounts his horse, and makes a long, diplomatic speech about how he claims to be the Traveler, would you believe him? I think this question, while similar, would get completely different results. Finally, this was meant to be a RP encounter, and it turned out to be a great one. Use it if you like, get inspired by it, hate it, do what you will, but I enjoyed running it.