The Traveller [Archive] - Wizards Community

The Traveller [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
naturax
07-02-07, 12:25 PM Hi everyone! I have always found The Traveller to be the most interesting of all the gods in the unified host. I was looking to find more information about the Traveller but there was disappointingly little in Faiths of Eberron. I've noticed some brief snippets in Races of Eberron, but besides that, are there any good sources of information about the Traveller? Thanks!
itraylor
07-04-07, 11:44 AM I am a big fan of The Traveler as well and have also noticed a lack of really in depth information. I think that this is partly intentional. I have a character concept of a House Cannith (South) Artificer that reveres The Traveler so I am always looking for more information. In Keith Bakers Dreaming Dark Trilogy the Shaugin that the characters deal with while going to Xendrik discuss The Traveler some. They comment on how some members of House Cannith revere him. Outside of that and the information you are already aware of there is not much really. Well, enjoy your Independence Day and good gaming.
Manyfist
07-05-07, 04:03 AM I think the Traveler could be used as a way to bring the many of the Minor deities from other settings in. However I think most of the Pantheons could easily fit most of the roles of the other gods and goddesses. Venca could be just another name for the Shadow..etc.

The Traveler itself however I think is better left to being a mystery. After all, if he's a shapeshifter to the extreme, taking on many different beings, why should much be written about it? What good would it do to map out the Traveler it just wouldn't be the same.
naturax
07-05-07, 11:08 AM The Traveler itself however I think is better left to being a mystery. After all, if he's a shapeshifter to the extreme, taking on many different beings, why should much be written about it? What good would it do to map out the Traveler it just wouldn't be the same.

It's all well and good for The Traveller to be a mystery. But I don't need a book to tell me "make up the myths of this world for yourself" - I can just go ahead and do that.

The fact of the matter is that The Traveller is considered one of the Dark Six and to many, such as the artificers of House Cannith and the entire organization known as the Cabinet of Faces, The Traveller is a source of inspiration and divine power. What do THEY know about The Traveller? What does The Traveller represent to them? What rituals and traditions do they have to maintain their faith?

I have a hard time believing that some cleric can just pronounce "I like The Traveller! The Traveller is a BIG MYSTERY" and start casting spells. The god has to MEAN something to them.

So, The Traveller may be confusing and mysterious to everone, but why? What's so confusing about him?

What I'm really looking for are stories about The Traveller. Surely there are myths and legends and fables in the in-game world about one of the GODS. They will contradict each other. Some stories say The Traveller is going around buying up debts for nefarious purposes, others will say he goes around healing people, both in whatever guise. Having these sorts of stories in the world is what MAKES the Traveller confusing and a mystery, you can't just wave your hands and say "oooh! MYSTERIOUS!!" without there being a reason for that.

I can't see how it would take away from the game world to add more information about what people think. I don't want to just make all of this stuff up, I want it to tie into existing themes and existing history so that the game world becomes richer for myself and my players. If you've got any information or have used anything in particular in one of your games, I'd love to hear about it.
Grymar
07-05-07, 03:26 PM I don't have much, but this is the information I made for my campaign:

There are organizations which revere the Traveler, such as the Cabinet of Faces, but there are very few temples or shrines. The reason for this is that while there are some ideas an existing organization can embrace, there is so little information about the Traveler that it is difficult for individuals to gather under his, or its, ideals.

While organized followers of the Traveler are rare, it impacts many people daily through the myths and superstitions that surround it.

While Onatar is the god of crafting, it is said that inspiration and genius are the children of the Traveler, which is why it isn't unheard of for artificers to worship Onatar, but still pray to the Traveler as the need arises.

Fate is fickle, and so is the Traveler. Many a wandering minstrel or vagabond will not pass a crossroads without tossing a copper over his shoulder or pouring some wine or ale out, a gift to the Traveler to keep fortune on his side.

In the villages of Southern Aundair it is customary to never give anonymous or wrapped gifts, for fear that the Traveler may slip in an extra gift unnoticed.

Darguun raiders have been known to refuse to cross a river if salmon are spawning there, for fear that one might an agent of the Traveler and will suck the wisdom out of the tresspasser.

In Zilargo, if you fall out of bed in the middle of the night, you stay there until morning. It was the Traveler who pushed you out of bed and you risk his further attention if you get back in bed before the sun rises.

Adepts and clerics of the Traveler are unpredictable and can pray for spells at time of the day or night that they wish. They tend to be fond of practical jokes, especially those jokes that have some irony about them. Symbols of the Traveler are as varied as its faces, but some of the more common include a man without a face, a salmon, a solar eclipse, and a pair of dice.
Rimbaldi
07-07-07, 08:34 PM I had a changeling Rouge/Thief Acrobat who became a cleric of the traveller at Tenth level. He believed the traveller to not exist at all, thinking he wass tapping in to an idea. His ultimate goal was to become an expression of the traveller, an avatar of the concept, and would oftentimes believe himself to be the Traveller himself. After all, the Traveller can be anybody, why not me?
Werebat
07-12-07, 07:38 PM I see the Traveller as being less a member of the Dark Six and more NOT a member of the Soveriegns... They kinda dumped him in with the D6, it isn't like he chose to be there. He's just as likely to mess with the members of the D6 as with anyone else, so they'd not really count him as a member of their group either (and possibly rank him with the Sovereigns, meaning "not one of us").

- Ron ^*^
The Dreaming Duck
07-15-07, 05:36 PM I see the Traveller as being less a member of the Dark Six and more NOT a member of the Soveriegns...
I agree. Honestly, I don't really see the D6 as being a united pantheon as much as the SH is - instead, they are the forces people fear. Do you think there are myths about the Shadow and the Devourer hanging out together at the Dark Clubhouse? I see it more as "These are the six forces we fear, and we'll group them together for ease of reference."

With that said, regarding stories and myths, The Dreaming Dark books do touch on it. The sahuagin myth is one example. We also actually get a little bit of discussion of faith from the Cannith cultists, and a powerful magic item that is in some way tied to the Traveler. As I read the Cannith line, the key element of the Traveler appeared to be evolution - new things forcing change upon others. That change might be dangerous, might come at the cost of many lives, but it's still progress. This certainly fits the explanations I've seen Hellcow give in the past about why the Traveler has the artifice domain. Onatar is a god of tradition, guiding the smith as he makes the same sword over and over. it's the Traveler who inspires that smith to make a nuclear bomb instead - an action that will change the entire world. Essentially, the Cannith cultists seemed to believe that they were playing with fire - that they knew just how dangerous the gifts of the Traveler were - but that they believed that progress was worth whatever price would be paid.
Hellcow
07-15-07, 07:15 PM The Dreaming Dark may be the only place that has an actual myth of the Traveler, but I expect it's one of the most mythologically active gods. In my opinion, there's hundreds of stories about the Traveler; most likely, there's someone in every villager who has a tale of the time HE met the Traveler, and what became of him, good or bad (or usually, both) as a result. And many of these tales are actually true, albeit the work of priests of the Traveler or members of the Cabinet of Faces instead of the deity itself.

As Dreaming Duck says, in my opinion the Traveler is an agent of change as much as chaos. Because stability is safe, the Traveler is seen as a dangerous deity, and its gifts DO often bring misfortune. But those who actually WORSHIP the Traveler believe that it's just a matter of understanding the gift and being smart enough and strong enough to overcome the dangers. It is about evolution; those who survive the change will be strong for it.

Beyond the element of "dangerous gifts", the Traveler embodies the idea of innovation in all things - defeating any challenge with wit and intelligence instead of brute strength. To some degree, this overlaps with Olladra and the Mockery. However, the Mockery relies more on violence, and Olladra more on luck; the Traveler places cunning and intelligence as the highest value. Of course, the philosophy of the Traveler is an extremely amoral one; essentially, if you can get away with something, you can do it. Cunning anarchy is certainly one way to look at it - again, strongly opposed to the safe and secure society espoused by gods like Aureon, Boldrei, and Dol Arrah.
naturax
07-17-07, 06:23 AM The Dreaming Dark may be the only place that has an actual myth of the Traveler, but I expect it's one of the most mythologically active gods. In my opinion, there's hundreds of stories about the Traveler; most likely, there's someone in every villager who has a tale of the time HE met the Traveler, and what became of him, good or bad (or usually, both) as a result. And many of these tales are actually true, albeit the work of priests of the Traveler or members of the Cabinet of Faces instead of the deity itself.

Thanks for the info! I was wondering if you have any suggestions for the sort of 'guidance' (perhaps in the form of a myth) that the Traveler might offer to a changeling or a doppleganger that wants to truly and permenently transform into a particular person. The doppleganger PC in the game I'm running wants to turn human and I want it to be a lot of work (as hard as finding one of the few wizards in Eberron that can cast wish and earning the casting) and I was looking for more info about the Traveler so I could come up with what the 'quest' might be like.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
naturax 07-02-07, 12:25 PM	Hi everyone! I have always found The Traveller to be the most interesting of all the gods in the unified host. I was looking to find more information about the Traveller but there was disappointingly little in Faiths of Eberron. I've noticed some brief snippets in Races of Eberron, but besides that, are there any good sources of information about the Traveller? Thanks!
itraylor 07-04-07, 11:44 AM	I am a big fan of The Traveler as well and have also noticed a lack of really in depth information. I think that this is partly intentional. I have a character concept of a House Cannith (South) Artificer that reveres The Traveler so I am always looking for more information. In Keith Bakers Dreaming Dark Trilogy the Shaugin that the characters deal with while going to Xendrik discuss The Traveler some. They comment on how some members of House Cannith revere him. Outside of that and the information you are already aware of there is not much really. Well, enjoy your Independence Day and good gaming.
Manyfist 07-05-07, 04:03 AM	I think the Traveler could be used as a way to bring the many of the Minor deities from other settings in. However I think most of the Pantheons could easily fit most of the roles of the other gods and goddesses. Venca could be just another name for the Shadow..etc. The Traveler itself however I think is better left to being a mystery. After all, if he's a shapeshifter to the extreme, taking on many different beings, why should much be written about it? What good would it do to map out the Traveler it just wouldn't be the same.
naturax 07-05-07, 11:08 AM	The Traveler itself however I think is better left to being a mystery. After all, if he's a shapeshifter to the extreme, taking on many different beings, why should much be written about it? What good would it do to map out the Traveler it just wouldn't be the same. It's all well and good for The Traveller to be a mystery. But I don't need a book to tell me "make up the myths of this world for yourself" - I can just go ahead and do that. The fact of the matter is that The Traveller is considered one of the Dark Six and to many, such as the artificers of House Cannith and the entire organization known as the Cabinet of Faces, The Traveller is a source of inspiration and divine power. What do THEY know about The Traveller? What does The Traveller represent to them? What rituals and traditions do they have to maintain their faith? I have a hard time believing that some cleric can just pronounce "I like The Traveller! The Traveller is a BIG MYSTERY" and start casting spells. The god has to MEAN something to them. So, The Traveller may be confusing and mysterious to everone, but why? What's so confusing about him? What I'm really looking for are stories about The Traveller. Surely there are myths and legends and fables in the in-game world about one of the GODS. They will contradict each other. Some stories say The Traveller is going around buying up debts for nefarious purposes, others will say he goes around healing people, both in whatever guise. Having these sorts of stories in the world is what MAKES the Traveller confusing and a mystery, you can't just wave your hands and say "oooh! MYSTERIOUS!!" without there being a reason for that. I can't see how it would take away from the game world to add more information about what people think. I don't want to just make all of this stuff up, I want it to tie into existing themes and existing history so that the game world becomes richer for myself and my players. If you've got any information or have used anything in particular in one of your games, I'd love to hear about it.
Grymar 07-05-07, 03:26 PM	I don't have much, but this is the information I made for my campaign: There are organizations which revere the Traveler, such as the Cabinet of Faces, but there are very few temples or shrines. The reason for this is that while there are some ideas an existing organization can embrace, there is so little information about the Traveler that it is difficult for individuals to gather under his, or its, ideals. While organized followers of the Traveler are rare, it impacts many people daily through the myths and superstitions that surround it. While Onatar is the god of crafting, it is said that inspiration and genius are the children of the Traveler, which is why it isn't unheard of for artificers to worship Onatar, but still pray to the Traveler as the need arises. Fate is fickle, and so is the Traveler. Many a wandering minstrel or vagabond will not pass a crossroads without tossing a copper over his shoulder or pouring some wine or ale out, a gift to the Traveler to keep fortune on his side. In the villages of Southern Aundair it is customary to never give anonymous or wrapped gifts, for fear that the Traveler may slip in an extra gift unnoticed. Darguun raiders have been known to refuse to cross a river if salmon are spawning there, for fear that one might an agent of the Traveler and will suck the wisdom out of the tresspasser. In Zilargo, if you fall out of bed in the middle of the night, you stay there until morning. It was the Traveler who pushed you out of bed and you risk his further attention if you get back in bed before the sun rises. Adepts and clerics of the Traveler are unpredictable and can pray for spells at time of the day or night that they wish. They tend to be fond of practical jokes, especially those jokes that have some irony about them. Symbols of the Traveler are as varied as its faces, but some of the more common include a man without a face, a salmon, a solar eclipse, and a pair of dice.
Rimbaldi 07-07-07, 08:34 PM	I had a changeling Rouge/Thief Acrobat who became a cleric of the traveller at Tenth level. He believed the traveller to not exist at all, thinking he wass tapping in to an idea. His ultimate goal was to become an expression of the traveller, an avatar of the concept, and would oftentimes believe himself to be the Traveller himself. After all, the Traveller can be anybody, why not me?
Werebat 07-12-07, 07:38 PM	I see the Traveller as being less a member of the Dark Six and more NOT a member of the Soveriegns... They kinda dumped him in with the D6, it isn't like he chose to be there. He's just as likely to mess with the members of the D6 as with anyone else, so they'd not really count him as a member of their group either (and possibly rank him with the Sovereigns, meaning "not one of us"). - Ron ^*^
The Dreaming Duck 07-15-07, 05:36 PM	I see the Traveller as being less a member of the Dark Six and more NOT a member of the Soveriegns... I agree. Honestly, I don't really see the D6 as being a united pantheon as much as the SH is - instead, they are the forces people fear. Do you think there are myths about the Shadow and the Devourer hanging out together at the Dark Clubhouse? I see it more as "These are the six forces we fear, and we'll group them together for ease of reference." With that said, regarding stories and myths, The Dreaming Dark books do touch on it. The sahuagin myth is one example. We also actually get a little bit of discussion of faith from the Cannith cultists, and a powerful magic item that is in some way tied to the Traveler. As I read the Cannith line, the key element of the Traveler appeared to be evolution - new things forcing change upon others. That change might be dangerous, might come at the cost of many lives, but it's still progress. This certainly fits the explanations I've seen Hellcow give in the past about why the Traveler has the artifice domain. Onatar is a god of tradition, guiding the smith as he makes the same sword over and over. it's the Traveler who inspires that smith to make a nuclear bomb instead - an action that will change the entire world. Essentially, the Cannith cultists seemed to believe that they were playing with fire - that they knew just how dangerous the gifts of the Traveler were - but that they believed that progress was worth whatever price would be paid.
Hellcow 07-15-07, 07:15 PM	The Dreaming Dark may be the only place that has an actual myth of the Traveler, but I expect it's one of the most mythologically active gods. In my opinion, there's hundreds of stories about the Traveler; most likely, there's someone in every villager who has a tale of the time HE met the Traveler, and what became of him, good or bad (or usually, both) as a result. And many of these tales are actually true, albeit the work of priests of the Traveler or members of the Cabinet of Faces instead of the deity itself. As Dreaming Duck says, in my opinion the Traveler is an agent of change as much as chaos. Because stability is safe, the Traveler is seen as a dangerous deity, and its gifts DO often bring misfortune. But those who actually WORSHIP the Traveler believe that it's just a matter of understanding the gift and being smart enough and strong enough to overcome the dangers. It is about evolution; those who survive the change will be strong for it. Beyond the element of "dangerous gifts", the Traveler embodies the idea of innovation in all things - defeating any challenge with wit and intelligence instead of brute strength. To some degree, this overlaps with Olladra and the Mockery. However, the Mockery relies more on violence, and Olladra more on luck; the Traveler places cunning and intelligence as the highest value. Of course, the philosophy of the Traveler is an extremely amoral one; essentially, if you can get away with something, you can do it. Cunning anarchy is certainly one way to look at it - again, strongly opposed to the safe and secure society espoused by gods like Aureon, Boldrei, and Dol Arrah.
naturax 07-17-07, 06:23 AM	The Dreaming Dark may be the only place that has an actual myth of the Traveler, but I expect it's one of the most mythologically active gods. In my opinion, there's hundreds of stories about the Traveler; most likely, there's someone in every villager who has a tale of the time HE met the Traveler, and what became of him, good or bad (or usually, both) as a result. And many of these tales are actually true, albeit the work of priests of the Traveler or members of the Cabinet of Faces instead of the deity itself. Thanks for the info! I was wondering if you have any suggestions for the sort of 'guidance' (perhaps in the form of a myth) that the Traveler might offer to a changeling or a doppleganger that wants to truly and permenently transform into a particular person. The doppleganger PC in the game I'm running wants to turn human and I want it to be a lot of work (as hard as finding one of the few wizards in Eberron that can cast wish and earning the casting) and I was looking for more info about the Traveler so I could come up with what the 'quest' might be like.