The Traveler
The Traveler
The Traveler is the identity adopted by Alantarin the Wise, the ancient monk and former bearer of the Yellow Gift. He is one of the most mysterious figures in the history of the world, having appeared only rarely across the ages.
Alantarin's identity as The Traveler was not known to the people of the modern era. He deliberately maintained the appearance of an ordinary wandering traveler, appearing when circumstances required his intervention and generally departing again once his assistance was no longer needed.
His unusual longevity is connected to his long association with the Gifts. After the Korvak War, Alantarin became the guardian of the Yellow Gift and eventually also took responsibility for the Red Gift after Kjeldin surrendered it. The surviving Gift Bearers were known to possess unnaturally long lives, and Alantarin subsequently disappeared from the surviving historical record. His eventual transformation into The Traveler explains how a man from the Age of Wonders could continue appearing centuries later.
Appearance and Manner
The Traveler generally presents himself as an unremarkable middle-aged man carrying a staff. His manner is relaxed and personable, and he often approaches strangers as though he were simply another traveler looking for companionship, conversation, a meal, and a campfire.
This apparent simplicity is deceptive.
During his encounter with the Under the Bus adventurers, he described himself as being interested in exploring the world and collecting entertaining stories from the people he met. He was particularly comfortable listening to the party's stories and discussing events they had experienced.
Despite his friendly demeanor, The Traveler can become imposing when circumstances require it. His apparent aura of power can be deliberately suppressed, allowing him to appear much less significant than he actually is.
The Traveler and the Chosen
The Traveler was one of the nine original Founders of the Chosen, an organization created roughly fifty years before the Under the Bus campaign to influence events for the betterment of the world.
The other Founders were Jessenth (Uncle Jesse), Angar, Stegner, Serianne, Samos, Effron, Eritrea, and Quentin.
The Traveler eventually left The Chosen because it was simply not in his nature to remain in one place for very long. Despite leaving the organization, he retained an interest in its members and continued to regard its work as important.
He had also discovered the abandoned fortress that became the Tower of Plinth and offered it to the newly formed Chosen as their headquarters. The fortress had previously been associated with Correries and his allies during the period before their ascension to godhood. After the gods were banished, it was abandoned and eventually forgotten until The Traveler discovered it.
The Traveler remained knowledgeable about the Chosen even after leaving them. When the Under the Bus adventurers encountered him, he immediately recognized the significance of their status and was familiar with the organization's secrets and practices.
Encounter with the Under the Bus Adventurers
The adventurers encountered The Traveler while traveling toward Toreon.
He initially presented himself simply as a wandering traveler seeking companionship, a shared meal, and a campfire. He listened to the party's stories before discussing the state of the Knights of Demmazon and warning them about the organization's increasingly aggressive crusade.
The party eventually realized that their companion was one of the Founders of the Chosen.
The Traveler warned them about the dangers awaiting Chosen in Toreon, particularly the policies of Samos and the persecution of those considered heretics. He also taught the party how to suppress their visible Chosen aura through concentration.
During this training, the party discovered that The Traveler had been deliberately suppressing his own aura. His actual aura was described as overwhelming in strength.
The Traveler also knew of the werewolf epidemic affecting the south. He did not yet know that the disease had begun spreading northward or affecting members of the Chosen.
When asked about the plague, he gave the cryptic warning:
“The answers you seek lie in the past - far in the past, for this plague is old…very old.”
He told them that they would not find the cure in Toreon, but that they were nevertheless walking the correct path for the moment.
The Traveler subsequently disappeared from their immediate affairs.
Encounter with the Knights of Demmazon
The Traveler later intervened when the Under the Bus adventurers were being forcibly recruited by a patrol of the Knights of Demmazon.
He confronted Captain Halsten and demanded that the party be released, offering to join the Knights in their place if necessary.
When Halsten challenged his authority, The Traveler identified himself only as "just a Traveler" and warned that the Knights would have to go through him if they insisted on taking the party.
He then flourished his staff and slammed it into the ground.
The impact produced a flash of lightning and a crack of thunder, and The Traveler's previously nondescript appearance was suddenly accompanied by an aura of menace. Halsten reconsidered and allowed the party to leave.
This is one of the few recorded demonstrations of the unusual powers associated with The Traveler and his staff.
See the Staff of the Traveler.
Abilities
The full extent of The Traveler's abilities is unknown.
His known capabilities include:
- Exceptional knowledge of history and events occurring across widely separated periods.
- The ability to suppress his Chosen aura.
- An extraordinarily powerful Chosen aura when not suppressed.
- Significant magical abilities.
- Significant martial abilities associated with his history as a monk.
- An apparently extraordinary lifespan.
- The ability to use the Staff of the Traveler in ways beyond its known abilities.
The Traveler's true capabilities have never been completely documented.
Philosophy
The Traveler generally avoids positions of authority and does not appear interested in ruling kingdoms, controlling organizations, or accumulating political power.
Instead, he tends to intervene selectively.
He provides information, warnings, instruction, or direct assistance when he believes doing so will help people move toward a better outcome, then leaves them to make their own decisions.
This philosophy is consistent with Alantarin's earlier history as a Gift Bearer. After the Korvak War, Alantarin recognized the danger posed by the Gifts being placed in the hands of mortals and became their guardian rather than using their power to pursue personal ambitions.
As The Traveler, he appears to have continued that philosophy on a much larger scale: help when necessary, but do not attempt to control the course of history.
Alantarin the Wise
The Traveler's true identity is Alantarin the Wise.
Alantarin was a monk and one of the ancient bearers of The Five Gifts. He was the bearer and guardian of the Yellow Gift and eventually became responsible for guarding the Red Gift as well.
After the Heroes of Aegea reached his mountain temple, Zaraleth succeeded in stealing the Red Gift, while the Heroes prevented her from obtaining the Yellow Gift. The surviving records do not establish what happened to Alantarin afterward.
That gap in the historical record is now understood to mark the beginning of his existence as The Traveler.
What Remains Unknown
The exact circumstances surrounding Alantarin's transition into The Traveler remain uncertain.
The surviving records do not establish:
- What happened to Alantarin immediately after Zaraleth stole the Red Gift.
- How he left the mountain temple.
- The full extent of his powers.
- The complete capabilities of the Staff of the Traveler.
These gaps do not change the established identity of The Traveler. They simply leave portions of Alantarin's history unresolved.
Legacy
The Traveler remains one of the most enigmatic figures in the history of the world.
He founded the Chosen, provided them with their headquarters, continued to observe their activities after leaving the organization, and appeared intermittently to individuals who happened to cross his path.
His greatest legacy may be the fact that he rarely attempted to make himself the center of events.
He simply kept traveling.
