Brothers of Fharlanghn

Wanderers of Oerth

In a time when history was unwritten, the clerics of Fharlanghn traveled the horizons in search of knowledge and understanding. They posed questions and challenged fellow travelers to strive beyond what their minds already held. On these roads, on these sacred paths, bandits, thieves and highwayman would stop at nothing to end their holy travel; to take their valuables and their closely guarded secrets. The clerics went from defending one self to defending the very roads themselves, and all that would travel upon them. More and more of these brothers were dying on the roads they were defending. The Wanderers of Oerth, are a sacred Brotherhood of monks who took on defending these paths after all of the original clerics died defending them. These monks used the one thing no one could take away from them, their fists. They even abandoned the travelers trusted friend, the quarterstaff. The brotherhood has no temples, - but always they make their home in way-houses overlooking a road, seeking out those that would block or impede its flow.

Wanderers of Oerth are a brotherhood of monks dedicated to travelling and helping others to travel. The mantra of the Brothers is to aid those lost on the road, especially those found on the road. These apostles of the road, whose parents and family surely must be just beyond the next horizon, adopt all that they find lost on the road- if they will it. Thus fallen soldiers, scorned wives and abandoned children are among their Company.

The Brothers do not have a hierarchy; they are all equal before Fharlanghn. The Brothers are a broad organization and recognize that everyone has to make that journey, so there are almost as many female ‘Brothers’ as there are male, and demi-humans and humanoids of all races are represented. The Brothers can make an attractive home for half-orcs or other races that are not easily accepted into other parts of society.

The Brothers believe that travel broadens the mind and brings people closer to their god, Fharlanghn. So as monks it is their duty to encourage people to make journeys, it doesn’t matter what the reason for the journey is, because it is the journey itself that give Fharlanghn a way into the traveler’s life. The road has always been about pain and hope. Thus there is one that consoles and brings a sense of tomorrow to those that are lost. The other horizon is the pain of the road, a being that challenges and brings pain to those that would impede the road and the search for knowledge.

Brothers tend to wear traditional robs of red and black, and they generally carry a holy symbol somewhere about their person. A version of The Travelers holy symbol called Oerth Disc, is always worn by the monks and is commonly a necklace or hanging with a decorative disk showing the horizon and crescent moon.

When they are ready to retire from the road many sink their savings into Way Houses. Outside of towns, Way Houses provide safe secure lodgings on the road and they have slightly more refined lodgings available than a typical inn. Because they are heavily supported by the brothers, most Way Houses are prepared to ‘adopt’ waifs, stray or orphans for support. These children are expected to work and to study, and are taught the ways of Fharlanghn, this is often better than being on the streets. At the end of the day, the child will learn some skills they can use constructively in the larger world of Tellene or be accepted by the Brothers as an apprentice to a monk. Those that are called at a later age feel the call to service after a tragedy has occurred in their life and often have other skills they can offer or teach to novices. Many of the brothers will have worked as caravan guards, messengers, travelling entertainers or other similar occupations before being called to membership as a Brother. There are some that will go on to learn the religious rites that are associated with Fharlanghn, while others will be content to serve in a worldlier role.

“The Universe is but a great road and no one has the power to impede it” - “For pain is that one great teacher.” ...... The Great Grand Master Ignarus