Almost all of the common people and other folk that one might encounter in Pondaera have one thing in common: they live out their lives without ever traveling more than a few miles from where they were born. You aren't one of those folk. You are from a distant place, one so remote that few of the people of Pondaera even realize that it exists, and chances are good that even if some people you meet have heard of your homeland, they know merely the name and perhaps a few outrageous stories.
You have come to this part of Pondaera for your own reasons, which you might or might not choose to share. Although you will undoubtedly find some of this land's ways to be strange and discomfiting, you can also be sure that some things its people take for granted will be to you new wonders that you've never laid eyes on before. By the same token, you're a person of interest, for good or ill, to those around you almost anywhere you go.
Skill Proficiencies: Insight, Perception
Tool Proficiencies: Any one musical instrument or gaming set of your choice, likely something native to your homeland
Languages: Any one of your choice
Equipment: One set of traveler's clothes, any one musical instrument or gaming set you are proficient with, poorly wrought maps from your homeland that depict where you are in Pondaera, a small piece of jewelry worth 10 gp in the style of your homeland's craftsmanship, and a pouch containing 5 gp
A far traveler might have set out on a journey for one of a number of reasons, and the departure from their homeland could have been voluntary or involuntary. To determine why you are so far from home, roll on the table below or choose from the options provided. The following section, discussing possible homelands, includes some suggested reasons that are appropriate for each location.
The most important decision in creating a far traveler background is determining your homeland. The places discussed here are all sufficiently remote to justify the use of this background.
The fabled half-elven islands far to the west are home to elves and humans who have never been to the mainland. They often find it a harsher place than they expected when they do make the trip. If you are an elf, Bromorian Islands is a logical (though not mandatory) choice for your homeland. Most of those who emigrate here are either exiles, forced out for committing some infraction of the strict law, or emissaries who come with a purpose that benefits their culture or society.
Located on the east edge of Pondaera on the Great Sea, and hemmed in by mountains all around, Ageegha is a bizarre land to most in Pondaera who know about it. Many folk have heard of the griffons Ageeghan's train, and a few know of the tales that even the least of their people can work magic. Aarakocra of Ageegha usually make their journeys into Pondaera for personal reasons, since their government has a strict stance against unauthorized involvement with other nations and organizations. You might have been exiled for breaking one of Ageegha's many byzantine laws, or you could be a pilgrim who seeks the shrines of the Kawshafa.
The kingdom of Sekunama, along the Cerulean Sea, is home to people whose customs are unfamiliar to most of Pondaera. If you come from Sekunama, the people of Pondaera likely refer to you as Seku, that isn't your ethnicity, that's the blanket term they use for everyone who shares your origin. The folk of Sekunama occasionally travel to other kingdoms as diplomats or to forge trade relations with prosperous merchant cartels. You might have come here as part of some such delegation, then decided to stay when the mission was over.
From the terrain to the architecture to the kings who rule over these lands, nearly everything about Nalxtan Rest is alien to someone from the mainland. You likely experienced the same sort of culture shock when you left your home and traveled to the unfamiliar climes of the mainland. Recent events in your homeland have led to the abolition of slavery, and a corresponding increase in the traffic between Nalxtan Rest and the distant parts of Pondaera. Those who leave behind Nalxtan Rest's perfectly maintained climates and jungle pyramids for a glimpse at a different life do so for many reasons. You might be on the mainland simply to see the strangeness of snow or leaves which change color, or because you have made too many enemies in the communities of your home.
Few have heard of your homeland, but many have questions about it upon seeing you. Humans and Half Giants from Kagerr seem crafted from snow, with alabaster skin and white hair, and typically dressed in white. Kagerr exists far to the north, surrounded by endless ice and bounded on its other sides by hundreds of miles of the Great Glacier and the Great Sea. No one from your nation makes the effort to cross such colossal barriers without a convincing reason. You must fear something truly terrible or seek something incredibly important.
As the saying goes among those in Pondaera who know of the place, "To get to Lyeelmoldtheri, go south. Then go south some more." Of course, you followed an equally long route when you came north from your place of birth. Though it isn't unusual for the Lyeelmoldtheri to visit the southern kingdoms of Pondaera for trading purposes, few of them stray as far from home as you have. You might be traveling to discover what wonders are to be found outside the wastes and flatness of your homeland, or perhaps you are on a pilgrimage to understand the gods that others worship, so that you might better appreciate your own deities.
Though your home is physically closer to the mainland than the other locations discussed here, it is far more unnatural. You hail from one of the settlements in the Underdark, each of which has its own strange customs and laws. If you are a native of one of the great subterranean cities or settlements, you are probably a member of the race that occupies the place but you might also have grown up there after being captured and brought below when you were a child. If you are a true Underdark native, you might have come to the surface as an emissary of your people, or perhaps to escape accusations of criminal behavior (whether warranted or not). If you aren't a native, your reason for leaving "home" probably has something to do with getting away from a bad situation.
Your accent, mannerisms, figures of speech, and perhaps even your appearance all mark you as foreign. Curious glances are directed your way wherever you go, which can be a nuisance, but you also gain the friendly interest of scholars and others intrigued by far-off lands, to say nothing of everyday folk who are eager to hear stories of your homeland. You can parlay this attention into access to people and places you might not otherwise have, for you and your traveling companions. Noble lords, scholars, and merchant princes, to name a few, might be interested in hearing about your distant homeland and people.
Far Travelers are each very unique crafter by their experience at home and then in their brief travels on the mainland. Their oddness, which gets them attention, and how everything seems unusual to them affect their mannerisms and ideals. They look at the strange customs with fascination or take offense to something common. Additionally, they are prone to be curiosities.
Emissary
Exile
Wanderer
Pilgrim
Sightseer
Fugitive
I have different assumptions from those around me concerning personal space.
I have my own ideas about what is and is not food, and I find the eating habits of those around me fascinating, confusing, or revolting.
I have a strong code of honor or sense of propriety that others don't comprehend.
I express affection or contempt in ways that are unfamiliar to others.
I honor my deities through practices that are foreign to this land.
I begin or end my day with small traditional rituals that are unfamiliar to those around me.
Open. I have much to learn from the kindly folk I meet along my way. (Good)
Reserved. As someone new to these strange lands, I am cautious and respectful in my dealings. (Lawful)
Adventure. I'm far from home, and everything is strange and wonderful! (Chaotic)
Cunning. Though I may not know their ways, neither do they know mine, which can be to my advantage. (Evil)
Inquisitive. Everything is new, but I have a thirst to learn. (Neutral)
Suspicious. I must be careful, for I have no way of telling friend from foe here. (Any)
So long as I have this token from my homeland, I can face any adversity in this strange land.
The gods of my people are a comfort to me so far from home.
I hold no greater cause than my service to my people.
My freedom is my most precious possession. I'll never let anyone take it from me again.
I'm fascinated by the beauty and wonder of this new land.
Though I had no choice, I lament having to leave my loved one(s) behind. I hope to see them again one day.
I am secretly (or not so secretly) convinced of the superiority of my own culture over that of this foreign land.
I pretend not to understand the local language in order to avoid interactions I would rather not have.
I have a weakness for the new intoxicants and other pleasures of this land.
I don't take kindly to some actions and motivations of the people of this land, because these folk are different from me.
I consider the adherents of other gods to be deluded innocents at best, or ignorant fools at worst.
I have a weakness for the exotic beauty of the people of these lands.