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--- lore:strays [2026/05/22 22:45] – created webcerise
+++ lore:strays [2026/05/23 00:42] (current) – webcerise
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-====== Strays ======
+====== Chosens ======
-Strays are people who appear in the world without warning, memory, or known origin.
+**Chosens** are individuals summoned from other worlds to serve as heroes. They arrive without memories of their former lives, retaining no known homeland, family, or identity beyond what they build after arrival.
-No records exist of where they come from, nor why they arrive. Though countless theories have emerged throughout history, none have ever been proven.
+Unlike ordinary travelers or migrants, Chosens do not enter the world by natural means. They are called through summoning rites known to several [[characters:factions|factions]], though the exact methods differ by region, tradition, and purpose. All known Chosens arrive without memories of their previous lives. No Chosen has ever fully recovered their former identity.
-Upon arrival, a Stray possesses:
+===== Purpose =====
-  * no memories of their previous life
-  * no known homeland or family
-  * no personal identity beyond what they choose for themselves
-Some retain strange fragments: recurring dreams, unfamiliar skills, emotional reactions without explanation, or fleeting feelings of déjà vu. These occurrences are inconsistent and poorly understood.
+Chosens are most commonly summoned during periods of crisis.
-----
+Factions may call upon them to:
+  * defeat monsters or hostile powers
+  * recover lost relics
+  * explore dangerous regions
+  * end curses or magical disasters
+  * legitimize political or religious authority
-===== Arrival =====
+Although Chosens are often described as heroes, not all are treated with honor. Some are welcomed as saviors, while others are used as tools, weapons, or symbols.
-A Stray may appear almost anywhere.
+===== Summoning =====
-Stories describe Strays being found:
+Multiple [[characters:factions|factions]] possess the knowledge required to summon Chosens.
-  * asleep in forests
-  * wandering roads at dawn
-  * near ancient ruins
-  * along coastlines after storms
-  * beneath clear night skies without witnesses
-No confirmed pattern has ever been identified.
+Known summoners include:
+  * temples seeking chosen champions
+  * royal courts facing war or disaster
+  * magical colleges conducting controlled rites
+  * isolated cults or secret societies
+  * desperate communities with inherited rituals
-Their arrival is often associated with unusual atmospheric phenomena, though just as many Strays appear without incident.
+Summoning is rarely simple or safe. Failed rites may produce nothing, damage the surrounding area, or attract unwanted magical phenomena linked to [[magic:systems|magic]].
-----
 ===== Society =====
-Attitudes toward Strays differ greatly between regions.
+Public attitudes toward Chosens vary greatly.
-Some cultures view them as:
+Some societies consider them:
-  * blessed wanderers
+  * chosen heroes
-  * omens of change
+  * divine gifts
-  * people chosen by fate
+  * living omens
+  * dangerous outsiders
+  * property of the summoning faction
-Others see them as:
+Their lack of memory makes them vulnerable. A faction that summons a Chosen often controls the first version of the truth they hear.
-  * dangerous anomalies
-  * cursed beings
-  * rootless outsiders
-Because Strays possess no lineage, citizenship, or documented past, many struggle to integrate into ordinary society.
+Because of this, many Chosens eventually question who summoned them, why they were called, and whether their assigned purpose is truly their own.
-As a result, a large number eventually turn toward guilds, mercenary work, exploration, or travel.
+===== Wayhome =====
-----
+[[wayhome:history|Wayhome]] is strongly associated with Chosens.
-===== Wayhome =====
+The guild shelters Chosens who have escaped, completed, rejected, or outlived the missions they were summoned for. It offers work, protection, records, and a place to build a life beyond the role of “hero.”
-Among all organizations, Wayhome is perhaps the most closely associated with Strays.
+Not all members of Wayhome are Chosens, but many Chosens eventually pass through its halls.
-The guild offers:
+===== Conflicts =====
-  * shelter
-  * work
-  * community
-  * legal assistance
-  * a place to belong
-Though not all members are Strays, many eventually pass through Wayhome at some point in their lives.
+The summoning of Chosens creates frequent political and moral disputes.
-----
+Common conflicts include:
+  * factions competing to summon stronger heroes
+  * kingdoms claiming ownership over summoned Chosens
+  * Chosens refusing their assigned destiny
+  * summoners concealing the truth of a ritual
+  * failed heroes being abandoned or hunted
+  * Wayhome interfering in factional claims
-===== Theories =====
+These disputes remain one of the major sources of tension between Wayhome and other powers.
-No universally accepted explanation for Strays exists.
+===== Unanswered Questions =====
-Some believe they are:
+Despite the existence of known summoning rites, many questions remain unresolved.
-  * souls from other worlds
-  * fragments of forgotten histories
-  * people taken by the stars
-  * victims of magical phenomena
-  * proof that the world itself is incomplete
-Others dismiss such ideas entirely.
+Scholars still debate:
+  * where Chosens truly come from
+  * why they lose their memories
+  * whether summoning creates or merely relocates them
+  * why some rites succeed and others fail
+  * whether Chosens are chosen by the ritual, the world, or something beyond both
-To this day, no Stray has ever fully recovered their memories.
+The mechanics of summoning are known. The truth behind it is not.