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--- lore:strays [2026/05/22 23:10] – webcerise
+++ lore:strays [2026/05/23 00:42] (current) – webcerise
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-====== Strays ======
+====== Chosens ======
-**Strays** are individuals who appear in the world without warning, memory, or known origin. Their existence remains one of the greatest unresolved mysteries in recorded [[lore:history|history]].
+**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.
-Upon arrival, a Stray possesses no memories of their previous life, no known homeland, and no documented identity. Though many eventually integrate into local [[characters:factions|factions]] or communities, their origins remain unknown.
+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.
-Some Strays report experiencing fragmented dreams, emotional familiarity toward unknown places, or unexplained talents. These occurrences are inconsistent and poorly understood.
+===== Purpose =====
-===== Arrival =====
+Chosens are most commonly summoned during periods of crisis.
-Strays may appear almost anywhere, often without witnesses.
+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
-Historical accounts describe Strays being discovered:
+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.
-  * wandering roads at dawn
-  * near ancient ruins
-  * along coastlines after storms
-  * within deep forests
-  * beside sites associated with unusual [[magic:systems|magical phenomena]]
-No confirmed pattern has ever been identified.
+===== Summoning =====
+Multiple [[characters:factions|factions]] possess the knowledge required to summon Chosens.
+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
+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 vary greatly between regions.
+Public attitudes toward Chosens vary greatly.
-Some societies view them as omens, blessed wanderers, or individuals touched by fate. Others regard them with suspicion, considering them dangerous anomalies or rootless outsiders.
+Some societies consider them:
+  * chosen heroes
+  * divine gifts
+  * living omens
+  * dangerous outsiders
+  * property of the summoning faction
-Because Strays possess no lineage, citizenship, or documented past, many struggle to integrate into ordinary society. As a result, a large number eventually turn toward mercenary work, exploration, or adventuring guilds such as [[wayhome:history|Wayhome]].
+Their lack of memory makes them vulnerable. A faction that summons a Chosen often controls the first version of the truth they hear.
+Because of this, many Chosens eventually question who summoned them, why they were called, and whether their assigned purpose is truly their own.
 ===== Wayhome =====
-[[wayhome:history|Wayhome]] is the organization most strongly associated with Strays.
+[[wayhome:history|Wayhome]] is strongly associated with Chosens.
+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.”
+Not all members of Wayhome are Chosens, but many Chosens eventually pass through its halls.
+===== Conflicts =====
+The summoning of Chosens creates frequent political and moral disputes.
-The guild is known for offering shelter, work, and community to wanderers regardless of origin. Though not all members are Strays, many eventually pass through Wayhome at some point in their lives.
+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
-Several regional branches maintain records concerning newly appeared Strays, though no major discoveries have ever been confirmed publicly.
+These disputes remain one of the major sources of tension between Wayhome and other powers.
-===== Theories =====
+===== Unanswered Questions =====
-No universally accepted explanation for Strays exists.
+Despite the existence of known summoning rites, many questions remain unresolved.
-Among the most widespread theories are beliefs that Strays are:
+Scholars still debate:
-  * souls from other worlds
+  * where Chosens truly come from
-  * victims of unknown [[magic:systems|magical phenomena]]
+  * why they lose their memories
-  * remnants of forgotten civilizations
+  * whether summoning creates or merely relocates them
-  * people taken by the stars
+  * why some rites succeed and others fail
-  * evidence of fractures within reality itself
+  * 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.