"Once in an [eon, era] the Eye opens, and the Wanderers journey through it to a new home. A hundred times, maybe a thousand, we have left one home and journeyed to another. Each new home the Eye brings us to is full of [devastation, destruction], and it takes many lifetimes to set things right. Then the Eye beckons again, and we move on. And each time we pass through the eye we become something new."
-Iktat Rek, Wanderers Conversation
Template:Infobox race The Wanderers are a race of bird-like aliens who follow the path of a Pug-controlled wormhole known as the Eye, restoring devastated planets as they go. In their most recent expedition, the Wanderers have been besieged by attacks from the Unfettered Hai. Wanderer technology is renowned for often performing two jobs at once; their reactors double as batteries, and their engines also work as cooling. Wanderer technology is also known for being extremely efficient, which is why they do not develop Wanderer Heat Sinks until they have begun building heavy warships. For example, a White Sun Reactor creates far less heat than an Armageddon Core while still generating more energy and taking up less outfit space, along with its large energy capacity.
History
It is unknown where the Wanderers originate from, although they are clearly a relatively old race, as they have traveled many times through the Eye, which usually only opens around every ten thousand years. They have also reached Tier 2. The Wanderers state that, in the past, they have encountered peaceful species in their travels, but many species they have met have been warlike and have ultimately destroyed themselves. As Sayari translates, "they hate to make new friends only to lose them again."
After the Eye opens, the Wanderers escape their Unfettered pursuers, ending up in Korath space. Unfortunately for them, the Korath automata are an even greater threat. Speaking with the Kor Efreti, the Wanderers learn of the Korath's war-torn history, and begin to help them rebuild Korath society. Eventually, the Wanderers manage to beat back the automata, in the process endowing the Kor Mereti with "life." To defeat the Kor Sestor, the Wanderers enlist the help of the exiles, intending to return to them their "purpose in the galaxy." However, the exiles betray them, stealing machinery from the Kor Sestor and Kor Mereti ship factories, eventually producing their own autonomous warships.
Attributes
At first contact, the Wanderers are an avian species, with a body about the same size as a human, but with wings that tower far above human height. While their plumage varies in colors, the known shades include brown and white, like their ships. However, whenever the Eye opens, some number of Wanderers begin to undergo the Molt; this eventually changes their entire body, transforming them into the next step in Wanderer evolution.
To communicate with the Wanderers, the player obtains a translation device from a Hai technologist named Eruk, intended for use by Hai who do not know the human language. It is suitable for the [case, situation] of the Wanderers, who, through decades of [conflict, warfare] with the Unfettered, eventually learned the Hai language. However, the device is not perfect, and is not finely tuned for the nuances alien languages; occasionally, it supplies multiple translations for one word when the [meaning, intent] of the Wanderer word cannot be [precisely, completely] mapped into a single human word, and at times it fails entirely.
Wanderer ships typically use shades of green and white, somewhat similar to their own plumage. Their ship hulls are generally somewhat reminiscent of leaves, although since the Unfettered Hai's invasion, their warships have begun losing some of this elegant design in favor of practicality for warfare, including turret mounts in addition to gun ports.
Technology
Ships
Light Freighter
Heavy Freighter
Light Warship
Medium Warship
Heavy Warship
Drone
Outfits
Weapons:
- Sunbeam, Turret, and Dual Turret
- Moonbeam, Turret (upcoming)
- Wanderer Anti-Missile
- Thunderhead Launcher, Missiles, Storage Array
Systems:
- Bright Cloud and Dark Storm Shielding
- Wanderer Heat Sink
- Wanderer Ramscoop
Power:
- Red, Yellow, White, and Blue Sun Reactors
- Small and Large Biochemical Cells
- Types 1, 2, 3, and 4 Radiant Thrusters
- Types 1, 2, 3, and 4 Radiant Steering
Interspecies Relations
In general, the Wanderers seem to be friendly and welcoming towards other species. However, this outlook has been tainted recently by the Unfettered invasion.
- Humans: The only human the Wanderers have encountered so far is the player.
- Hai: The Wanderers view the Hai somewhat warily: despite your assurances that the Unfettered are not like the rest of their race, as well as Sayari's presence, their first impressions of the Hai are difficult to change.
- Unfettered Hai: The Wanderers heavily oppose the Unfettered because of their attacks. The Wanderers are willing to make peace, so long as it gives them enough time to develop a better plan, but the Unfettered eventually break the truce.
- Korath: The Wanderers initally treat the exiles peacefully, as potential allies, but may now be very distrusting of them because of their betrayal.
- Kor Efreti: After the Eye opens, the Wanderers initiate diplomacy with the Kor Efreti, and together they attempt to rebuild Korath society. Their efforts seem to be working.
- Kor Mereti: In their attempts to stop the Kor Mereti, the Wanderers accidentally create a sentient species identifying as the "children" of the Wanderers.
- Kor Sestor: The Wanderers enlist the help of the Korath exiles in order to defeat the Kor Sestor; their efforts are a success.
- Quarg: The Wanderers claim to understand the Quarg's distrust of them when the player speaks with them.
- Pug: The Wanderers practically revere the Pug as gods due to their control of the Eye.
- Drak: The Wanderers have a single interaction with the Drak: when they first migrate to Korath space, an Archon appears, warning them of great retribution were they to harm the Korath remnants, and about the hostile automata.
Trivia
- The Wanderers were the first race to be added to Endless Sky after the initial Steam release; their addition was followed by that of the Archons in 0.9.0.