The Wayfarer's Compendium: Recent Episodes
John Kurnett
Welcome to a world very much like our own, but with one key difference: in this world, folklore is rooted in stark reality. The Wayfarer's Compendium guides listeners through stories of strange events, close encounters, political conflicts, and tragic history, all set in a unique world that blends reality and mythology.
Tales of ghost ships abound throughout the coastal villages of southern Celdrúin. If you sailed along the archipelago to the island's south, you would likely hear myths of damned sailors ferrying the dead to the afterlife, while the northern isles in the chain tell equally impossible tails of elven ships. However, sometimes events transpire that lend a certain credibility to the legends - or at least muddy the waters, making it difficult to discern reality from fantasy.
In the eastern moors of Celdruin, an ancient, empty fortress stands atop an isolated hill. Every attempt to reclaim the fortress has ended in ruin.
Across the lands of the Kjalti, itinerant seeresses offer their services to commoners and kings alike. Their prophecies cover the mundane as well as the extraordinary, from the next year's harvest to a monarch's demise.
Across the river from the village of Ardben, an ancient crypt lays undisturbed. According to legend, the barrow is the home of a vicious and cruel fairy that preys upon travelers that unwittingly trespass upon his domain. It may only be superstition... but then again, who would be foolish enough to risk their life to discover out the truth?
Across the world, fairy tales have emerged to teach children and adults alike about the dangers inherent in large bodies of water. They often feature shapeshifting spirits, some taking the form of animals and other adopting the likeness of a human. Sometimes, however, folklore crosses from the realm of fantasy into reality - and sometimes the threat it poses is not quite what it seems.
The end of fall marks a transition between the warmth of summer and the bleak chill of winter. The festival of Crossing's Eve marks that transition with revelry, ceremonies, and rituals. It's said that, on the night of the festival, the spirits of the deceased can cross back into the world of the living - even if only for one night.
The Kjalti believe that dying with an oath unfulfilled, a promise broken, or dishonor upon one's self has consequences. The dead may return to the land of the living as a revenant, cursed to wander the earth and serve penance for their actions.
For most of humanity's history, wolves have been a constant. Just as their domesticated relatives have become a steadfast companion, the packs of wolves that roam the moors of Veldrün have been a persistent threat. In this chapter, we'll dive into the folklore surrounding the beasts with three stories of close encounters.
The Rime - the sea to the north of the isle of Veldrün - is dangerous and unpredictable, even at the best of times. Many sailors and warriors have plied its waters in search of conquest, gold, and fame and, as these three stories show, many men have been lost to its depths.
Trees feature prominently in folklore. Some offer protection, others offer guidance, and still others are omens of danger and death. In this episode, we'll recount three stories that encapsulate the blessings and curses of a few notable trees: rowan, elder, and yew.