Chapter 507 - 436 Wanderer
Veldor had been wandering the Kaelonde Kingdom for many years since he left the Wood Stone Clan. He constantly changed his name and his appearance, barely distinguishable from the restless spirits that roamed the wilderness.
He led, and could only lead, a life of constant upheaval. In the past, he had left his Clan in anger, becoming what the Dwarves commonly referred to as a "Wanderer."
Wanderer meant someone who had either left or lost their Clan for various reasons. This term was not equivalent to the commoners’ notions of refugees or beggars. In the Dwarf society that valued clan bloodlines, it was a tragic appellation.
When Dwarves cursed others, calling someone a Wanderer was more offensive than calling them a scoundrel or ruffian. Its severity was unparalleled, even among Dwarves known for their irate nature, who would readily bring one’s parents into a tirade.
Being clan-less meant not just being homeless, but having no place of belonging in the entire Kingdom.
The Clan carried a Dwarf’s birth as well as death. Wanderers who died met the truly absolute death of having no grave to call their own.
Beyond that, the Clan also carried a Dwarf’s social status. Wanderers, devoid of social status, were the scorned of society, and no one dared employ a Wanderer for work. Dwarves often assumed that male Wanderers were beggars or robbers, and the females, prostitutes or thieves.
And Veldor, as a male Wanderer, often had to rely on stealing to survive, living up to the expectations placed upon him.
His long, unkempt beard hung down, and Veldor tapped the table in front of him with frustration filling his heart.
Over the years, he had lived by thievery and tinkering with little mechanical devices.
Most of these were mechanisms Veldor had learned from the Mechanical Book, and his most successful transaction was selling a steam gyroscope to a child from a Clan associated with craftsmen, which had earned him enough money for half a year’s food.