Adventurer

An adventurer is a creature that goes on adventure. Generally, there are two types of adventurers: player-controlled and NPC. There will sometimes be NPC adventurers wandering one's fortress looking for artifacts to give to interested parties. Adventurers may come from any way of life and it is not a "job" per se unless strictly defined in a world, for example adventurers of the Museum.

Life
Adventurers tend to live harsh lives after leaving the protection of their home town. Some take all that they can, while others leave dangerously underequipped and underskilled. Death by starvation, dehydration, drowning, falling and other natural but avoidable causes is not uncommon. This is just considering the landscape. Add wild animals, bandit groups, night creatures, megabeasts and even the occasional demon and surviving is a feat all in itself.

As such, adventurers find themselves in desperate situations, having to pillage from where they can what they can to survive, to hunt and kill animals, or in the case of the more ruthless and desperate, consider the dark secrets of undeath or purposely anger the gods so they may use their curses as ways to prolong their lives.

Those who live long enough may get great boons - rulership, a life of eternal comfort... or torment.

And become a wanderer
Even after their "main" adventurer, adventurers may feel wanderlust and may go wherever their heart pleases them until the end of the world comes nigh.

And become a ruler
Sometimes (or oftentimes), even a retired adventurer may be called by the group they belong to into a rulership position. This may range from a simple outcast group to an outright King or Queen ship of the greatest civilization in the world. It depends greatly both where they are born, and to whom they may ingratiate themselves with during their main adventures.

And become immortal
Even an adventurer who does not search immortality may find it, if only the world continue long enough and the Gods wish it so. It may come in many ways that are chronicled elsewhere.

And die
Even that which is immortal can die, sometimes permanently. If the world runs long enough, an event, war, confrontation or some such may occur that may involve the destruction of the body altogether. Of course, there are exceptions...

Origins
Adventurers more often than not appear as if out of thin air, even if the town should know them, whole with memories of an entire life living in the same place, sometimes with relatives that can never be found or attested.

Some scholars believe adventurers have such nebulous beginnings because they are the "(unwanted) love children of someone and someone". Others claim they are the children of spirits, deities or Armok themselves.