> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://machina-1.gitbook.io/machina-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://machina-1.gitbook.io/machina-docs/llamas/the-caravan.md).

# The caravan

The **Drover's Stick** is how you herd. Every gesture is a flick of the wrist — no menus.

## Drover's Stick gestures

| Gesture                                  | What it does                                                                                    |
| ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Right-click a llama, donkey, or mule** | Recruit it into your caravan                                                                    |
| **Right-click a caravan member**         | Send that one off (drop it from the caravan)                                                    |
| **Right-click a camel**                  | Appoint it as the caravan's lead — see [The lead camel](/machina-docs/llamas/the-lead-camel.md) |
| **Right-click your tamed wolf**          | Set it to protect the caravan — see [Guardians](/machina-docs/llamas/guardians.md)              |
| **Right-click the air**                  | Whistle — call stragglers to heel                                                               |
| **Sneak + right-click the air**          | Halt the whole caravan (and stand down guardians)                                               |

## What can join

Any **chest-carrying pack animal you own** marches in the line:

* **Llamas** are the upgradeable haulers — paged [saddlebags](/machina-docs/llamas/saddlebags.md) and strength leveling.
* **Donkeys & mules** ride along as plain **vanilla** extra haulers — their native 15-slot chest, nothing layered on. Give them a chest and they carry; that's it.

Want the caravan to follow a mount instead of you? Appoint a [**lead camel**](/machina-docs/llamas/the-lead-camel.md).

## How following feels

Followers trail you on a breadcrumb line, evenly spaced, so they never bunch into a conga line. The follow is an **elastic band**:

* **Inside the band** — within a comfortable radius, they just cruise behind you.
* **Falling behind** — sprint or open a gap and they **rubberband**: speed ramps up to a brisk catch-up (about 1.5× walking), then eases off as they close in.
* **Out of reach** — only when a llama is stuck outside the band too long, or you round a corner past the hard distance cap (into chunks it can't be driven through), does it quietly teleport to just behind you and walk the rest of the way in. No popping in your face.

## Built to look believable

The caravan is driven by a custom steering loop — vanilla's pathfinder is switched off — so the rough edges are handled:

* **Water** — llamas swim with their heads clear and bodies submerged, no frantic bobbing or skimming the surface.
* **Hazards** — they look ahead and route around lava and cliff drops instead of marching in.
* **Obstacles** — small steps and hills get a hop; when a wall would make them circle, they commit to tracing along it and come out the other side.

All of it is tunable — see [Configuration](/machina-docs/llamas/configuration.md), and apply changes live with `/caravan reload`.

***

*Caravans is built by* [***Machina***](https://wearemachina.com) *— custom Minecraft plugins and more at* [*wearemachina.com*](https://wearemachina.com)*.*


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