I. Prologue -
“Wary to those of whom carry ignorance or malice for the land they tread. For it will be the mark of Nature’s vengeance they will discover and Her warriors will feast upon gore and bone.”— Feyrith, Archdruid of the Moon Circle
In the depths of the ancient woodland, a band of hunters crept through the underbrush, their eyes fixed firmly on their prey. Yet, they were not the only ones on the hunt. The domain upon which they tread was protected by forces unknown to them. A figure emerged from the shadows, a creature of vengeance and wrath. Its silhouette was that of a magnificent wolf, her coat as black as the starless sky, a sentinel of the forest.
The hunters were ignorant of the danger they faced. They believed themselves to be the masters of the natural world, but they were woefully mistaken. The wolf moved with an otherworldly grace, her senses keen and her instincts sharpened by years of dedication. Her attack was a force of unbridled savagery that ripped limb from limb, leaving a trail of crimson carnage in its wake.
With the coming of dawn, the few hunters who had survived fled, terror-stricken and shaken to the core by the druid's fury. The wolf melted back into the shadows, her presence fading like a dream. Yet, her howl lingered in the air, a haunting and ominous warning to all who might trespass upon her sacred grove.
II. History [BC] -
Many moons before the rise of civilisations stood Nature and Her domains. Verdant life stretching beyond the horizon, decorating Athon in lush green and providing the nursery for mortal life to be birthed. Countless generations these domains remained undisturbed. As the mortals grew so did Nature’s ire. Beings that pervaded Her world with greed would come to understand balance in all.
Ancient stories told of verdant warriors clad in bark that could twist their own form and take that of a beast to enact their fury. Warriors, and protectors, that maintained the balance of the natural world. These beings were the First Druids, the Spriggan, that were of amalgamated life imbued with thought. Gluttonous hunters and arrogant lords that stripped forests would be found mangled and limp as the mortals came to know balance.
This would not last. For what the Spriggan came to know as the Mórruadh awakened, tearing across their land mercilessly and endlessly in a sea of black. These First Druids, once plentiful and proud, became reduced to a mere dozen. In some way, this happening was fortunate, as if it were not for the great Catastrophe then Her domain would be barren.
The heart of Nature, wounded and weary, did lament as the scourges of war had laid devastation. Deeming it necessary to preserve life and protect Her domain not only against mortal greed but Mórruadh as well, an accord was sought with the mortal races. For some were born of worship, and others of peace, were the Mortal Druids born. Acting in accordance with Her will the remaining Spriggan passed on their knowledge to those mortals deemed worthy, so that they may pledge their fealty to Nature and become Her staunch protectors for all time.
III. Description -
Druidism is the attainment of the boons of Nature in return for an oathsworn servitude to protect the natural world and balance. Nature and Her domain refers to the nameless and omnipresent realm of all flora and fauna within the world and what connects it all. The Druid protects this domain through their gifted abilities of Communion and Wyldmelding. Communion is the active connection a Druid can make to the natural realm, being that of both flora and fauna. Wyldmelding is the ability for a Druid to mutate their own quintessence to reshape their form into that of an animal they have given a lifebind to, through the ‘Ritual of Bonds’.
Although, the boons granted by Nature do burden the mortal body where a Druid may find their mind warped and tormented over time from using communion and interacting beyond the mortal realm. As the Bearer of Lifebinds, the Druid may also find their natural body becomes influenced by their lifebinds and wyldmelding over time, where it is not unusual for the most advanced Druids to have their head sprout antlers or their teeth fall out to birth canine fangs.
