Druidism
When one thinks of druids, the Eldeen Reaches immediately come to mind. Indeed, this wild land supports many druids of differing sects. But the druidic traditions of harmony with nature and, especially in Eberron, defense against corruption are not confined to the Reaches. Any culture that is close to nature or to land with extensive undeveloped regions is likely to support druidic traditions.
Druids exist all across Khorvaire, and the other continents have their share as well (though less is known about them). In addition to the wild defenders most people think of, there also exist druid sects dedicated to the destructive aspects of nature. Although their followers are grim and dangerous, such traditions are not usually evil. Other druids do follow a dark path, incomprehensible to most, that honors ancient horrors or alien environments, seeking to change the very face of Eberron.
Certain druids do not distinguish between the Material Plane and any other. Far form being “alien” and “outside,” to them all the planes are natural parts of the whole of existence. Other druids, generally those of extraplanar origin, are dedicated to the primacy of their home planes over all others. Agents of these outsider sects are drawn to manifest zones on Eberron, where they try to strengthen the planar connection, or even try to create new manifest zones.
Divine Origins
Druidism originated in Khorvaire sixteen thousand years ago when Vvaraak, a black dragon (although some sources claim she is green), foretold a great planar invasion. In order to aid the humanoids in repelling this invasion she taught the first orc druids of the bond between the three progenitor dragons as well as how to tap into that power and use it to seal gates to other planes. These original druids are still known as the Gatekeepers and continue to protect Khorvaire from invasions of aberrations from other planes.
Seven thousand years after Vvaraak trained the first Gatekeepers the invasion that was foretold took place as illithids and daelkyr overlords swarmed onto the Material Plane from a gate to Xoriat. The Gatekeepers were able to repel this invasion and thus save the humanoids from enslavement.
In -4,100 YK (4900 years after the Gatekeepers repelled the invasion) another great druidic tradition sprung out of The Eldeen Reaches. Deep in the ancient forests a great pine named Oalian was awakened. Oalian has since become the central influence in many of the Eldeen Sects of druidism including the Ashbound, the Wardens of the Wood, the Greensingers and the Children of Winter. Though each of these traditions have varying beliefs they all share a commonality in their reverence for Oalian.
Although the Eldeen Reaches often comes to mind when thinking of druids and druidism there are druids all across Khorvaire and indeed across Eberron and even in other planes of existence. Anywhere the wild calls one can find druids of every species. Druidism is common among the lizardfolk of Q'barra as well as among the fey in Thelanis even the drow among the ruins of Xen'drik hold to ancient druidic traditions. Whether these were also taught to them by dragons, or if the power was discovered through other means is not yet known.
Tenets of Faith
Druidic doctrines are simple and unadorned. They each have one overriding goal or approach, which can be stated in few words in each sect’s entry. Differences are for conclave discussion, not scripture parsing or proclamation from superiors.
Druid sects do not have holy symbols in the way that clerics understand them; each adopts certain marks or objects that identify members to one another. These individual features are described in each entry. Nor do they use prayer in the way that more formal religions do; conversely, ritual forms a much greater part of religious life for the sects’ followers.
Most druidic traditions place little emphasis on the fate of the soul. They are by defi nition concerned with the worldly; life itself is sacred. Tacit in most sects is the concept of reincarnation, a belief that life is a finite quantity that reappears in the world in a new form after the old one ends. Druids honor the spirits of creatures killed for food so that they will not seek revenge in the next life; they aim to disperse souls that were responsible for crimes against nature, to be reborn in scattered, mindless form. Some sects do have more developed ideas about the afterlife, and these too are presented in the appropriate sections.
Druid sects in general do not interact with other types of religions, except those that pose a direct threat. They believe nonhostile faiths are artificial constructs irrelevant unless a convert wishes to abandon them and follow a more natural path. Still, the various druid sects have firm attitudes toward one another. These impressions are presented in each sect’s description.
Druids do not keep a calendar in the way of more formal religions. The rhythms of sun and moon, the change of seasons—these are the natural accompaniment to life. Each sect observes these moments in their own way. Frivolous distinctions such as naming festivals and counting off days are not important to them.
Sects
Ashbound
The Ashbound are an extreme druidic order, who consider all arcane and divine magic (outside of druidic magic) to be "unnatural". They seek to protect all wilderness and consider even common agriculture to be outside the natural balance. They prefer to avoid bloodshed, but the more severe elements within the order are not above terroristic attacks to make their point.
Children of Winter
The Children of Winter are the darkest of Khorvaire's druidic traditions and seek to cleanse the land of the blight of civilization through death. They believe the end of the current age is at hand and often will endeavor to help it along, believing that the fittest will survive to repopulate in the new spring that is to follow the coming winter. The Mournland is evidence of the coming end in the minds of the Children of Winter.
Gatekeepers
The Gatekeepers are a druidic sect dedicated to keeping Eberron free of "unnatural" external influences, and this order has battled extraplanar invasions and aberrations for centuries. The Gatekeepers are the oldest druidic tradition on the continent of Khorvaire, having descended from the followers of Vvaraak, a black dragon that taught orcs in the Shadow Marches the secrets to the natural world 15,000 years ago.
It was 7,000 years later that the Gatekeepers had their first real test and had to fight to stop the daelkyr invasion.
Gatekeepers seek to defend nature against aberrations, outsiders, undead and other unnatural horrors. While diminished in size, the order remains vigilant and maintains a relatively friendly relationship with the Wardens of the Wood, the largest druidic order on Khorvaire.
Greensingers
The Greensingers are a druidic sect native to the Eldeen Reaches. Keeping in spirit with the fey they revere, the sect is chaotic and worships by reveling and dancing in the wild woods.
Mask Weavers
The Mask Weavers are druids of the halfling tribes of the Talenta Plains. Their duties, besides the typical healing, primarily include helping the warriors of their tribe craft a spirit mask which will allow the warrior when he dies to be reunited with the spirit of his mount. The Mask Weavers also serve as the historians of their tribe, preserving via oral traditions the beliefs, memories and songs of their people.
The Mask Weavers are not in truth an order in the traditional sense, and their loyalties lie with their individual tribes more than with each other. However, it is a druidic tradition native to eastern Khorvaire and its peoples.
Moonspeakers
Bound to the magic of their lycanthrope ancestors, Moonspeakers breathe the magic of the world, guided by the twelve moons of Eberron. Moonspeakers are powerful and versatile spellcasters, and they weave their magic into their own bodies as they extend and enhance their shifting ability. Leaving behind the ties of family and home, Moonspeakers travel between Skinwalker communities, teaching, guiding, and protecting. Often among the most powerful Skinwalker spellcasters, Moonspeakers serve as the champions and advisors of the Skinwalker race.
With little in the way of organized religion and racial penalties to Intelligence and Charisma, skinwalkers tend not to produce as many potent spellcasters as many other races. The skinwalkers thus look to the Moonspeakers to give their communities access to levels of magic more traditionally associated with wizards and sorcerers, as well as access to the creation of magic items. /p]
Sela's Path
Sela's Path is the religious sect within House Lyrandar and is entirely half-elven. The sect is not inherently a druidic sect, but there are many druids within Sela's Path. The worship of Arawai is a large part of the sect, and the half-elven house is intimately concerned with the governance of the natural order, as they have interests in both the agricultural industry and the weather control (winds and storm) so useful in the shipping trade.
Siyal Marrain
The Siyal Marrain, or Horse Watchers (in the common Galifaran tongue), are a Valenaran druidic order charged with keeping the Valenaran steeds, believed by the elves to be the descendants of elven warriors who fought against the Su'lat League to free the elven people from slavery, but were cursed to remain in the equine forms they had taken to carry their comrades into battle.
The druids of the Valenar serve two roles. Firstly, they are charged with preserving the bloodline of the elven horses. The druids protect the breeding grounds, tend to injured horses, and help raise the young. These blood guardians mingle with the herd using wild shape and speak with animals, forging the bond between horse and elf from the beginnings of the horses' lives. They also help to match elf and rider, working to forge the bond between rider and mount, which is considered sacred. Beyond this, the Siyal Marrain are warriors. Just as their ancestors fought the giants with lightning and flame, the druids of the modern day may ride with a warband, turning the power of nature against their enemies.
House Vadalis would love nothing better than to obtain some of the Valenaran steeds from the elves for interbreeding with their own stock. The Siyal Marrain are a formidable barrier to that objective, believing that such a thing happening would bring the greatest dishonor on them and the horses, whom they consider to be their brothers.
Wardens of the Wood
The largest and most influential of the druid sects of Khorvaire is the Wardens of the Wood. The Wardens are primarily human but include other races.
During the Last War, the Wardens became the de facto governing body of the Eldeen Reaches after Aundair abandoned the region. The Wardens rallied the people to defend their lands against bandit raiders and foreign nations with designs on their abundant woodlands and plains. The Wardens are respected and well-liked throughout the Eldeen Reaches.
The Order seeks to maintain a balance between civilization and nature, and is in many ways the most liberal of the druid sects. They have no problem with agriculture or animal husbandry as long as the land and its creatures are not ill-treated or abused. And they often work with farmers and ranchers to help them prosper while maintaining a proper balance with nature.
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