The Caretakers

Among all of the myths across all the cultures and lands of Istaria, there is one common thread that seems to bind them all together. No matter where you look, every tradition has some sort of folk tale or myth about the mysterious caretakers. They are known by many names, that mentioned being what they are called in the east by those who follow the Temple of the Divines. In other places they are known as the women of the wood, the green ones, hastalani, arboria, and dryads; to name but a few.

There is no other myth that shows up across every culture like the caretakers do. It makes one wonder if there's more than a shred of truth behind their tales.

From In the Beginning: an Comparison of Istaria's Major Religions by Balaeron Marcovici

The tales of the caretakers vary by the telling, but a few basic tenants unify them strongly enough so that any one telling of the myth is equally recognizable no matter the origin of the audience. All of these legends revolve around some magical being that is both born of nature and from another place. Often they manifest as beautiful women, either completely disrobed or clad in the most minimal garb. In some versions of the myth, they might wrap themselves in leaves; in others, their skin is like the bark of a tree. Regardless of their appearance, their objective seems to always be the same: to protect, nurture, guide, and otherwise foster the growth of nature in some way. Most often this involves plant life, so the tales are most prevalent in lush areas such as the stories of the hastalani from the forests of Remaria.

Conclave Naturalists by Howard Lyon

A Seed of Truth

The various legends of the caretakers can all be attributed to incursions by the Eldaran into the mortal realms. In the far distant past where myth and legend stands in a place beyond the reach of history or memory, the Eldaran did indeed visit the mortal realms on a regular basis to guide and nurture the growth of the land and it's denizens. Since the Decree of Philistas some five thousand years ago however, it has been forbidden for any but a select few shapers to venture from the faewylde.