The Druids of Shov Stril
Umera Above All
The Druids of Shov Stril are reguarded as a strange lot, with their rituals and secretive rites of passage. Where in other countries the social status you are born into would dictate nearly every aspect of your life from dress and deportment to education and even profession, Shov Stril shuns these ideas. It is instead held that no mortal is above Umera and so they must be born equally in the eyes of Umera. All young druids are raised by their families until they reach the age of 11 where they are sent to Virstas to be formally educated on the general practices and functions of each tribe within Shov Stril.
The Tribes
Shov Stril is home to five fundamental tribes dedicated a facet of Umera's blessing of life on the world. Each resides in a different region and graduates of the academy in Virstas are permitted to choose the tribe they feel the greatest affinity to. Graduation day is meant to be the culminating even of 5 years of learning and worship and is generally a happy occasion, unelss a graduate chooses not one of the five main tribes but instead opts for The Lost Tribe. While the location of the tribe is generally fixed and easy to find its members are considered lost in a spiritual sense as they deviate heavily from core beliefs of the mainstream druid tribes.
Umera's Shepherds
Dedicated to the protection and care of the mammoth herds that summer in the Great Northern Plains and migrate to more temperate locations in the winter Umera's Shepherds are revered and highly respected. Thier social structure revolves around the migration routes of the mammoths and ensuring they are not poached.
Druids of The Stones
These druids live in the harsh Dirmand Tundra at the northern tip of Aiphand. They relish the challenges life overcomes in this barren landscape. Giant ground sloths, small flowers, and fierce predators are all held with the same esteem and wonder by the tribe that makes their home at the centre of the tundra at The Stones.
Dappled Forest Druids
Sym Vandor is home to the Dappled Forest Druids who walk among the trees and find their joys in the gentle atmosphere of the forest. They prefer talking to trees and flowers and are adept at mixing medicines based of the plants in their charge. They will occasionally wander to the forests of the other tribes to seek new plants, usually because a friendly fern suggested the trek.
Umera's Flock
Syol'el is home to a rare blue songbird that has an eerie blue glow, and Umera's Flock provide protection for these colourful creatures. The birds are not the only animals that benefit from the chatty druids who all seem to have a deep and profound preference to animals. This can cause strongly worded debates between them and the Dappled Forest Druids who laud the merits of plants above all else.
Blue Druids
Seh Gvenhyvar's proximity to the Ivaesel river means that streams and springs network through the forest. It is home to some of the most scenic waterfalls and the water ensures the wide variety of plants and animals. The Blue Druids are not actually blue, but call themselves after the blue of water, the lifeblood that Umera bestowed upon all. They take care to keep the waters pure and clean.
Virstas
While Virstas is mostly known for its academy there is also a small city that sprang up around the campus. The streets are wide and unpaved, instead they are decorated like meadows and maintained by a small team of Dappled Forest Druids, small flocks of birds fill the air with song and their disappearance is a sure sign that night is falling. Each tribe has a section of the city set up to help conduct research, and provide reports to each other and help govern their tribes.
Ha'yth
The Lost Tribe has set themselves up in their own city that mingles the designs of foreign countries, standard druid structures, and influences from sites like the Syltann Ruins and The Vault. Rarely do they refer to themselves as The Lost Tribe, preferring to not be considered a tribe at all. These druids work with other nations and help them to manage their natural resources by providing insight and knowledge to foreign dignitaries or striking out to work for a community leader, monarch, or government official. They do not encourage or discourage the adherance to all the rituals and observances that are taught in Virstas, preferring to allow citizens to choose their own way to honour Umera, through daily actions and diplomatic envoys.
While the city is prosperous and its citizens report themselves to be happy all teachings in Virstas paint the town as a nightmare city that shuns Umera and fosters the corruption of the natural world. Students are actively discouraged from joining The Lost Tribe.
The Blueglow
A curious bird that has a patch of feathers that glows blue as they fly through the forest in small flocks.
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