Githuam

Githuam^listen is a revolutionary prophet, leader of the Díthímú in the Bláthaofa Kingdom, and former archdruid of the Canárlia, the religious orthodoxy of the Kingdom. She has attracted a following among the Bláthaon elves with her inflammatory sermons calling for a more radical approach to the conservation of nature.

History

Early life

Githuam was born on Reiho 10, 388 PC on Aruvya, an urbanized and orderly realm in the Bláthaofa Kingdom. Her parents were commoners, both tenders of their town's sacred grove. She was the third of five children and spent much of her early years alongside her parents, helping tend to the grove. Early on, it became apparent that Githuam was affected by caichásast, a rare condition recognized as an intense longing for nature and wilderness. Her parents indulged her desires, frequently allowing her to roam unattended through the local arboretums, gardens, and zoos.
This controlled wilderness was not enough for Githuam. She strained against the rules and restrictions of urban life. As soon as she came of age, she left her family behind and began traveling from realm to realm, surviving off the land and agreeing to work menial jobs on soraships to pay for passage or, in some cases, through stowing away. She traveled this way for nearly twenty years, experiencing the breadth of wilderness the Sora had to offer.
Githuam's wandering eventually brought her into contact with Mogh, an old, blind druid who lived alone in the wilds of Ildathach. Previously, Githuam had presumed all druids to be merely another part of the ordered apparatus, responsible for forcing order onto nature. Mogh showed her that a druid could be completely in tune with the wildness of the natural world. She spent the better part of a year with him, teaching her the ways of druidism. However, at some point, she left him, for reasons unknown. Rumors abound on why this happened; some believe she chaffed under his strict methods, others that her latent extremism disturbed him enough to cease instructing her. Whatever the cause, she left him and returned to civilization.

The Canárlia

Upon her return, Githuam joined the Canárlia. With her training under Mogh putting her ahead of the other initiates, she excelled, drawing the praise of her instructors and mentors. She completed her training in only five years, as opposed to the customary seven. She was assigned as the auspex of the Ostrég minor grove, where she served diligently for nearly twenty years. Her time in this appointment was without any major incidents and she regularly received praise from her congregation for her passion for nature.
She was then promoted to the position of druid of Ífafant, where she continued to serve dutifully. It was during this time that she became known as a staunch advocate of free nature, often leading rituals with fervent prayers to numerous gods of nature. She championed pure nature, speaking passionately about the value of connecting with untouched, unaltered wilderness. This won her many followers, drawn in by the promise of a primal, essential connection with the natural world. As her acclaim on Fangithí grew, she was quickly viewed as an archdruid in waiting. She did not have to wait long.
A decade after her promotion to druid, she was tapped to become the archdruid of Fangithí. While a small, out of the way realm, her quick ascension up the ranks grabbed attention. Even the most obscure archdruids had a prominent pulpit from which to speak. At first, her commitment to nature brought her praise from the other archdruids, including the Breimú himself. Even the King of Trees attended one of her ceremonial observances, drawing further attention to herself.

Schism with the Canárlia

Githuam's oration began to grow inflammatory soon after the visit by the King of Trees. While before she had spoken of a return to wilderness as a temporary spirit retreat, she increasingly began speaking of a widespread need to reject civilization altogether. She began to advocate for the Bláthaofa Kingdom to forgo their cities, druidically shaped trees, and orderly orchards, instead allowing the wilds to return to their primal state. While this displeased the other archdruids, her popularity made it difficult to publicly censure her. They privately grumbled about her eccentricity, but figured it was merely harmless zeal.
Then she began to advocating for the destruction of artificial hierarchies, claiming they are antithetical to the natural world. This troubled many in the Canárlia, who felt Githuam's words spoke against the faith itself, which was highly organized and ingrained into every facet of the Kingdom. They spoke with her privately, asking her to temper her language, but this only drove her to more radical declarations. Her followers began calling themselves Díthímú (meaning "Guardians"), insisting they were protecting nature from the depredations of civilization and unnatural order.
The Breimú ordered Githuam to cease preaching such radical ideas. She refused and the Breimú stripped her of her rank, demoting her back to auspex and ordering her to a remote grove on a barely populated realm. In response, Githuam declared her departure from the Canárlia, beseeching the Díthímú to join her in rejecting ordered, hierarchical civilization entirely. Hundreds of thousands across the Kingdom heeded her call, leaving behind their belongings, homes, families, and friends to venture into the wilderness to live without any of the trappings of civilization. Githuam herself disappeared into the wilds of Fangithí.

Present

For several years, nothing was heard of Githuam. Every so often, reports would come from travelers or explorers of groups of wild, shabbily attired elves wandering through the forests of Fangithí, sometimes led by an elf matching Githuam's description. Rarely, one of the elves who had followed her into the wilds would return, thin and worn, sharing stories of the hardships encountered trying to live completely cut off from civilization. None could give firm information on what had become of Githuam.
Her message continued to resonate with many elves in the Kingdom, who found the artificially ordered orchards, finely shaped tree shelters, and placid livestock to be alienating and wrong. Many of those who had not followed her into the wilds continued to spread her teachings across the Kingdom. Eventually, they revealed they were still in contact with Githuam, communicating with her through druidic magics. They collected her teachings into a single doctrine which ultimately spread a simple message; to live in the world without altering it in any way. This was the only way for the elven soul to find true peace and harmony.
Githuam continues to live in the wilds of Fangithí, though she constantly travels and can never be found in the same location two days in a row. She apparently travels alone, her only contact with other elves coming through the messages she sends to her followers with her magic.

Impact

Though her prominence in the Bláthaofa Kingdom was temporary, Githuam's teachings continue to have an impact on elves throughout the Kingdom. Elves calling themselves Díthímú, living alone or in small groups in the wilderness, and following her teachings can be found on virtually every realm in the Kingdom. It is only those which have been completely tamed by the druids of the Canárlia, where nature has been meticulously groomed, that seem to lack them. Most of the Kingdom's cities contain at least one organization dedicated to spreading her teachings and bringing in new converts. While some call them hypocrites for remaining in civilization and enjoying its benefits while preaching against its ills, they strike a chord with many, recruiting their own replacements before they leave behind everything they've ever known for a life in the wild.
While the Canárlia does nothing to official counter her teachings, taking the approach that speaking out against her only gives her words a greater reach, they have begun more carefully watching their initiates, auspices, and druids for signs they share Githuam's tendencies. Any who do are quickly derailed from their careers. More recently, as the number of her followers continue to grow (albeit slowly, even by elven standards), some in the Canárlia have begun to worry that some Díthímú may eventually become aggressive in their rejection of civilization. They fear the Díthímú may attack settlements, shrines, and even sacred groves in an attempt to break their magic and return them to a more primordial, chaotic state. So far, this has not happened, but rumors abound that it is only a matter of time.

Physical Description

Githuam is an elf with dark peach skin, light green hair, and dark green eyes. She is 124 years old, though looks somewhat older, with a sun-lined face and silvering hair. She stands 5'4" and is lithe and muscular, with thin features. Her clothing is simple and unadorned, typically no more than a simple tunic to protect her against the elements.