Dryad

Denizens of the Great Forest, the domain now known as the Vale Forest. Children of nature, these cloven people, are a race dedicated to understanding the natural world, and many serve as advocates of nature and its living beings. Like many, their kind were displaced and scarred by the tyranny of the dragons when they set fire to their home and tried to conquer the continent. Even centuries after the event, the dryads still are some of the dragon's harshest critics. Dryads are humanoid beings with a natural, forest-inspired appearance. Their legs often resemble those of rams, goats, deer, or other cervine animals, complete with hooved feet and earthy coloration. Their horns may be made of keratin, bone, or even tree-like antlers. Some dryads also have tails resembling their hooved animal traits or resembling branches. Rarely, they may develop patches of bark on their skin or flowers on their hair and horns. Dryads commonly camouflage themselves with painted patterns and clothing made from natural materials like leaves and twigs, blending seamlessly into their forest surroundings.

History

According to lore, the first dryads were not born but blossomed, awakening from mystical flowers beneath the tallest tree in the heart of the legendary Grove of Eladrin. This vast, thriving forest was their sanctuary, and the dryads believed themselves its protectors, though the threat they were to face was unclear. Prophecies of their awakening spoke of a looming evil—visions of fiery sky beasts and their grove consumed by flames. These warnings haunted them as they thrived, preparing for the worst. Yet when the dragons descended, their destruction was swift and absolute. With a single breath, the dragons ignited the grove, reducing it and the dryads' history to ashes in moments. The survivors, scarred by the wails of their burning sanctuary, fled to the Asur Misoa, seeking refuge and salvaging what little remained of their shattered society. A deep loathing for the dragons took root within them, a grief that continues to define the existence of some of their ilk even centuries later.

Geography

Dryads hail almost exclusively from their ancestral home within Eren's territory known as The Vale. However, for the past millennia, they've spread to integrate into civilizations west and east of the region, especially within the Asur Misoa, even those consisting of other species.

Relations & Society

Dryads arent especially open to outsiders or their cultures. They have a strong sense of cultural pride and strive to preserve many of the practices and history that was at threat of being erased by the rampage of the dragons through their home. The bitter resentment they have for dragonkind persists even today, though violence evades both sides against each other.

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The Earthgarde

Ancestry: Humanoid
Lifespan: 180 years
Adulthood: 18 years
Average Height (ft.): 1.5m to 1.7m
Average Weight (lbs.): 62kg to 75kg
Type: Mammal
Blood: Red
Contributors: Kashii, Taylorzilla

Passive Ideas

Charming - Common practitioners of runesmithing, some of that magic rubs off on dryads who live around the rune-covered standing stones they create. Dryads are sometimes more difficult to effect with certain kinds of spells than others. You could choose a kind of magic like mind-controlling, memory-changing, certain illusions, or spells that seek to deliver a kind of affliction on them.
Naturewalk - You are well attuned with even the thickest forest paths. When travelling, you can avoid hazards like thorns, mud pits, and tripping brambles as if they arent even there.
Survivors - The onslaught of the dragons that razed many of their homes to the ground forced dryads to harden themselves in order to survive. This being likely has a tenacious soul that can trudge through where others fail. Many dryads, especially guards and sages, can act awake and remain conscious for 48 hours without any ill effect. If they do not sleep at the end of this second day, the fallout typically leaves them near inert, sick, or some other kind of jaded.