Druidism

The Origins

Druidism is one of the oldest magics. Created by Y'shendra and Azunath, it was gifted originally to those who wished to learn as the disciples of the Eldashan, guiding other mortals, preserving the balance of life and mending those sickly and in need. Because of its origins, tied so explicitly to the faith of the Elven Gods, it has long been practiced by the Norai in service to them. It was the magic of tending groves and forests in the domain of Veratelle, in Sil-Elaine, and helping nourish Lachrann's fungal abode after the Elven Schism. Thousands of years after its initial spread, Druidism became roughly confined to two regions: Vendigad and Sil-Elaine, where Druids would tend the forests. Many of them were directly responsible for eventually curing the maladies waged against the Ald'Norai, those that made them sterile after their first genocide. Tragically, with the death of Veratelle and much of Sil-Elaine, virtually all Druidic traditions within the region vanished.

As a result, at the start of the Age of Ashes, Vendigad was the only place in the world where one could reliably find a Druid, the magic locked within the hands of the Hyr'Norai and Fae. With several centuries having passed, it has slowly expanded into the fringes of other nations. Druidism is a fairly rare magic, but for those who seek it, it can be found: in forests, meadows, great wetlands, all the spaces in-between the civilized world.

Concepts

Law of Druidic Exchange: The Law of Druidic Exchange is also often called the 'Law of Verdant Equilbrium'. It is a universal truth built into Atharen's structure, instilled so by Y'shendra and Malek. All life must mean death, and all death must mean life. The consumption of a plant allows for an animal to live, through energy; the carcass of an animal allows for fungi to decompose it, for its own sustenance, and the fungi may then enrich the earth. Heavily linked to Azunath's domain of 'The Cycle', these three Gods once acted as a coalition to construct the laws and principles of what a scientific mind may know as biology.

Given that Druidism is the magic of life, it necessarily must follow this principle. Therefore, all life energy is exchanged for another. A Druid must absorb or decompose in order to produce; the wounds of a mortal may only be closed by the wilting of flowers, grass, trees; and even the opposite may be true. In all cases, a living creature a Druid wishes to drain to bring life to others must be willing, completely bound, or near-deceased.

Initiation

Initiation into Druidism is tied strongly to the ability 'Cultivate'. A new initiate, upon the Mark of Control being activated on their skin, must learn how to exchange the life of one object for the life of another. This almost always occurs with a Druid being given a single flower that they must revitalize, a wilted floret within a bed of grass. The aspiring Druid must learn how to draw the life of the surrounding grass into the flower, and must be careful not to draw their own.

This initiation is incredibly exhausting. If the Druid does not learn how to transfer their energy before they go unconscious, they will die, the mage's life essence being sapped out of their bodies and pollinating the life around them. For this reason, the initiation tends to be a test of attrition, and can be maddeningly frustrating. Aspiring Druids have been known to force themselves awake for days at a time, endlessly attempting the same procedure again and again. In many cases, the longevity of the initiation is what leads to their death; they grow weaker and more sapped of ether, even overstepping mid-initiation. Many of them accidentally drain their own life force, as is common with Cultivate, and this does not satisfy the terms of the initiation; the flower must be wilted again so that they may do it properly.

The Mark of Control for Druidism appears like a Celtic Knot or Triquetra, green, blue or brown in color, and roughly the size of a palm. It is drawn with dirt and refined by ether, and once its shapes and edges are adequate and ether has been imbued into it, it will begin the initiation.

Overstepping

The drawbacks listed below do not always come in pairs, and certainly not simultaneously. Some may come and others may not.

Lesser: Nausea, fatigue, headaches, muscle spasms, dehydration

Moderate: Bleeding through the nose, eyes and ears, intense cramps, seizure-like shocks and spasms, internal bleeding, vomiting and weakness

Severe

Penitent Altruism: One of the few Severe penalties for Druidic Overstepping, 'Penitent Altruism' is a psychological change that almost certainly results in the Druid's death. A sudden flood of guilt breaches their mind, the Druid feeling forced to repent for all of the life they have taken in order to heal others, whether it be plant or animal life. They will begin to feed out their own life force into others or the environment around them, withering their own bodies until their cells corrode and die, their skin going black and their bones thinning to stringy stalks. The Druid will rapidly die, and in doing so, greatly mend others around them as they wither into a malnourished corpse.

Mutations

The mutations of Druidism are highly variable, but tend to involve nature, plant-life, the Druid's biology, animalistic traits or a greater level of connectedness to animals, and in some cases may even involve the Druid's Guardian, from the ability 'Affinity'. Many Druids also have mutations that make them recover more quickly, make them naturally healthier, and so on. A common psychological mutation is a stronger empathy for plants, wincing and cringing as a rose is cut from its stem, and feeling protective over forestry or other regions of natural life.

Abilities

Cultivate: Acquired at Novice. Cultivate is the first ability any new Druid learns. It is within this ability that they practice the principles of the Law of Druidic Exchange (also known as Verdant Equilibrium), learning to trade life for another, using ether as a medium through which to perform the transaction. To Cultivate, the Druid must channel ether through one source of life surrounding the plant or fungal life they wish to cultivate. This can be an organic life, a weed, or another fungi or plant. A Druid may sacrifice a bundle of weeds to grow a bouquet of flowers, or they might drain the life of a mouse to do so, until it is dead or feeble. Whatever the case, they drain the essence of one source of life and usher it into another, causing for it to cultivate, or grow. This ability is a very challenging one to learn, and can often consume months of a Druid's life to master, even after performing it successfully in the initiation. Many Druids accidentally drain their own essence in doing so, causing their hands to shrivel until they naturally or magically recover.

Suture: Acquired at Novice. A Druid learns not to grow but to manipulate plant life through this ability, which acts as their first glance into 'healing'. By drawing a wound (typically a cut or gash) near to a plant source, the Druid may draw away the fibers of that plant, threading them into the wound to act as sutures. This ability will whittle at the fibers of the plant, causing it to lose large sections of its leaves or other fibers, but the ability offers an efficient and easy way for a Druid to suture wounds closed, a method that tends to be considerably less painful and less infectious than through traditional methods.

Commune: Acquired at Apprentice. Through Azunath's imprint on the magic, the Druid learns to Commune with animals. Most animals are said to be mildly less hesitant to interact with a Druid, and Druids are known to be capable of forming at least surface level bonds with most species that are not exceptionally aggressive. If an animal's trust is sufficiently acquired, Commune allows the Druid - through touch - to communicate with them through the eyes, which will convey questions and answers. They may grasp whether the animal is ill or hungry, or may even be able to discover whether the animal has seen a specific entity or individual they are looking for. For this reason, Druids typically try to cultivate strong bonds with animals in their surrounding areas, hoping to be able to harness those bonds to discover information.

Entangle: Acquired at Apprentice. Later into a Druid's development as an Apprentice, they may learn how to harness and manipulate plants to their benefit. This allows a Druid to control vines and roots, typically, as their mastery is not advanced enough to harness trees or other large structures. Through Entangle, the Druid's ether seeps into nature and seeks out roots or vines that it will then empower, greatly heightening the durability of their fibers before bending and controlling them. This can allow for the use of these roots and vines as whips, or - more commonly - they can extend upward from the soil to grip and constrict a target, wrapping them in a tight verdant binding. These roots can still obviously be cut or otherwise destroyed, so this ability is typically left to distracted or otherwise vulnerable targets. At times, it is also used benevolently, such as to capture a wounded animal so that they may be healed.

Equilibrium: Acquired at Journeyman. Rather than meeting a perfect balance between two objects, Equilibrium refers to the balance of life, which is inherently limited by the balance of death. Equilibrium is a Druid's first true healing ability, and it can be performed a number of ways. The most common is to draw roots or vines from the soil, like with Entangle, and manipulating them to lodge into the wounds or veins of a target. Pumping out vital energy through this connection, Equilibrium will mend the intended target's wounds, closing them rapidly. The life and vibrance of the plant will shed off into the wounds, reconstructing the individual's cells, fibers, proteins and so on almost miraculously. This can also be done by laying their back against a tree, which will decay as it heals them, laying them in a bed of grass, and so on. In all cases, the plant life used to heal the target will rapidly degrade and may even die, as not all lives are considered equal; a blade of grass may only be as valuable as a small scrape or cut.

Conversely, an animal or human life may also be used to mend plants or other living entities. A deer may be entangled before being rapidly decomposed, revitalizing a burnt bed of grass. Equilibrium appears to be able to revive plant life, but cannot revive animal or mortal lives. It consumes a variable amount of ether, depending on the severity of the wounds; marginal, or large, if the wounds might otherwise be fatal.

Regeneration: Acquired at Journeyman. Regeneration is similar to Equilibrium in concept, but widely different in practice. It is a form of therapy through which the Druid sacrifices or absorbs the life energy of one object, called the catalyst, into the body of another in order to speed up their natural recovery. Rather than only being able to mend surface-level wounds like Equilibrium, Regeneration can help one recover from an illness, help detox from poisons or drugs, and can help mend fatigued muscles and even exhaustion. Regeneration is extremely potent for this reason, and increases the body's natural rate of recovery by around eight times, normally for around a period of a day, though a Master Druid can extend Regeneration to last up to a week through a more equivalent sacrifice of life. It consumes a decent amount of ether to perform, but often is seen as a more cost-conservative way to mend wounds than Equilibrium, which is more direct and instantaneous, and typically reserved for emergency treatment. At Master, Regeneration can be empowered to become much more rapid and potent, at the cost of additional ether.

Wildveil: Acquired at Expert. Wildveil is an intriguing ability of Druidism in that it acts to reinforce others - or the Druid themselves. It does so by sacrificing plant life, though with a delay on the effect. Instead, Wildveil will draw plant life from a base, before directing it into the body of the target. The plant fibers will seep in through gaps in their skin cells, forming a thick wall that effectively acts as a second layer of muscles and increasing their mass, hardening after immersing into the body. Wildveil may persist for up to a week, and in this time it reinforces the muscles within the body, both improving the target's strength and durability, acting as an underarmor. Once the plants within Wildveil begin to decay as the ether they subsisted on dissipates, the body will digest the plants. The cellulose within the plant structure is broken down by the last vestigial remnants of ether before it dissipates, allowing the target to properly ingest the veil.

Wildflail: Acquired at Expert. Wildflail is considered to be an expansion or more advanced form of Entangle. Through a larger consumption of ether, the mage may dramatically enhance the width, scale and blunt or kinetic force of the roots, vines and now branches they intend to manipulate, allowing them to create massive lashes or flails. These flails, typically descending from trees or rising from the soil, can sometimes even dwarf the target they intend to assault, and can be manipulated to batter or crush them. While the size of the flail is variable, the larger and more dense the flail, the more ether consumed to augment it. Additionally, life around it will be sapped and drawn into it as it is made to grow and develop.

Germination Acquired at Expert. Advanced Druids are capable of storing a slime-like fluid known as angiovum, a green liquid that is formed by suspending chloroplasts with water, sap and ether tempered by a Druid's Mark of Control. This fluid may be stored and contained in pouches, jars or other places of holding, and allows the Druid to tap into an immediately accessible source of life in order to heal others. Angioscaris is immensely potent in vitality, to the point where a properly prepared Druid often no longer needs to sacrifice the life force of plants, animals or people surrounding them. A jar of angiovum can fund the entire usage of a moderate Renewal, meaning this ability often completely changes the dynamics of a Druid as they travel through daily life. Germination can also reduce the on-the-spot costs of Druidic Exchange, increasing overall mending capacity and cementing the place of Druids as Atharen's most effective acute healers.

Affinity: Acquired at Expert. The Druid learns to bond with a chosen animal, known as their Guardian. This animal is only one that naturally exists in the world, and cannot be any stronger than a Tier 3 creature. It cannot be a Spirit, or a monster. The bond is established only with an animal already willing to trust the Druid. The Druid will draw soil from the ground with their fingertips, infusing it with ether, and painting markings over the animal's face and along their body. These will infuse to the skin and will change color, typically to either a blue or green shade. Once the markings are lit and sufficient ether has been expended to form the bond, the creature's mind is tethered to the Druid. For the remainder of that animal's life, it will follow and guard the Druid to the end, loyal enough to die for them. It will also grow in scale, intellect and capability, increasing to roughly a high-Tier 4 animal after around a year of the bond being established, becoming stronger, faster, larger and more durable. The Druid may only have one Guardian at any given time, and sadly, in order for them to acquire a new one the old one must die. If the Druid themselves ever kills their own Guardian, they will never be able to form this bond again, their Mark of Control precluding them from the ability.

Convalesce: Acquired at Master. Convalesce is the power to cure disease. Y'shendra once acted as Malek's Equilibrium; the balancing life and growth to his death and decay. As such, she has long been able to cure the most severe of diseases, and has imbued Druids with this power as well. A Druid may cure any disease upon mastering Convalesce. From a cold to a terminal illness, passed through generations, they may rectify the malformations within an individual's genes or cells in order to spare them the effects of that disease. They may even cure maladies created by a Ferrier of Bane, up to and including those crafted by a Scourge, though the stronger and more severe the disease, the more difficult it will be for the Druid to mend it.

A Scourge's illness, more potent and more complex in structure, may push a fully vitalized Druid to the precipice of Overstepping to mend. Whatever the case, this ability is cast by maintaining contact with the one the Druid wishes to cure, as a faint green energy will radiate from their form within. Unlike the other mending abilities of Druidism, it does not require the exchange of life, as the life of the bacteria or virus is exchanged for the vitality of the individual's living cells. This ability cannot heal Overstepping or Mageblight, though it can slightly alleviate them.

Renewal: Acquired at Master. Renewal is a similar ability to Equilibrium, only on a much larger scale. The Druid will typically stand still for a few moments, holding both palms open before their sides and facing them upwards towards the sky. As they channel their ether into their palms it will begin to diffuse outward, causing leaves to flow within the wind and crystalline-like flecks of light to shine softly around them. The area surrounding them will almost appear to be immersed beneath rays of sun, made more verdant and vibrant, though ironically the effect of Renewal tends to be quite the opposite. Renewal is the power of mass-healing. By sacrificing an enormous amount of plant life and vitality, one may mend an enormous amount of mortal wounds. Unlike Equilibrium, the plants sacrificed do not need to physically connect to an individual to mend them, as their essence will spread through the air like pollen, before being drawn into the wounds of the intended.

A few, even dozens of people may be healed at once, any individuals the Druid chooses to heal within around fifty feet of them. The more grievous the wounds, the greater the amount of plant essence consumed, and also the greater amount of ether. A Druid can, through Renewal, likely heal at least a few of their allies of mortal wounds before submerging into Overstepping, but depending on the amount of Raw Magic they have recently channeled, this ability can be extremely precarious to cast. If a Druid were to heal a dozen allies inflicted with serious wounds after already expending a large amount of ether in a conflict, they could even immediately be submerged deep into Severe Overstepping.

Renewal may also, like Equilibrium, be performed on the inverse. A few ill men and women may be sacrificed to mend thousands of square meters of destroyed forest, their bodies decomposing into the soil as their essence spreads outwards.

Kindle: Acquired at Master. Kindle is the culmination of a Druid's ability to manipulate and control plants, allowing them to animate plants to serve and defend them. Kindle infers a short-lasting (several hour long) spark of life within a plant, making them capable of perceiving their surroundings. They will be given the ability to move, the ground around them more malleable, their limbs adjusting to let them shift and walk. Trees might be uprooted from the soil only to pursue the Druid's enemies, lashing out with their branches.

Plants animated by Kindle tend to be well-coordinated, durable, and surprisingly capable in combat. Their branches and limbs can move rapidly, and are sharpened to be capable of puncturing densely plated armor. They are difficult to easily destroy even with magic, though fallible. Each plant animated by a Druid will require an initial burst of ether to animate, and will gradually consume ether as they continue to be animated. Once the Druid severs the connection, they will attempt to root themselves back in their original position, though if not they will settle for a suitable location.

Keeper Abilities

Lifewell: The Lifewell is the base of much of the Druid's more advanced healing capabilities. The waters of the Lifewell are unique to the world; while the Lifebasin was modeled after them, even that basin does not have many of the capabilities of a Keeper's Lifewell, though it expands to fill a much broader scale. The Lifewell is where the Keeper performs Ethereal Germination, allowing them to perform spontaneous conception of plants, mortals and animals. It also allows them to mend complex diseases, including those crafted by a Scourge. The waters heal and rejuvenate life, stamina, hunger and exhaustion, making a frail and sickly man become born anew after bathing in the well for a period of time. While the well can take a while to work its effects depending on the given severity, it is a font of mending with no true comparison, as Y'shendra no longer creates such wells herself.

Lifewells must be crafted from a physical basin, typically circular with one or two steps leading into the structure. They are considered a magical artifact, with the well originally filled with the Keeper's ether. It can take months or even years after an Ascension to fill the well, depending on its size. A Druid pours their ether into the structure and fills it with that ethereal volume, and a larger basin makes for a more rigorous and long-spanning process. The waters of the well will glow a warm blue, the easiest way to recognize a Lifewell upon first glance. The edges of the structure itself also tend to glow with etheric lines, and plants will grow along the steps and edges, life naturally attracted to the waters. Most Lifewells are around twenty feet or six meters in radius. Spirit visitors sometimes bathe in them, the waters helping them to replenish their own fatigue before setting off to perform more tasks. Given the disappearance of the Keepers since the Bleeding, however, none of these structures seem to remain, with only a few ruins lingering in the wilds.

Awaken: Animate an entire landscape to pursue or destroy a foe. Work in progress.

Solace: By compelling the soul itself, revive the recently dead. Work in progress.

Novice

At this stage of progression, a Novice Druid spends most of their time simply learning how to perform the Verdant Equilibrium, otherwise known as the Law of Druidic Exchange. They practice extensively through the ability Cultivate, spending months during this period endlessly performing the same ability, whose mastery is required to access other abilities within this magic. After learning Cultivate, they tend to quickly master Suture, which serves as the introduction to Druidism as a magic potent in healing.

Apprentice

An Apprentice Druid is introduced to two important aspects of the magic: the manipulation of plants, with their introduction being Entangle, and the ability to communicate with animals in a limited, but meaningful way through Commune. A Druid learns how to channel their ether through plants to control them, and how to reinforce and empower plants, a trait they will learn to wield later. They also begin to be able to instinctively understand animals better, helping them earn the trust of animals with greater ease. This tends to affect a Druid in day-to-day life, though also works well with later abilities.

Journeyman

The Journeyman level of mastery for a Druid focuses almost entirely around their ability to heal. It is at this stage that they learn Equilibrium and Regeneration, two powerful healing abilities that can easily mean the difference between life and death, and in the case of Regeneration, can dramatically improve their own health long-term or the health of others around them. A Journeyman Druid effectively masters the Law of Druidic Exchange, learning how to siphon life-essence on a more considerable scale in order to benefit another. While this stage of mastery can be dangerous for a Druid, it is also where they begin to fulfill what many view as the true purpose of the magic.

Expert

Expert-level mastery for a Druid focuses again on the manipulation of plants, as well as their condensing, hardening and expansion. This is made clear by its first two abilities, Wildveil and Wildflail, both of which center around these concepts. In addition, a Druid at this level may bond with a single animal known as a Guardian, through the ability 'Affinity'. Affinity is an important ability to a Druid, as it solidifies their place as a protector and companion to nature; it is often seen as a rite of passage or proving in order to become a true Master Druid, sometimes known as an Archdruid. After learning Affinity, a Druid will find all animals (save for monsters and other irregular beasts) mildly more comfortable with them, to the point where they will randomly be attacked in the wilds, and may even have comforting moments with dangerous predators.

Master

A Master Druid has mastered the facets of Druidism, and may be considered an Archdruid as a result. They are powerful healers who can mend even mortal wounds without greatly draining themselves. They are capable of saving several lives simultaneously, mending permanent and even genetic diseases, performing these feats through the greatest abilities of the magic: Convalesce and Renewal. A Master Druid is such a potent healer that they can empower the ability 'Regeneration' to act as a form of truly rapid recovery, closing even deep wounds within hours or even minutes. While this empowered form of Regeneration can be detrimental to their ether reserves if performed loosely, it serves as a great boon to them and their allies. In addition, a Master Druid becomes a true master over plant-life through Kindle, allowing them to animate large structures of life to fight on their behest.

Ascension: The Keeper

While Druidism is not a Lost Magic, the Keeper is sometimes called a 'Lost Ascension'. The process of becoming one has been lost to time, with many believing it was Y'shendra who directly guided a mage towards becoming such an entity, a fact that appears unfeasible now given her current disposition. What is known extensively, however, is what the Keeper looked like and how they functioned. Within the ancient texts of the Path, there were many of these men and women recorded throughout history; allies to the Eldashan, protectors of entire forests, guardians of life.

The Keeper is a being of nature, and a force for its protection. Upon becoming a Keeper, the mage will become stronger. The Wildveil becomes a permanent enhancement to their form, becoming denser and more effective, making them difficult to wound. A Keeper is utterly healthy; immune to any form of illness or disease save for Mageblight, or the consequences of Overstepping. They, like plants, acquire energy from the sun and are nourished by the world around them. They never hunger, tire only if their ether has been significantly drained - which they can restore more quickly than other mages through sleep - and always appear in top form.

Appearance-wise, they are not vastly discernible from their original selves, but there are key differences. To begin with, they acquire a crown of antlers that wraps around their head. They find themselves becoming marginally more rugged if they are a man; a small beard might appear impossible to cleanse, they will grow more body hair. Women's hair will grow longer, and both men and women find their nails resembling claws in their shape, growing out to be longer, thicker and sharper. All Keepers gain at least a few green or brown patterns or tattoos on certain parts of their body, typically either their chests, back, arms, or a variation of the three. Keepers also become incredibly fond of their natural appearance, and tend to shed much of the expectations of society. They will rarely overdress, with most dressing in loincloths or other primitive garbs, and some even wandering through their domains bare.

Keepers are capable of mending Spirits of Corruption, an ability unique to them. They do this by internalizing their Corruption within themselves, suffering a small amount of Mageblight that they will recover from at an accelerated rate. They are capable of revitalizing life around them, permanently shedding off a restorative warmth that appears to mend plants, animals and mortals without the requirement of living exchange. A Keeper has learned to incorporate the power of the sun and moon into Verdant Equilibrium, exchanging the source of life's energy for the renewal of life. Through this natural exchange, they constantly and naturally regenerate creatures around them at a slow but elevated pace. They can also harness this power to aide in their abilities, reducing the ethereal and living cost of their healing.

A force of life, Keepers gain an ability ordinarily only held by the Gods: Ethereal Germination, which allows them to produce life without physical conception. They merely need two entities to enter the Lifewell, and can produce offspring from them within a few days of time. They can sense the growth of offspring within all life, and can even mend creatures within the womb to ensure their healthy birth.

Keepers themselves are stronger, faster, more durable and much more enduring of duress, with most finding them maddeningly difficult to kill. They are ultra-enduring, and tend to heal and regenerate themselves in combat and war, leading to a truly exceptional amount of damage needing to be applied in order to fell one. Finally, they appear to gain enhanced senses, attuned as they are to nature.

For more information, see: The Ascendant.

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