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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 9566592" data-attributes="member: 11">DruidWhether calling on the elemental forces of nature or emulating the creatures of the animal world, druids are an embodiment of nature's resilience, cunning, and fury. They claim no mastery over nature. Instead, they see themselves as extensions of nature's indomitable will, organizing themselves into Circles, each one beholden to see after some element of nature or way of examining the universe.Druids revere nature itself as divine above all else, gaining their spells and other magical powers from the force of nature itself, though sometimes through the intermediary of a god or other cosmic beings that they revere but do not worship how a cleric might. The ancient druidic traditions are sometimes called the Old Faith, in contrast to the worship of gods in temples and shrines. While druidic temples and shrines do exist, more often druids cultivate groves or other natural gardens that also serve as holy sites for worship and ritual.Druid spells are oriented toward nature and animals—the power of tooth and claw, of sun and moon, of fire and storm. Druids also gain the ability to take on animal forms, and some druids, depending on the circle they join, have developed alternate forms they can adopt.Druid CirclesUpon achieving 3rd level, a Druid must join a circle, requiring some contact with a community of (ostensibly) like-minded worshipers and caretakers of nature. The four druid circles described in this chapter (land, moon, star, and sea), are the four main druid circles found in Makrinos and the surrounding regions. Your druid might belong to a local circle who meet regularly to perform the rites of the moon and other celestial events, sometimes even in conjunction with other Circles. Or perhaps, you are more of a loner, only attending to the great moots where all the regional druids gather to discuss weighty matters. These circles are synecdoches for each other, referring to the "Circle of the Moon" might mean a small group of local druids, the greater network of such circles, or literally every druid who follow those traditions. In Makrinos the druids of all four circles work closely together, but each regional circle has its own rules and customs.Typically, joining a circle requires a sponsor or the presentation of a gift for the entire circle. Many druid orders adhere to the Old Faith’s trust in trial by combat, and a violation egregious enough for expulsion might come with other violent consequences.Druid MootsMoots are great meetings usually organized by one or more Druid Circles by which topics of cosmic and apocalyptic import are discussed among a diverse body of druids, though in some cases the meetings are political in nature. Sometimes non-Druids may find themselves invited to a moot to give testimony on such atopic. The mustering of a moot takes some time and how large it is can vary widely depending on the subject. Generally speaking, however, moots are announced weeks or months in advance and last several days.Druid AlignmentIn the course of cosmic events, druids typically do not choose a side in the conflict between Law and Chaos, understanding that a balance between these two primal forces are necessary for life to thrive and for nature to unfold as intended. Nevertheless, individual druids, and some minority sects, do lean more towards one pole of the other, some seeing the structure of Law in the nested patterns of the natural world, while others see primal chaos in the unpredictable and explosive nature of life and its resistance to the curbing power of civilization and mortal dominion over the wilderness.In terms of ethical alignment, druids also lean towards a neutral outlook in dealing with others and social responsibility, but nearly as many have a good bent, regarding the methods by which they approach their divine mission. On the other hand, some number of druids are, for all intents and purposes, evil, given their disregard for individual life and thriving on nature’s reputation for cruelty.[ATTACH=full]394343[/ATTACH]Druids in the Inchoate EmpiresDruidic traditions have mostly died out in these lands where no square inch of earth seemed untilled or torn up by war and disaster. While a few common folk still follow the Old Faith, fewer still have retreated into wild places to practice the sacred rites and learn how to be one with nature. Those who have soon fins themselves at odds with the powers that be or seeking more fruitful lands to oversee.Druids in the Republic of MakrinosAll four circles have a strong influence in the Republic of Makrinos. It is even written into the republic’s founding charter that the Council of Great Druids must be consulted when laws or civic projects require the clearing and/or cultivating of wild lands. Druids are respected as guardians of the wild lands and even important figures to consult during planting and harvest. Farmers seek their knowledge to predict the coming weather cycles and to give proper offering to the spirits of nature. This, however, has caused some friction in the past with the churches of the 13 Gods.Furthermore, several apostate druidic circles (also known as druidic cults) have agendas that do not include the best interests of the Republic and people living in settle land, while others still,</blockquote>

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