Treatise on Druidism

Treatise on Druidism

By Mistress Skay Ravendi
of the Nexus Prime Rainbow Towers

Introduction:
Guardians of Nature, the druids are one of the most mysterious but greatly admired spellcasters in Aelyria. Druids are intimately involved in a perpetual commune with Nature, and as such have befriended flora and fauna alike. With an intimate understanding of life, druids are capable of healing themselves and others. Though the protection of life is part of their core ideology, druids will not hesitate to summon the wrath of Nature and weather against those who would oppose them. In their arcane arsenal, they can command natural agents to rise in battle, assume the forms of trees and beasts, and even use Nature to teleport to different locations. While before druids took power from Carmelya, after the Aetherfracture druidic power is derived from the Essence of Nature and the Nature Plane alone. However, most of the druids still pray to Carmelya, Goddess of Fertility, one of the most benevolent caretakers of life, embodiment of Hope, she who is often portrayed as Nature itself.


Power:
Flora and Fauna: These two aspects are the thing that druids are involved with the most and have most power over. They are able to command and summon animals, to assume their forms, body parts or abilities at greater levels. Druids can grow and shape plants in any way they desire, using them to their will. Unfortunately, any summoned beings, plants or objects return to the Nature Plane when the spell ends.

Healing: Druids are able to use healing powers to a smaller extent. They can accelerate natural healing processes and use plants or their properties to heal greater wounds or cure diseases. However, druids are usually unable to cure that which Nature could not, such as congenital blindness.

Weather: Druids can command weather to an extent, in most cases only strengthening the effect and modifying existing weather conditions. Therefore a druid can summon a storm in a cloudy sky with a bit of time, but he’d fail completely when attempting that over a desert, he could summon a hail during a winter season, but shall have the spell bring no or only minimal effects during the summer.

Natural Elements: Druids have almost complete power over natural elements such as wood, skin, scales, wool and the like. However they cannot control elements like steel, glass, stone, clay and others.


Essence Plane of Nature:
Found in the Astral Plane, lies one of the Essence Planes that is the Nature Plane. Origin of all mortal life, the Essence Plane of Nature is built upon the foundation of a finite but beautiful and expressive existence. Druids are bound to this plane and from there draw the Essence of Nature to form their spells.


Techniques:
Abjuration: This technique is used to give energy into or through an object, person, location or environment. The energy is given in a slower, but more detailed way. Therefore it is usually used where energy is needed for creation or healing. It is usually used to create a long lasting effect rather than an instant one. Abjuration is most commonly used with spells that shape plants by giving them energy to grow or change, heal wounds by giving them power to recover or change weather, such as strengthening rain into a storm for a longer duration.

Alteration: This technique is used for shaping, changing and giving form or when creating a texture, volume, distribution, scope, focus or dispersion of energy. It is usually used when plants or body parts are forced to change into a different form or shape, when bending a branch, hardening the skin or when spreading energy into a certain field.

Conjuration: This technique is primary used for creation, where energy is turned into something material, when energy changes complexity of form or when summoning things from the Astral Plane. It is usually used when an object changes completely, skin gets scales or fur, mana changes into poison or when a creature such as fireflies or an object like pollen are called from the Nature Plane to appear in the Material.

Divination: This technique is used when interfacing with the mind, the senses, perception, thoughts and mental concentration. It is usually used when communicating with animals by giving them certain feelings or even direct commands, going into their minds or acquiring their senses. Due to sentient beings having too little Essence of Nature or a mind which is too strong, the previous does not seem to work on them. Since the technique is used when dealing with senses and perception, it is also used for spells, when spotting or locating beings or when connecting something to the mind.

Evocation: This technique is used, when bringing energy into the Material, immediately creating an effect, without the need for greater detail. Usually it causes damaging effects, where the energy simply explodes or destroys. It is usually used to create an instant effect rather than a long lasting one. It is used with such spells that create poisons or diseases, where it does not matter that it hurts ‘correctly’ or how the wound turns out, just that it does happen, the faster and the more powerful the better. It is also used with weather spells to give them more, but less predetermined and more instant power.