The Druidic Grove

[Oinos Grapesmasher]

The fourth Brightening of the first Cycle of the Month of Cryxatum, Era XV Post Fractum

Here was a Dwarf who enjoyed being in a forest, appreciated the flora and sought to have a vineyard. Though he was trained in winemaking, Oinos' primary objective was not to earn a lot of money, he just wanted to produce fine wines. He enjoyed good wine and sought to make it available to those of like mind. He had some basic knowledge but he lacked the land, the vines and more important he did not have a winery. At the moment he had 700 crowns, which was a substantial sum to him. However, that was just a fraction of what he needed to get off to a decent start.

After considering his situation, Oinos decided to choose a different path, his other ambition was to be be a Druid. He doubted that there were any material requirements to be a Druid and he had a sincere desire to become a Druid. Now he needed to find a Druid so he could meet whomever it was who decided on accepting a newcomer.

The Dwarf walked a straight line and thus made his way out of Natura and into the forest. He simply walked on further into the forest, confident that if he was worthy of being a Druid, he would find the individual who could make that happen. Of course he was certain that he was worthy of being a Druid. As is the case with Dwarfs in general, Oinos had a high opinion of his worth, his abilities and an even higher opinion of his potential. There was no doubt in his mind that he would find a Druid.

[Fox]

In the forest there he came across a dryad. She was sitting in the branches of a tree, dangling her legs and swinging them back and forth. She was a good 20 foot in the air and as Oinos looked up he saw her there. Since she was sitting it was hard to tell exactly how tall she was, but she was certainly in the order of short, Oinos would approximate between five foot and five foot four.

Her flesh was soft and clean, tinged a golden colour intermingled with the green of young bark. Silvery moss hung down in delicate webs from her elbows, whilst flowers grew freely in her hair, suspended on ivory white roots, and topped with the glints of morning dew. Her hair itself was as light as gold, shining in the suns' light. Her eyes were without pupils, wide and darkest green, and looked at Oinos with the wisdom of an ancient, yet the innocence of a child.

She appraised him as he walked forwards, and from her perch, she giggled. "Serale!" she said, giggling as she waved to him "My name is H'annaeryth... who are you?!"

[Oinos Grapesmasher]

Though he had spent time in forests before, the Dwarf knew that Natura was a special place. One miught say that expected the unexpected. However, the dryad did surprise him. Were it not for her dangling her legs and swinging them back and forth, Oinos would have missed her. After all, she was sitting in the branches of a tree, a good 20 foot above the ground of the forest. Additionally, she blended in with her surroundings and could well have let herself be unnoticed. The silvery moss hanging down in delicate webs from her elbows, as well as flowers growing freely in her hair were not just hanging there, they semmed to be part of her. She was obviously a very special being of the forest. No doubt that she was a sentient being but part of her was the flora created by Carmelya, as was everything in the forest a blessing from the godess.

It was difficult to categorize her. Was she simply a playful forest being or was she a powerful forest entity that ruled this area? Fortunately, she giggled from her perch, saying, "Serale!", waved to him and added, "My name is H'annaeryth... who are you?!" Oinos stopped and waved back to the dryad. The name was not one he heard before but that did not surprise him. He replied, "I am Oinos Grapesmasher. I am new to this area."

He sought to get acquainted with H'annaeryth and hopefully get her help in locating the Druidic Grove.

[Fox]

She looked at him and giggled anew ~ he was new to the area? Well, she couldn't say that she was surprised, and she chuckled as she looked down at him. Then with a grace that was, frankly, amazing, she somersaulted and dropped down the tree, almost spider-like in her agility. Within a few seconds, therefore, she was in front of him, smiling and looking at him with interest, her head tilted slightly to the side as she looked.

"Well, Serale to you then Oinos Grapesmasher.... Grapesmasher? That's a strange name. Why would anyone want to smash a grape unless they're making wine!?" she asked and she chuckled deeply. Then she walked around him, as though inspecting him and she stood in front of him, finally and giggled once more.

"So, then Oinos Grapesmasher, here you are wandering along and busy doing nothing.. what are you looking for?" she asked, eyes atwinkle with mischief and delight.

[Oinos Grapesmasher]

There was more giggling. Dwarfs are not prone to giggling but Oinos did find it pleasantly amusing. When her graceful somersault placed her right in front him, the Dwarf was quite impressed. He was not capable of such agility and had seldom seen such dexterity, certainly not among sentient beings.

There she was, smiling and looking at him with interest, her head tilted slightly to the side as she looked. Considering this as an opportunity to check her out without giving offense, Oinos looked her over as well. She was not all that tall and had a tad of the appearance of an Elf, and he certainly favored the females of that sort. Her skin was unusual, yet he found it quite attractive. The silvery moss hanging down from her elbows was a lot prettier than the beard of a female Dwarf. He found the flowers in her hair most attractive and her hair itself equally fascinating. He was a bit hesitant about how he should regard her, but there was no doubt that she was one pretty female. The Dwarf was a bit surprised when she walked around him, as though inspecting him and then stood in front of him and giggled once more. However, it did not bother him at all.

He replied to her question, "I took the name Grapesmasher 'cause that's what I do, I make wine. I came her looking to get myself established in wine making. I been thinking about getting to be a Druid too. Druids are better with plants and such. I think I pretty well like most the same things that Druids would like.

"So I'm looking to meet up with the Druids here but I sure am glad to have met you. You are real pretty to look at and a friendly sort. Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

[fetch]

The dryad giggled ….. A dwarf who wants to be a winemaking druid ..well my hairy friend it takes all types to make up the world. A love of the earth and nature is essential for a vintner as much as it is for a druid so I guess we can try…Hmm you little buggas are hard to breakdown, what with you being so close to the floor. Dwarves don’t make good arcanists usually but my grape smashing amigo we can but try.


Stood in front of him and took his hairy head between her small cool fingers

Very well Oinos in order to become a druid or another sort of spell caster you must be unbound. It may not work you silly people are so detached from the true essence of arcana by your lives and your prejudices….You have barriers that prevent you from touching the essence of nature, the raw power of the forces of life so I must try and break down your wall this is the unbinding Oinos if the unbinding is successful then I shall have to teach you all the necessary steps. Very well close your eyes and listen to my voice breath slowly and deeply and picture this ….. It’s a sunny dawn and you are standing before a vine…..its your vine and on the vine is a bunch of glossy dew stained grapes …your grapes…. your first ever crop…… you are happy…….. you are proud ….. .....her voice faded away

There would be no forewarning to the action the dryad was to take next, no time within which the dwarf would be able to shield himself as she held out a hand towards him, clenched her fist, and then pulled. Instantly it was as though someone had allowed the proverbial floodgates of his soul to open, removed a barrier that had been there for patterns, and yet never before been disturbed. There was a sudden rushing of power…Power that was his, but that he had never known existed. The rapid and unforeseen nature of this surge in awareness was enough to cause sickness and pain, and to induce vivid visions within the minds of those who had been forewarned of the Unbinding before, and Oinos unfortunately had not.

What followed, therefore, would likely be akin to a test of resolve, to fight any side effects of the process that would undeniably take place. All the while, the dryad would watch curiously her hands still clutching the dwarfs skull, apparently not aware of how she could have done something a little too swiftly the dwarfs barriers were strong but H'annaeryth was stronger by far.


OOC ~ Ok this is unique to everyone , your mind has its barrier broken and now you are aware of the essence of the plane of nature, its ok to faint and most unbound initiates have a dream, the unbinding dream , often this dream will fix the pathway to the essence in the mind and that fixing helps explore the essence in order to draw power from it once we start spell casting Have fun!

[Oinos Grapesmasher]

When the Dryad giggled and referred to him as, "my hairy friend", Oinos grinned and removed his hat, revealing a totally bald head. The only hair sported by the Dwarf was under his nose and on his cheeks and chin. When she mentioned that Dwarves don't make good Arcanists usually, Oinos replied, "Dwarves can be good at anything we do. Its just that some things are not as important as others." He was about to tell her that Dwarves are not restricted by their prejudices, they simply better understand the shortcomings of others. However, he felt this might not be the best time for that.

She stood in front of him and took his head between her small cool fingers and talked to him about unbinding, whatever that was. However he had faith in her and trusted her so he relaxed, closed his eyes and breathed slowly and deeply as he listened to her voice and diligently heeded what she said.

He pictured a sunny dawn, himself standing before one of his vines and looking at his first crop. He was proud of that glossy bunch of grapes there before him. .....her voice faded away.

Suddenly she held out a hand towards him, clenched her fist, and then pulled. All at once it was as though a barrier that he never knew existed was removed. There was a sense of power, and a degree of helplessness. He was well aware of the power but he also felt ill and there was pain.

Oinos tried to overcome these affects but he finally subcumbed to a sleep, a deep sleep. With the sleep there was a dream. Oinos had an affinity for nature for as long as he could remember. When others worked in mines and in Forges, he explored the forests and enjoyed what was there. In this dream, the Dwarf felt as one with the forest in which he found himself. The flora and fauna whether large or small were in tune with him and he with them. He felt a greater responsibility to safeguard and preserve what Carmelya had created for all to enjoy.

When he awoke, Oinos had no idea how long he slept. He was not rested, he was not relaxed but he knew that there was much more before him than he ever expected.

[fetch]

As the dwarf dreamed he was unaware of firm but gentle hands lifting from the ground and carrying him away from where he had first met the master druidess H’annaeryth to a place of natural wonder

This place held such an ethereal and yet earthy beauty that it almost seemed to have been birthed from the imagination of some rather lyrical poet, since by rights no place in any given forest ought to be this perfect, this free of weeds and bird droppings and animal scat and, oddly enough, there were no footprints either. Real forests, after all, the real tangled snarling dark forests floored with leaf-mould only had damp, scratching bracken and endless slightly musty trees to offer an Adventurer… they usually didn’t have secluded little gem-like glens hidden by the arms of ivy and the bodies and arms of the sentient, ever-listening trees. Nor did the usual groves and glades have a small ring of standing-stones, snowy white under their growths of lacy silver-green lichen, a faint glow as if of reflected moonlight pouring off them The rushy glen merely lay there, looking like a terribly beautiful piece of reality… there was downy moss near the brook and pool with it’s myriad of feathery green fronds interweaving in a dense mat across the aromatic, loamy-dark earth, and where there was grass there were a few tiny little white flowers growing in little patches as if Faeries had sat there the previous night for a bit of gossip, their petals peeking out shyly from their buds to greet the dappled sunlight that reached them through the latticework of interlocking branches and leaves crafted over the decades by the trees above and around. Those selfsame trees seemed to almost be on the verge of walking, or turning around and talking… and they certainly gave off the impression of listening so intently that the skin of any traveller would tingle… within the Henge of glowing stones, everything seemed more aware, more sentient.

Oinos would wake to the sight of the dryad sitting on the bough of a tree kicking her feet in the air idly.

“Ah you are awake good dwarf my folically challenged friend splendid, sorry Oinos if I gave you a bit of a shock, it took a bit more effort to unbind you than normal but now everything is fine and we can proceed with a bit of the old training…..”….. “That is if you are ready?”