Creating a Druidic History
The druidic order and hierarchy presented here are designed to work as a
default or base system. Many circles of druids have their own customs, and on many
worlds the druidic order has its own unique history that shapes its structure.
The DM always should understand the history of the druidic order before
beginning a campaign involving druids. A typical Order, like the one this chapter has
detailed, is an ancient organization whose origin has become lost in the dim
reaches of the past.
But that doesn't have to be the case. Instead, the druidic order may have an
origin alive in history or myth. This background should explain where the first
druids came from, why they worship Nature (or a specific Nature deity), why
they protect the wild, and their purpose in standing at the crossroads between
good and evil. The druidic origins might reflect true history, a legend whose
truth remains uncertain, or a mixture of both. In any case, the origin tale must
have a profound effect on how druids see themselves in the campaign.
As an example of how the druidic order springs from a more detailed history,
three very different possible beginnings for the druidic order are sketched out
below.
The Exiles
The secret founders of the druids were the crew of a spelljamming vessel,
long-ago exiles from a world that would not accept their neutrality following the
final triumph of evil--or good. (Exile was preferable to the fate of the members
of the vanquished alignment, however.) The present druidic order traces its
legacy to these ancient castaways.
As victims of an unbalanced world, the exiles and their descendants and
followers vowed to preserve the volatile relationship between good and evil in their
adopted home. They can see this balance best illustrated by the forces of
Nature. In addition to their normal druidic duties, the members of the Order remain
on guard against invasion from their ancestors' home world.
The New Faith
The druids belong to a relatively new faith, founded less than twenty years
ago by a charismatic Nature priest. This amazing leader also preached that the
older gods constitute only one small aspect of great Nature.
Active missionary work, the charisma of this founder, and the simplicity of
the Order's beliefs draws more and more converts to druidism every day from the
old, tired, polytheistic religions. But the largest rival religion considers
druidism a threat; its priests have convinced the region's rulers to begin
persecution of the "godless, troublemaking" druids.
The Myth of the Great War
Almost two thousand years ago a terrible war broke out between the two mighty
guilds of wizards--one good and one evil--that controlled great empires.
Wizards on both sides vowed to fight until they were utterly triumphant, seeking to
purge their rivals from the earth. With fearsome magic and dragon armies they
battled for centuries, neither side winning final victory.
In the process of their warfare, the wizards wrought vast devastation on the
world--forests blazed up, islands sank into the sea, entire races became
extinct. Eventually, the great goddess of Nature awakened from her sleep to witness
the savage conflict. Shocked by the destruction, the Goddess sent a vision to a
single human: the woman who would become the first Grand Druid.
Through the vision, this chosen figure saw that she must found a druidic order
to preserve the fragile remains of her world's ecology. With the guidance of
her goddess, the Order grew in strength until finally it had the power to
intervene in the wizard war. The force of young druids pooled their powers and
together vanquished the members of both battling guilds, transforming the combatants
into innocent wild beasts. Once the former wizards--now unable to fathom the
concept of good versus evil--slithered, bounded, loped, and crawled off into
their ruined habitats, the Order began to heal the world.
Since then, the druidic order continually works to prevent such destruction
from ever occurring again. Druids pledge to make sure the wars of good and evil
no longer mar the precious earth. But, the Order also has bitter enemies in the
ancient remnants of the guilds of warring wizards--those good and evil mages
who luckily escaped the fate of their fellows. Each guild claims it had been on
the verge of victory and would have won, had druids not interfered.
Each of these backgrounds--or one that you, the player might create with your
DM--provides the druids of a world with a history, a purpose, and some idea of
who their enemies might be. Add more details to these options as desired, to
explain the Order's triumphs and failures, the history of its relation to other
faiths, and perhaps the attempts of factions within the druidic order to deviate
from its original purpose.
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