Druidism

Druidism (from Faiths and Philosophies)

Druids revere and draw power from the natural world, seeing in the endless cycle of creation and destruction a single great pattern into which all existence is interwoven. Although most people see no difference between druidism and the Green Faith, the distinction is an important one. While anyone capable of drawing on the magic of nature’s essence can become a druid, the Green Faith refers specifically to the most prominent tradition of druidism and nature-worship, with its own histories, techniques, and dogma. Adding to the confusion is the fact that while druids make up the majority of the Green Faith’s adherents, members of other classes are also welcome to share the faith—if not the deepest secrets of druidism.

Druids and Green Faith followers seek to learn and represent the needs and interests of the natural world, including no only animals and plants, but also nature spirits such as fey and kami. Other faiths, such as juju, totemism, and Tamashigo, hold a similar reverence for nature, but differ in their methodology and dogma.

The Green Faith (from Faiths and Philosophies)

The Green Faith is a multifaceted set of beliefs centered on the natural world which grew out of an ancient conflict between druids that worshiped different elemental aspects between druids that worshiped different elemental aspects of the world., As a druidic belief system, it is to shamanistic, but also has elements of the ecclesiastical in its strong hierarchy and an underlying current of worship of Gozzeh. It teaches that all things are connected and that the natural changes of the weather, the world, and individuals over time are to be respected and celebrated rather than feared. Even death is just another form of change. The Green Faith is most prominent in Andoran, Nirmathos, Taldor, and Sevenarches in the River Kingdoms, but was once strongest in Sarkoris before that nation fell to the Worldwound. Though, Sarkovis is believed by many to be the birthplace of the Green Faith, much of the Sarkorian druid’s knowledge now lies hidden in the Worldwound or in isolated troves across the Inner Sea region.

Members of the Green Faith typically recognize and accept that all things change in time, show impartiality among people, and try to protect the natural world from exploitation by humanoids as well as from defilement by the presence of undead, aberrations, and other unnatural forces. In addition to druids, barbarians and rangers are common followers of the Green Faith.

Unaffiliated Druids (from Faiths and Philosophies)

Not all druids follow the Green Faith. Some, such as the matrons of the hidden Mwangi city Osibu, follow their own distinct traditions. These other traditions are generally isolated, but a few are prolific; druids in Mendev’s Estorian Forest and Iobaria follow their own traditions revering numerous nature spirits, and many druids on the continent of Tian Xia follow the philosophy of Tamashigo. Others are inspired by encounters with fey, who embody the diverse faces of nature with their strange habits and varied personalities. Fey-inspired druids are often so accepting of the change of death as Green Faith druids, but usually demonstrate a generous if strange sense of humor and a social bent that leads them to seek out communities of fey, unicorns, and other beings who live as part of the natural world. Still others simply find themselves called to communion with the natural world on behalf of rural communities. A few druids even embrace the vibrant energy of cities as their object of veneration, drawing power from and defending the surprisingly vibrant ecosystems to be found in parks, dumps, sewers, and vacant lots. They teach anyone who will listen to them about the natural rhythms of the humanoid throngs and symbiosis that links each city with the surrounding world.

Unaffiliated druids often serve as shamans to small enclaves of nature worshipers, including barbarians and rangers. Barbarians respect the freedom of unaffiliated druidic traditions, and rangers serving small isolated communities or ranging across uninhabited wilds often keep in touch with similarly isolated druids in the region for mutual defense and to compare notes.