Dryads

🍄 Overview

Dryads are ancient and powerful fae that are based on trees. They roam the wilderness, acting as a guardian to a sacred location. They can be anywhere from 5’10” to 8 feet tall and have bark-like skin and twiggy or leafy hair. 

🍄 Appearance

A Dryad’s appearance is based on a tree. Their skin is rough and bark-like and should be the colour of a tree trunk. Their hair is made from branches, moss, grasses or leaves and can even have flowers blooming in it. A Dryad always has some sort of horns or a crown of branches coming off their head. 

Design Guidelines

• A Dryad can have any length of hair - it should take inspiration from their tree type.

• Darkwood Dryads can have mushrooms growing on them.

• Dryads can have magic runes carved into them (Celtic in origin).

• Their skin is textured and barklike (never smooth) - they should have twigs and leaves sticking out of them.

• They tend to attract butterflies, fireflies, ants, and birds.

• They have pointed, sharp ears.

• *Eyes: Martial types have black irises with any colour sclera.

• *Eyes: Magic types have bright any colour irises with black sclera.

• Dryad’s from the Autumn Duchy can have red, yellow and orange leaves for hair.

Dryads Adoptables

Clothing

• Dryads do not wear a lot of clothing. They can have rough, tattered coverings made from leaves, leather or moss.

• Martial Dryads wear wooden armour that is essentially a harder, thicker wood than that of their skin. Magic Dryads will have runes carved into their skin (in any colour).

• Staffs and leather or rope bags full of goodies are common accessories.

• They do not like metal and should not have any metal armour on.

• They may adorn themselves with animal bones, feathers, berries, etc.

• They do not have tattoos nor piercings.

• They don’t wear shoes.

🍄 Birth, Life and Death

Birth

Dryads are born when a beautiful or ancient tree, such as an oak or a pine, is born or grows to a certain age and vitality. When the tree reaches a significant point in its life, a dryad is born from it. This is sometimes portrayed as the tree's spirit or essence taking on a humanoid form.

A tree that has borne a Dryad will have a hollow carved out of the center of it.

Life

Dryads can live up to 300 years. There are a few powerful Dryads that are rumoured to be 4000 years old, but these are figures of legend and incredibly rare.

The dryad and the tree share a lifelong, mystical connection. As long as the tree remains healthy and alive, the dryad thrives as well. If the tree is harmed or dies, it is believed that the dryad suffers a similar fate.

Dryads are often seen as guardians of their respective trees and the surrounding location. They protect the trees from harm and care for the flora and fauna in their domain.

Death

Dryads can be afflicted by a variety of diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses. These diseases can weaken them, causing it to decline and eventually die (eg: root rot). Infestations of insects and other pests can damage a Dryad by feeding on its leaves, bark, or roots. Severe infestations can lead to their death.

When a Dryad dies, its body becomes pale and eventually petrifies.

If they feel death approaching, Dryads make a pilgrimage to the Forest of Stone to pass away peacefully there (the forest of Stone is an ancient grove full of petrified Dryads. It is a site of immense power and is very sacred. Because of the nature of the area, dark fae and death spirits are seen here a lot).

🍄 Dryad Customs & Culture

Personality Traits

• Dryad’s are slow and steady fae who dislike chaos, and won’t be rushed into anything. They are dutiful and dogged in their role as forest guardians, and value the health of the natural world above everything.

• They can be simple at times, finding the machinations of the political or technological world of Folkland too confusing.

• They make very loyal friends and tend to nurture and protect those they care about.

Your Dryad should have a few of these traits but certainly doesn’t have to have all of them. Please feel free to put a unique spin on it.

Romance, Marriage and Offspring

Romance

Dryads are solitary beings and generally uninterested in romance or sex. They are tied to their forests above all else. If they do form attachments, they have no qualms about same-sex relationships or interracial relationships. 

Marriage

Dryads do not often marry. They consider themselves tied to their forests. 

Offspring

Dryad's cannot produce offspring. They can, however, adopt from other races and sometimes do this when they find young who have been abandoned in the woods. 

Miscellaneous

• Dryad’s have little need for food, but will eat mushrooms, berries, nuts, and whatever other edible vegetation they can find in the forests.

• More important to their ‘diet’ is sunlight and water, and although they are hardy enough to go without either for up to a week, they are healthiest when they can get some.

• There are no particular naming conventions for Dryads - they should be old European names or fantasy, as with all other races.

If you have questions about Dryads, please ask them in the helpdesk channel on Discord!