One Druid's Perspective

- Herial Ghalen

What is a Druid?

A druid is a caretaker of 'The Balance,' one who oversees a region or specific set of terrain in order to ensure that life thrives, and one who seeks out and destroys abominations or abnormalities in these regions whenever possible. Druids are bound by very specific oaths (which most of you have already probably taken, and are mostly too lengthy to get into at this time!) in order to keep themselves down-to-earth, and on the right path.

However, in order to keep from falling from the path, it's very important to understand WHY you uphold these oaths. Those who fall from the path are to be pitied and guided back when possible.

An important note to make, before we get too distracted by other topics, I'll just make a point right here and now. Many druids eventually gain the power to take the skins of other beasts for themselves, to change their forms far more completely than a wizard ever manages to.

Do not delude yourself here. You are not an animal. You are not a panther, an eagle, a bear or somesuch. You are a human, an elf, or whatever the hells you actually are. Man was not made to live two lives. Use this gift to aid in the upkeep of the balance, not to fulfill your own childish fantasies.

What is a Shadow Druid?

The term 'Shadow Druid' refers to any of the misguided souls who believe that nature will overcome civilization entirely, and that the best course of action is to expedite the process. Violently.

Does your neighbor spend his time poisoning wells, praising Talona, spreading locusts in farmer's fields, and passing out diseased blankets to orphans? Chances are, your neighbor is a Shadow Druid!

These fools are to be pitied and guided back to proper behaviour whenever possible, and shunned (or their actions mitigated) when not.

The Balance

No point is more greatly debated than "What is the Balance?", though that question is quite simple to answer. The Balance is not nature. The Balance is not forests, or fuzzy woodland animals. It is, plain and simple: Life. Imagine the Balance as a bowl of water positioned atop a wobbly legged table. The table shifts, the bowl moves, and perhaps some of the water spills out. Likewise, natural places change. Environments shift to better support life. The bowl cannot possibly contain all the water in its new position, so it rids itself of some in order to keep the rest; soil degrades and a forest dies, a grassland becomes a desert.

These changes are not to be fought against, so long as they are plain and natural; every environment will change itself in order to support life as efficiently as it can. Trying to force it to support more than it can on its own, is simply wrong.

The duty of a servant of the Balance, a nature-priest or druid, is to ensure the bowl is never emptied completely of it's water (of life), and to encourage water to eke back in when it can stay on its own. Plant your shrubs, spread those wild grasses about, but don't force them to grow. If they take and stay on their own, then you've done your part. Foster and guard life where you can, and the Balance thrives.

Druidic Organizations

At the top of the druidic hierarchy, are the 'Archdruids,' those experienced men and women charged with organizing and leading a Grove. They organize and head up moots (gatherings), and as they are traditionally the most experienced druid.

The Archdruid's opinions is to be respected (but not followed as if law; when it comes down to it, each druid rules himself,) Typically, the Archdruid should know at least a little bit about each and every environment near the Grove. Next in importance come the Hierophants, druids dedicated to taking care of a specific locale. Cordor, the Bitter Coast, and the Jungles, for example, might each have their own Hierophant.

These druids spend their time wandering their chosen region, rooting out any aberrations and training any others who are interested in how to properly care for (or survive in) their chosen region.

Beyond that, seniority rules. Druids police and rule themselves, but never forget to respect those that know more than you, or have taught you. It is important that you don't let your independence become more important to you than doing what needs to be done.

The Purpose of A Grove

Druids, typically, are not communal creatures. In most places, local druids will spend a great deal of their time working on their own, in solitude, to further their causes as best they can.

Groves, however, serve as anchoring points; areas in which druids gather, now and again, to discuss the status, or progress, of their charges.

Groves are safe places, havens, for servants of the Balance. Places of shelter, and warmth. Places to restock one's larder, enjoy conversation and camaraderie, before heading out once again into the solitude of the wilderness. Strive always to keep personal arguments and violence away from the Grove, for these are places to keep sacred and tranquil. A grove is to druids as a Chapel is to Priests. Holy, and deserving of respect.

The Grove and Politics.

Whilst the Grove is a gathering ground for druids, make no mistakes about it - it is not a political state. Many former Archdruids only ever went wrong when they insisted on dragging the grove into the political affairs of neighboring Benwick or Myon.

The politics of cities and towns are none of our concern. Our concerns are, first and foremost, the state of the Balance on the entire isle (including in the Cities, yes) and everything else is absolutely secondary to this goal. Even individual loyalties.

Do not argue, do not complain - this is the lot you've chosen in life.

If the grove can aid in curing a magical disease, intercede. If the Grove can aid in setting up hunting and logging regulations, intercede.

If Trintiren accidentally belches fire into the High Priestess's draperies, and the Lord-Protector of Benwick declares war and calls for the druids to aid him? Keep out of it. The Grove, as a whole, has no part in politics.

Individual druids may do as they please, meddle as they so choose, but only if their actions do no harm or endanger the grove's political apathy. (I choose this term very specifically. Apathy. Not neutrality. A-P-A-T-H-Y.)

The Importance of Investigation.

As a general rule, it's always best to observe before you act. Make certain you understand every nuance of your decision before you make it, whenever possible. Small actions can have big effects.

You have many tools at your disposal to aid in investigation; the plants themselves, the local wildlife, your fellow man, and the ability to wildshape.

Scenario: A man has been coming to the Forest of late, and cutting down several trees before hauling them off. He does not reseed the land after cutting. What do you do?

A rash reaction would be to violently drive him off. Congratulations, you have just stopped him from finishing building his house. Now he, his pregnant wife, and young child have no place to stay during the long, cold winter. You just killed two children. Monster.

Better to try and educate him on the importance of replanting what he cuts. Whilst the Forest is large, it must be sustained, both for itself, for woodland creatures, and for future farmers.

Go so far as to help him plant the new trees yourself, even!

On Things As They Are: Stability

Rather than seeking to change things to suit your purpose, whenever possible attempt to think of a new way things can be used in their natural state; putting them to further use without changing them. This is always the preferable course of action.

Yes, you could cut down that tree and make a very nice chair out of it. But why go through all the hassle? Just spread out a blanket, sit with your back to a comfy spot on the trunk, and allow the spread of the branches to blot out the sun - two in one! A natural chair, and an umbrella!

The Undead

All druids understand that they're supposed to revile the undead, but very few of them ever bother to question WHY that is. But what's the point of an oath if you don't understand it? It's always important to ask questions, and to seek out the meaning behind things.

We don't hate undead because they're 'Evil' or 'Abominations' or even because they're basically 'Unnatural.' It's true that they are many, or in some cases all, of these things, but that is not why we must take so hard a stance against them.

We must oppose them because they take. They take, and they take, and they take, and they give nothing back. They will 'Live' forever, never enriching the ground, never feeling cold, never feeling heat, able to bluntly force their way into any delicate web of life without ever being part of it.

Always seeking to feed, to rend, to kill, to end life just to get some semblance of sustenance for themselves. They always take, and never give back. They fill no niche, they have no predator, they have no purpose.

They are anathema to Life, to the Balance. A hold, a void. Destroy them, and consider it a mercy.

Disease

Disease can be a very useful thing. Overgrown plants, or overswelling populations can be cut down to a sustainable level, so that life doesn't choke out life. Certain types of disease, however, have a tendency to hurt more than they help, so they must be eradicated whenever possible.

Lycanthropy is one such curse. A wildshaped druid can control himself, he is still a man. A loup (A werecreature, that is) cannot. He is truly a beast - and no man, ever, should truly wear two skins. Man was not meant to live two lives.

Any disease that shatters or twists the mind must be wiped out. Rabid creatures can, while normally docile, go on homicidal rampages - attacking creatures much bigger or more intimidating than them.

This poses a clear threat to the natural order of things. When encountering a creature who's mind has been shattered and twisted as a direct result of infection, kill it. And burn the body.

Unnatural disease is the last category one must look out for. Magical Disease. Manmade Plauges. Things manufactured by humanoid hands for the sole purpose of killing. These things cannot be suffered, and must be destroyed whenever they are found.

On Cooperation And Understanding.

No single viewpoint can encompass the whole of the world. No single man can know everything. There is too much for a single pair of eyes to take in, and too much work to be done for a single pair of hands to handle everything. Cooperation is a natural necessity.

When many viewpoints meet, they mix and meld taking on the best aspect of the others that they meet. Thus, the Balance can be upheld that much more efficiently. But when many viewpoints meet, there are always many diametrically opposing viewpoints to be found.

I'm not asking for Nobanionites and Silvanites to hug and wed each other; but at the very least, try to UNDERSTAND each other's viewpoints. Understand why Nobanion teaches proactivity, and why Silvanus holds dear to neutrality and waiting.

When this is done, and childish arguments and bickering can be set aside due to mutual understanding of each other, then the Circle can move forward and progress can finally be made.

On The City

Many druids abhor the city, thinking it the most unnatural plague on Faerun's face. Of course, your bound to have a few idiots in every social gathering. The balance doesn't cease to exist in some place, simply because a man erects a house. Life can be found, and will strive to thrive, everywhere.

Take a glance about a city next time you enter in. What do you see? Greenery clinging to walls, grassland forcing its way up through cracks in the cobblestones in some places. Potted plants and fenced-in trees, perhaps a park or two. Humans, elves, dwarves, dogs, cats, mice, squirrels, birds, insects.

Predator, prey; the city has a lifeweb of its own, an equally intricate tapestry of creatures, living off one another. A city is simply an ant colony, on a massive scale; all creatures, after all, need a home.

Like all environments, the Balance in cities needs carefully caretaking as well.

Try to limit the negative impact the city has on the surrounding environment; organize logging regulations, help clear designated areas for farmers rather than allow free sprawl, encourage and teach hunters how to make use of more parts of their kills.

Plant gardens, to bring greenery into the stone nest. To truly serve the Balance, is to see that life thrives as best it can everywhere. Even in cities.

On the Killing of Animals

You see a man kill a deer. So what? Hunting is acceptable, when done for sustenance or on a small scale. Help hunters understand how to put to use more parts of their kill - teach them how to make needles, buttons, and arrowheads from the bones.

Show them how to properly work hides. Encourage them to salt down some of the meat, so it lasts longer. Intercede only in a few cases, such as when hunting is undertaken on a large scale, and always peacefully when you can. Educate the hunter.

Explain why hunting regulations are important; why kill three deer, when one will feed your family for a long while? Leave the rest to procreate, and you'll have food again on the morrow rather than just today. If peaceful education fails, and the hunters continue their destructive habits, then it's time to drive them away by force of arms. They are now a threat to Balance, to the livelihood of life. No threat to the Balance may be tolerated.

On The Hunt

A few nature deities specifically promote The Hunt, amongst them Nobanion the Lion King, Solonor Thelandira of the Seldarine, and Malar the Blackblooded Pard. All of them promote it for somewhat similar reasons, but through radically different ways.

They all see it as one way to filter out the utterly weak, those beyond help or salvation (Nobanite dogma include a direct reference to mercykilling), and as a way for one to obtain sustenance.

Only the Strong Survive. A sad, but ever true, law. When only strength remains, the pact remains ever strong, and each successive generation grows a bit better.