Dryads

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Artwork by unknown Dryad Note: This creature can only be played by Event Team members and those who had a CA before the creature was shelved.

A Dryad is a female Wood Elf who has developed a physical and mental bond with a tree by undergoing a process known as "The Blossoming". All female Wood Elves feel the call of Dryad-ism sometime in their life. It may be early on, before puberty, or it may be very late in their lives. They can choose to accept this call or ignore it until the urge fades away.

After their transfiguration, the now-Dryad is still a lot like their former Wood Elf self, at least mentally. They retain their former personality but now they feel much more relaxed. Time loses its relevance. Seasons come and go, kingdoms rise and fall all around them. Nothing truly matters except that they are in the presence of their tree and they are in the midst of nature. Dryads also undergo a physical change. Their skin color could lighten or darken. Their hair color is also subject to change, as well as their eyes. Normally, this all depends on which type of tree they end up bonding with. Dryads of the same tree type will look similar. A Wood Elf's personality determines which type of tree they end up feeling a bond towards. See: The Official Dryad Thread

Origins

The origin of Dryads is a mystery. Some argue that Dryads have always existed, that their population rise and fall in rhythm with some unknown schedule. Others argue that Dryads only came about in the lands of Asulon. Both are true, in a sense. Dryads have always existed, even since Malin's time. It is also true that their population boom every now-and-again. For hundreds of years, there might only be one Dryad alone in an entire forest, singing away in the boughs of her tree. A year later, there might be a hundred more spread throughout the lands. Regardless of that odd cycle, all female Wood Elves will hear the call and feel the urge during her lifetime. It is a natural part of life and growing up.

Blossoming

When a Wood Elf feels the urge or call of Dryad-ism, she feels the need to abandon her current life and leave, to leave behind the bustling mortal world, to leave behind the wars and politics, to be free of all worries. Some choose to ignore this. After a time, the urge begins to fade away and finally, disappear. But be warned, any Elf that ignores this call will forever pass up her chance to become a Dryad.

If they listen to the call, if they fan that burning flame of adventure, their search begins. Generally, the elf will know in which direction they will be searching in. It might be in the direction the sun sets, or where the birds fly when the cold weather sets in. The budding Dryad instincts guide her to her tree. The journey might be long, it might take weeks, months, or years. Or, it might be as simple as the forest outside her city.

Once the Dryad has found her tree, and she will know when that happens, something magical happens. It is akin to what some would call "love at first sight". The Elf will stare at her tree for a time, totally transfixed. She may talk to it, hug it, set up a camp near it and sleep by it. It takes two full months of time before the Elf's Blossoming is complete. During that time, she might feel overly ecstatic. Or possibly overly aggressive and protective of her tree, picking a fight with any who draws near. She may possibly even be at total peace for the first time in her life. These feelings will last the entire duration of her Blossoming and even into her time as a Dryad. During the second month, the Elf will change physically. Her hair might grow longer or change colors. Her skin might lighten or darken and her eyes may change to a completely different shade. Generally the change will be based on the type of tree she has bonded to.

If the Dryad leaves her tree at any time during the Blossoming, the overload of emotions will cease and will be replaced by that of intense nausea. If she persists through the side effect of nausea and ignores the budding bond, she will remain a Wood Elf and will pass up her chance of becoming a Dryad.

Relationship with Tree

Some say that the tree chooses the Elf. Others, that the tree and Elf were born for each other, that ever since the Elf was a toddler and the tree a sapling, they have been waiting for each other to finally meet and become one.

The bond between a Dryad and her tree runs deep. They become entwined, almost one entity. The tree becomes her closest friend, her lover even. The Dryad might feel the roots within the dirt beneath her feet. She might feel the air passing through the branches above her, rustling the leaves. She would also feel the chop of an axe in her tree's trunk or feel the burning sensation of flames washing over the tree. This bond persists until the Elf dies, or sometimes, the tree. If the Elf dies, the tree will soon follow. If the tree dies, the Elf will not die but will suffer deeply. She will be stricken with grief, or her mind might break in a way such that she never truly recovers. She might suffer a deep depression until the end of her days or she might take her own life. There exists a way to save the tree in most circumstances though, and that is through an object known as an "Amber Seed".

The Elf feels naturally at home when she is near her tree. She may choose to sleep in its boughs or maybe in a hole close to the roots. The Elf must sleep near her tree at least once every three days. If she does not, she will die. An Elf can travel as far as she wants from her tree, though the father away she is, the sadder and more melancholy she will feel. She can also rest away from her tree, but the sleep will be fitful and she will not recover any energy. A Dryad feels no yearning for a mortal relationship. They do not wish to reproduce or to wed. All that matters is that they are with their tree.

Amber Seed

When a tree that is bonded to a Dryad dies, it leaves behind something known as an Amber Seed. It is roughly the size and weight of a fist-sized stone. This seed is the very essence of the tree and, being such, the Dryad continues feeling her bond connected to it. She must still sleep within a close distance of the seed or she will feel exhausted and eventually die. This seed, once planted, will sprout a sapling that grows at a magical rate. A tree that may take a hundred years to grow fully will take only a few months. This tree will be an exact replica of its original and the bond will persist through the original tree's death. The seed must be planted within a year of the original tree's death. If it is not, it will harden into a grey-black object that will break and blow away as dust in the wind. A tree can only go through this process of death-and-rebirth once. A tree can only regrow in a fitting biome.

Reverting back to a Wood Elf

During her time as a Dryad, some circumstances might cause the Dryad to consider returning back to an ordinary Wood Elf. It might be that the tree has become sick and it would kill them both should she not cut the bond. Or possibly it is that her Wood Elf family misses her dearly and visits every day, begging her to return home. There is no set process to revert, the Elf must simply overcome the bond and leave, though it is extremely painful, both mentally and physically. It will take at least a month of time before the bond is fully cut, all the while the Elf suffers, though she can stop at any moment should she choose to return. Once the bond has been cut, the tree will die and produce an Amber Seed. The bond will be cut so that the Elf does not need to carry the seed around with her, but if she plants it, the tree will grow and the bond will resume. After a year's time, the seed will turn to ash and blow away in the wind. The Elf will feel a faint ache of sadness or a feeling of melancholy for the rest of her life, assuming she did not replant the seed and resume her bond.

Idiosyncrasies

Dryadic Instincts - Upon completing her blossoming, a Dryad will instinctively know and understand most things relating to her and her tree's survival. - A Dryad will always be able to find her way back to her tree, regardless of where she is. - A Dryad knows that she can only rest in the presence of her tree and that three days of being apart will result in death. - A Dryad will be able to tell whether someone is a Dryad or not just by looking at them. - A Dryad will also be able to tell whether or not a tree is bonded to another Dryad. - A Dryad will know how to cut the bond between her and her tree, and she will also understand what the Amber Seed is and how to use it.

Dryadic Quirks - Upon completing her blossoming, a Dryad will have a few new habits. - A Dryad will generally address a fellow Dryad as 'sister'. - A Dryad will continue eating whatever they ate as a Wood Elf. They won't feel an urge to change their diet. - A Dryad will not go out of her way to maintain or develop friendships. If Dryads live rather close to each other, they might become friends. The same goes if someone visits a Dryad daily, a friendship might develop, though the Dryad will feel no need for it. - A Dryad will still retain all magical or combat prowess they had as a Wood Elf, though they probably won't feel the urge or need to use it often (or ever). - A Dryad can wear whatever she pleases. Generally, they will feel inclined to wear leaves from their tree. They might also sew a dress or outfit that mirrors the colors of their tree.

Dryads come in as many varieties as there are trees. A dryad’s appearance typically goes hand in hand with the type of tree they are bonded to. She will appear similar to her tree, and follow the same seasonal patterns as her tree. If her tree changes colors in the fall, her leaves will change colors as well. If her tree loses it’s leaves in the winter, she will too, leaving her with a sticky mane. If her tree appears the same year round, she will also appear the same year round.

For more information about dryads, view the official dryad thread.