Lore & Stories

[Quixoticus]

This is a collection of stories related to the lore of the RP. Stories are arranged chronologically, in the order they were officiated.

• If you're looking to add your story material to the RP universe, submit your work here.
  
• If you're looking to add to the general aspects of the RP universe, including races, geography, mechanics, etc., submit your work here.

[AWizardDidIt]

Ghalian/Oto'Ghal Lore - by Alezin

While the “modern” Oto’ghal that rule over The Ghalian Cartel no longer follow these beliefs, there are still many in the backwater regions of the nation that do.

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I. The Creation of the World, People and The Two Wise Gods by

The Oto’ghal creation myth as told by Bark-Painter Hoc’Nihgua to Hoc’Naneh ….

“There was a time, where there were no Tree People in the world. There was no land, no water, no plants, no animals, no sky, no moon, no stars and no sun. There was only a sea of black and dust. In this blackness there lives a gigantic, bloated beast. Tuzenganzun had not hatched, he had always been and he was made of everything. The beast was content to swim calmly in the black, he desired nothing else.

However something happened. Tuzenganzun swam into a large cloud of dust and felt something he had never felt before. He felt the need to sneeze, and so he did. He sneezed and sneezed and sneezed. His spittle filled the black and became the stars, but still he could not stop. In desperation Tuzenganzun held his mouth shut with his many hands and held in a mighty sneeze.

And so….he exploded.

Tuzenmanzun’s essence filled up the black and created the world. One eye became the sun; the other eye became the moon. His bones and flesh created the land. His dying breath created the sky and the clouds, his spit became the rain. His blood became the oceans, the rivers and the lakes. His fur, scales and feathers became the plants. When his organs broke into pieces, people and animals came into the world. Finally, from his testicles two Wise Ones hatched…Norghi the Clever and Jagzum the Clawed.

“We must look for a home.” said Norghi to her sibling, for all creatures desire a place to belong. And so it was that Norghi and Jagzum walked the land for many, many sunsets. They met new people as they traveled. Tall people with no feathers, short people with no claws, giant people with teeth that could crush stones, they met many, many people….But all of these people were not good.

They also found new places, but they were also not good. They were too cold, or too hot, or too wet, or too dry. “We will never find a good place.” growled Jagzum one day. He was certain that he and Norghi would wander for an eternity.

Yet, they did find a good place. After many sunsets they came to a good place. Norghi noticed that the trees were the best trees, and that the water was the freshest water, and that the air was the cleanest air. Jagzum noticed that the animals were the best animals and that the earth was the best earth. That night the siblings built a home under the largest, strongest tree they could find and they celebrated.

“This is a good place.” The Wise Ones both agreed.

The next morning, Jagzum used his strong claws to work the earth. “I will build us a garden, so that we may grow food.” His sister nodded and headed out into the forest. “I will go out into the forest and build traps so that we might have meat.” And so, Norghi walked out in search for meat, but what she found were people. She fetched her brother and they began to watch the people in secret. After many sunsets the Wise Ones decided that the people were good people. And so, that night Jagzum and Norghi appeared before the people and gave them gifts.

First came Norghi. “I will give you my knowledge and my cleverness.” And so she taught the people how to trick animals with traps, and better ways to find food in the forest. Because this was sometimes hard, she also taught the people how to grow crops. She taught them how to make paint, and how to write words and wisdom in bark.

Then came Jagzum. “I will give you my claws and my strength.” And so, the people grew claws and became big and strong. Jagzum taught them how to use their claws in many, many ways. When the people learned how to climb the trees with their strong claws they became Tree People.

And this is how the Oto’ghal came to be.”

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II. How wickedness and monsters came to the forest

As told by Bark-Painter Hoc’Nihgua to Hoc’Naneh ….

“For many years Strong Jagzum and Clever Norghi lived among the Oto’ghal, teaching and nurturing. The people lived in peace; it was a good and happy time. However…it would end. One day, Norghi came to Jagzum and said “I wish to have a child.” And so, the Clawed God and the Clever God, brother and sister, joined together. In the morning Norghi laid a beautiful, golden colored egg. The Wise Ones rejoiced, and patiently waited for the day their egg would hatch.

It took many sunsets, but the egg finally hatched. The Wise Ones named their new child Zaimo, and bestowed upon him every blessing that they could. But it was soon apparent that Zaimo was not like his parents, he did not care for the Oto’ghal and seemed to loathe the forest. When he came of age he left the trees behind and walked away. Norghi and Jagzum wept for their son. They had warned him about the people and places beyond the forest. Countless unsets and sunrises passed, and the Wise Ones decided that their son would never return. Jazgum convinced Norghi to make a second attempt at a child. Brother and sister joined again, and in the morning Norghi laid a shiny, silver colored egg.

However, their eldest child had returned to the forest and made his way back to Jazgum and Norghi’s home. When Zaimo arrived, his parents were nowhere to be found, but the silver egg was. “They wish to replace me, do they?” Zaimo hissed as he looked at his unhatched sibling. One touch from his claws was all it took, and the silver egg became black and rotten. The foul smelling egg soon cracked, spewing filth and wicked creatures out into the forest; hungry beasts that could run, climb and swim. From that day on, the Oto’ghal would never be at peace in their forest.

Norghi and Jazgum never tried to make children again.”

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A.) Main Pantheon:

Before the founding of Cartel, Oto’ghal would worship two entities that they believed were responsible for their creation. In order to speak and listen to their gods, the Oto’ghal devised rituals utilizing the guachi plant.

1-) Norghi the Clever Goddess: Representations of Norghi have her appear holding an egg. She is the patron of….

* Hunting
* Crop growth
*Foraging
*Writing
*Painting
*Childbirth

To invoke Norghi’s favor, Oto’ghal would burn guachi flowers and inhale the smoke in order to “speak” with the Clever Goddess.

2-) Jagzum the Clawed God: Representations of Jazgum always accentuate his sharp claws. He is the patron of…

*Warfare/Fighting
*Architecture/Building
* Sculpting
*Claws
*Strength

To invoke Jazgum’s favor, Oto’ghal would paint their claws with a black dye made from guachi flowers, crushed beetles and blood. When their claws were covered with the dark paint, the individual would scratch his/her skin in order to “speak” with the Clawed God.

Representations of these gods may be done as either sculptures or paintings. It is recommended that rituals done in order to “speak” with a God, be done within the presence of one of these representations.

***Zaimo isn't worshiped as a diety, but is instead treated as a "trickster spirit".***

B-) Dangerous fauna:

According to Oto’ghal myth, these deadly creatures popped out of a rotting egg. They're a danger to both locals and travelers alike.

1-) Common Name: Giant Striped Bear
Local Name: Koano
Diet: Carnivore

Information Sample: The koano is an solitary and aggressive carnivore that inhabits the forest regions. Although commonly referred to as a “bear” outside of the Cartel, the koano’s appearance is more similar to that of a wolverine. With the exception of its face, the creature is mostly covered in shaggy olive colored fur. The head is covered black and white fur (Similar to that of badgers.).

2-) Common Name: Ghalian Salamander
Local Name: Nonoki
Diet: Carnivore

Information Sample: These giant amphibians are voracious carnivores that specialize in ambushing prey by the water. In order to drag it’s victim into the water the nonoki relies on its absurdly powerful jaws.

3-) Common Name: Emerald Talon
Local Name: Wiah
Diet: Carnivore

Information Sample: The wiah is a large flightless predatory bird. Although not a threat to an adult Oto’ghal, wiah’s are known to prey on young Oto’ghal. The wiah’s most distinguishing feature is its vibrant colored claws and beak. While the bird is covered in dull grey feathers, these are metallic green in color. These creatures tend to form groups of up to 5 individuals.

[AWizardDidIt]

The War of the White and Grey - by AWizardDidIt



Yellow shading denotes territory held by the Avoca Empire at the height of Astragoth’s reign, just before the Great Collapse.

While the Avoca were initially a nomadic race, they were primarily concentrated in and around the sandy mountains of the Chevaari Desert. Unbeknownst to any of the Avoca’s neighbors, these sandstone crags would birth the world’s largest empire, a military force so powerful that it, at its apex, would rule almost the entire known world.

The many tribes of Avoca were united by an enigmatic super-chieftain known as Gabroth. This renowned warrior king began the tradition of conquest that would continue for nearly a millennium. In the first dozen years of his reign, he initiated hostilities with nearly all nearby nations - and won. Under the domain of the recently christened Gabrothian Empire were brought the two southernmost kingdoms of the Ten Hands, the desert lands of the Chevaar, and the western plainlands. Gabroth himself was injured during a heated battle in the Hander province of Old Koleinate and promptly abdicated the throne, living out the rest of his days as a member of the slave caste.

Gabroth’s successors descended from the south in a furious horde, seizing the central Hands and the Ghalian lands over the course of a few years. Their advance was finally halted at the famed walls of Fürstlichestadt by a combined force of Hander and Ghalian warriors. Although this defeat would be only major one they suffered in their advance north, the strength of the fortress-city proved too much. It was never conquered during the course of the war, and the fortifications immediately surrounding it forced the Avoca to reverse the direction of their movement. Instead, they pushed up the east coast of Calmargur, where they met limited resistance from Ghalian outposts and native warriors. With this area taken, they proceeded northwards and struck the final blow against the wingless by taking the cities of the affluent northlands and snatching three of the northern Hands from under the nose of the Commonwealth. Before long, Avoca overseers and advisors were also sitting comfortably in positions of power on the islands of Hele and Dessia. Desperate to prevent further encroachment, the Ghalians of the northern forests and the Handers of Knechtenberg and Fürstlichestadt pursued a strategical alliance that later became known as the Grey Union. Joined by token forces of Gali, the two races managed to secure both the southern and northern borders against further Avoca encroachment. With this, the brutal and bloody Gabrothian Conquests had finally come to an end.

Mass slavery of the wingless races had literally morphed the empire into an enormous machine. While the slaves were initially treated somewhat honorably, this deteriorated over time, especially under the reign of Astragoth. Its many thralls worked day in and day out to grow crops, erect structures, forge weapons, build ships, and dismantle existing cities, all in the name of the Avoca war effort. Any attempts to rebel were brutally suppressed by the iron-fisted Gabrothian regime. Massive cities sprang forth from the sands of the southern Desert, built on the backs of Chevaar slaves. Fortresses, statues, outposts, and colonies were constructed all across Calmargur as a testament to the strength of the winged. An expansive road system was soon established to connect all the settlements of the world to the heart of the Gabrothian Empire, and to allow for more rapid movement of troops to quell sudden rebellions.

It was thus that the tyrannical supremacy of the Avoca was broken from within, not without. The madness of the Demon King Astragoth led to a civil war in which both sides took heavy casualties. Astragoth was eventually defeated and deposed, but the scars of the conflict ran too deep. Its military crippled, the Gabrothian Empire faced massive revolts in every corner of its domain. Lacking the organization and leadership to quell them effectively, the Avoca were forced to begin a costly retreat that ended in open war. The resulting failure of the once mighty Empire is known as the Great Collapse.

The War of the Grey and White, named for the colors of the banners of the conflict's foremost participants, began in the northern reaches of Calmargur, in the future Caren states. For too long, the the Northmen and their traditions had been trampled underfoot by strange and tyrannical foreigners. When the first signs of weakness were displayed by the Gabrothian administrators in the northern provinces, the human inhabitants of the lands seized the moment to organize a full-scale uprising against their oppressors. Avoca residents whose families had lived in the northlands for a hundred years or more were dragged into the streets and brutally murdered. Any token garrisons left behind by the fleeing Gabrothians were either massacred or chased out of the city with their tails between their legs. The worst treatment was reserved for the despotic Avoca overlords of the many cities, who were frequently tortured and beaten for days on end before finally being executed. The situation in the north amounted to complete genocide, with every Avoca man, woman, and child being hunted down and slain as payment for the long-gone, but not forgotten, Gabrothian Conquests.

As the Empire's grip on its northern provinces began to loosen, so did its grip on the island provinces of Dessia and Hele. The nation of Dessia had long been held by means of blackmail; Gabrothian warriors kept the hatcheries of the Dessiens closely guarded. Not long after the Caren rebellions, the Dessiens rose up in revolt and slew many of their tormentors before permanently driving them from the island, reclaiming their precious hatcheries. The Heledaine overthrew the Gabrothians by way of a quiet coup d'etat, seeing as their lands had never seem extensive military occupation.

The Grey Union was the next to take advantage of the Empire’s dwindling power. The combined Hander-Ghalian armies swept through the southern Hands and forests of Ghalia, liberating town after town from Gabrothian control. While the murder of innocent Avoca was not as prevalent in the south as it was in the north, it certainly existed. Thousands of Avoca soldiers and civilians lost their lives in an attempt to defend the lands that they believed belonged to them by right; nonetheless, they were crushed by the combined fury of the Union. As the midlands began to settle and the Avoca steadily retreated south, a diplomatic breach occurred in the relations between the two races. The Union dissolved entirely, effectively ending the conflict in the north.

In the southlands, a number of Hander citizens of the former provinces of Koleinate and Wündlandt had been displaced to the western plains during the initial Gabrothian Conquests. There, they were enslaved along with the plains’ native inhabitants, the Shrira, by the Avoca regime. The two races developed an affinity for one another during their time as brothers in binds, and when the time came to rise against their shared despots, they united into a furious fighting force which quickly (and gorily) disposed of Avoca aristocrats and overseers. Despite the Empire’s attempts to hang on to the province, which was frighteningly close to the deserts of their homeland, the Shrira and Kolein (now calling themselves the Shrirein) repeatedly crushed the Avoca warriors in battle. Discouraged and defeated, the Avoca withdrew, leaving the war-torn region to the devices of the Shrirein.

The most bloody segment of The Avoca Wars occurred in the very core of the Gabrothian Empire: the Chevaari Desert. The desert’s titular cat-people, sick of nearly a thousand years of foreign management, revolted in force. The Gabrothian military, already weak from its many conflicts across Calmargur, could do little but watch as the homeland of the Avoca was torn asunder by vengeful slaves. After three long years of full-blown war, the Avoca reluctantly decided that diaspora was their only option. The remaining denizens of the shattered race returned once more to their nomadic ways, moving south in great numbers.

It is unknown how many Avoca survive today in the distant corners of Calmargur.

[AWizardDidIt]

The Libran Persuasion - by AWizardDidIt

History

The Libran Persuasion is one of Calmargur’s largest religions. Its members are diverse in race and spread across the globe, but all share a common belief in the salvation that can be found by putting one’s faith in the goddess Eklibra, the ruler of the realm of Life.

Librans once constituted majorities in many populated areas, but the invasion of the Gabrothian Empire saw choking restrictions imposed upon the religion. Its members were rounded up and put to the sword, forcing the survivors underground. For hundreds of years the cult survived in secret, conducting its worship in tiny, makeshift temples within the “safe houses” of Libran citizens. During the War of the Grey and White, the ban on Libran ceremonies was lifted by the emancipating armies of the Grey Union, but the damage had been done. Few Librans remained in the southern reaches of the Ten Hands, where they had once cultivated an affluent and grandiose society.

Today, Librans number over a million worldwide, they do not constitute a majority in any region of the world. Rather, they exist in the form of small, ostracized communities in the heartlands of Calmargur, fiercely shunned by their neighbors and often cut off entirely from the outside world. These “ghettoes,” as they are called, are densely-packed, smoggy slums, rife with crime and disease. The rejection of Librans from mainstream society has led many of them to pursue criminal trades, leading to a prevailing stereotype that all Librans are moneylenders, pickpockets, or bandits. While there is some truth to this statement, Libran religious leaders are highly resentful of what has become of their once proud people, and do their best to contribute to the societies that spurn them in an attempt to build more amiable relations.

Ghettoes are somewhat sovereign entities, seeing as couriers must deliver correspondences between city leaders and Libran community chiefs. Most Librans begrudgingly pay protection fees or taxes to the rulers of the city at large. In times of plague and war, ghettoes are left to fend entirely for themselves. Many Librans have called for a Libran state in some uninhabited corner of the world, but no serious efforts have been made to create such a nation.

Despite their reputation as criminals and cheats, Librans are often more educated than their neighbors due to the emphasis they place on reading and writing. Additionally, the studies of the men and women of the faith often veer away from religious texts and into scientific, historical, and philosophical matters, turning the Libran clergy into a haughty and erudite lot.

Beliefs

Librans are the followers of the goddess Eklibra. As the counterpart of the Void God Malcolar, Eklibra seeks to maintain order in the face of chaos. The Three Tenets of Libran doctrine are Truth, Harmony, and Kindness. All Librans thus strive to be honest, peaceful, and gentle in their day-to-day activities. Librans draw their dogma from the teachings of the mysterious holy book, The First Way. The author of the text remains unknown, his (or her) name being lost to the ages. Several other important works were known to have existed before the Gabrothian Conquests, but were lost during the crackdown on Libran worship.

The Tenet of Truth states that Librans must avoid lying if at all possible. For this reason, Librans are often brutally honest with one another, and the "white lies" so common in human cultures are almost nonexistent in Libran circles. Libran criminals are surprisingly up-front about their activities, and often create loopholes in logic allowing them to escape punishment without actually avoiding the truth.

The Tenet of Harmony is essentially a creed of nonviolence. Librans may only eat the flesh of a mammal if it died of natural causes; as such, red meat is extremely rare in Libran bazaars. The consumption of poultry and fish is permissible. Librans may never take up arms against another member of the faith under any circumstances. They are allowed to fight other non-Librans only if the life of an innocent is in danger, and even then, they intentionally avoid fatal blows.

The Tenet of Kindness suggests that all Librans must act in a generous and compassionate manner in their daily lives. Beggars and peasants frequently seek asylum in Libran ghettoes, since they are almost always provided for by the priests of the temple. It is almost unheard of for a Libran to be homeless; the man or woman in question is usually taken in by a neighbor and provided for until they are able to support themselves.

Libran families are require to birth at least three children. One of these children will always be taken as an apprentice of the faith, and will permanently leave their family at a young age to learn with the priests and priestesses at the temple, where they study scripture, learn the basics of magic, and better prepare themselves for a life in the convent.

All Librans take part in regular ceremonies that occur once a week. A ceremony is led by a priest or priestess, who, after leading the congregation in prayers of gratitude, will begin the process of “Insena,” or “service.” Insena consists of two stages. First, all members of the Libran quorum (both men and women above the age of sixteen) take turns listing their many troubles to their fellows, who listen intently. Second, each member of the quorum volunteers to aid one of his or her brethren with their problem. After a second prayer session, the congregation is dismissed. It is common to see, in the interim between ceremonies, Librans of all ages and colors pitching in to help one another. The nature of the Insena has led many to believe that Librans are a selfish and greedy lot, watching out for only each other and seeking to contribute little or nothing to organized society.

A typical Libran priest or priestess wears a loose-fitting toga, often made of linen or another similarly scratchy fabric. Members of the Libran cloth are forbidden from marrying; however, they may engage in sexual activities and birth children. The children of clergy members always enter the faith themselves. The faith is not a lifelong commitment, but members of the church are treated very harshly by their fellows if they choose to leave. Clerics, even more so than average Libran citizens, are very pacifistic. For this reason, many Libran priests and priestesses deliberately shed the shackles of their ecclesiastical professions to better benefit (or profit) from the holy magics of Eklibra. The goddess Eklibra most frequently imbues her followers with the powers of light and creation. Usually, they are utilized in the form of healing rites, but renegade Librans who have kept their godspeak have adapted them into destructive forces of righteous wrath.

Lesser devotees of the religion seek to spread Eklibra’s teachings through prayer sessions and missionary efforts. They can frequently be found on street corners preaching the words of their goddess, notwithstanding the criticism of passerby. Despite the consistency of their efforts, Libran missionaries rarely succeed in attracting converts. They risk arrest, imprisonment, and occasionally worse from their sermons, but are persistent nonetheless. Missionaries frequently speak of the "demons of Malcolar," and as such, are usually dismissed as madmen. Surprisingly, they are quite hostile and condescending towards other religions, especially in secular areas such as the Caren states.

[AWizardDidIt]

The Fellowship of the Meni'Driad - by Mormosi

Overview

The Fellowship, behind its odd and misleading name, is a lesser, multi-racial world religion numbering at barely two thousand members, the majority of which are Oto'Ghal and human. After suffering a series of harsh policies laid against them during the rule of the Avoca, the Fellowship is finally beginning to grow again under the wary eyes of the fractured civilizations. Over forty-five percent of Meni'Driad worshippers are based within the Ghalian forests, where they practice in caves and villages, but the Ten Hander province of Vurmberg also contains a sizable community in and around its own forests. Lesser areas of practice include the other Ten Hands, the eastern coastline, and the Caren city-states. The name "Meni'Driad" is used strictly within the Fellowship, however. Horror stories, some of them rightly founded, and overbearing animosity have led almost every major nation to label them as the "Pagans." Some even believe this to be their official given name, a misgiving that has added to the Meni'Driad's inner hatred of the world outside their communities.

History

There is no official history to speak of when it comes to the Fellowship. Most Caren scholars maintain that the religion originated somewhere along the eastern shore, but the Meni'Driad themselves have offered little insight on the matter. Others have suggested that the theology emerged from Vurmberg, the Galian Peninsula, or even the unexplored jungles to the southeast, but none of these theories have substantial contributory evidence. As their religious dogma has mostly prevented critical thinking, the Meni'Driad have kept no written records and do not see the sense in doing so. Only one detail seems to remain consistent in the ongoing search for the Fellowship's origins: their birthplace was verdant.

Nonetheless, the Meni'Driad have inhabited Vurmberg and the Oto'Ghal forests for centuries, driven underground by the Gabrothian Empire's policies against them. For a time, the religion had been nearly extinguished, but the Empire's fracture allowed the Fellowship to regroup and rework their methods of worship. Now some are nearly indistinguishable from the everyday citizen, a trait that has fueled the world's fear and paranoia of them. Since their recovery, they have been steadily evolving to keep their faith alive among the numerous larger ones that surround them.

Beliefs, Communities, and Methods of Worship

The Meni'Driad worship two prime deities, Galina and Orswen.

Located deep within the earth, Galina, the "Mother" goddess, acts as the progenitor of all life on Calmargur. Every plant, animal, and insect stems from the goddess, making all living things her children. Thus, because all creatures share the same roots, all should be treated equally. To the Meni'Driad, hunting down a pack of wolves to protect livestock is no different from murdering a family of humans to ensure a better future. Unfortunately, this had led many Meni'Driad to act violently to other humans, working on the basis that they are treating them as one would treat a wild animal (see the human sacrifice portion four paragraphs below).

Galina's opposite in almost all ways, Orswen, the "Father" god, watches over Calmargur from the heavens, and protects and nurtures Galina and her offspring. His tools are the weather and the elements. He releases rain to water the plants, which effectively feed herbivores, which in turn feed carnivores. He gives the elements (Water, Air, Fire, Earth) to mortals to use as tools to better their lives. Storms, on the other hand, are seen as signs of his displeasure with the world. There is also a seemingly innumerable amount of lesser deities attributed to various creatures, plants, or lesser elements, all of which are the offspring of the Mother and Father.

Therefore, apart from believing that they are following the "true" theological path, the Meni'Driad think that, by following Orswen's will, they are saving the world from threats both physical and metaphysical. Sadly, this has led to an extreme sense of xenophobia. By their logic, the Caren are greedy and godless, the Ten Handers are pretentious, the Shrirein are barbarous and vain, the Ghalians are "lost", and so forth. Only the Chevaar and the tribesmen along the eastern coastline seem to evoke no sense of contention.

In an odd sense, there are two types of Fellowship followers. The "wild" practitioners are the ones most of the world officially recognizes and brands as Pagans. They are centered purely in the Oto'Ghal forests and along the eastern shores, though their numbers are steadily decreasing. For the most part, they are nothing but barbarians to the Ghalian Cartel, and are ruthlessly hunted down, and with good reason. "Wild" Meni'Driad cloister themselves in backwater groves, caves, and abandoned villages, where nothing but nature and their religion reigns. Druids, Godspeak-wielding Meni'Driad, hold the most sway in wild communities. Sadly, their promise of amnesty to those that devote themselves to the Fellowship has attracted multitudes of criminals, and common banditry has been added to their list of criminal offenses as a result. Meni'Driad citizens are encouraged to keep as many pets as possible and treat them as equals.

Most of the time, non-Meni'Driad citizens are harassed until they leave a wild community, or are violently chased out. This starkly contrasts with the peaceful attitude that Meni'Driad bear towards themselves. At times the animosity can push over into violence, and Meni'Driad hostility has resulted in murders. To the shock of many, unfortunately, this is far from the extent of their attacks on others. Should a community find an outsider fitting enough, they have been known to publicly sacrifice them in a forested area. Their reasoning for doing so can vary wildly. Some sacrifices are kidnapped for offending or injuring Galina, but overly inquisitive travelers have been taken as well. Once in the hands of the Meni'Driad, they are killed in one of two ways. They may be tied to a tree and drawn taut and, after some ceremony, killed in any way the Fellowship sees fit, typically by slitting the prisoner's throat. Otherwise, captives are usually placed in massive wooden effigies and burned to death, their ashes scattered to the winds. No matter the manner of death, any remains or bodily fluids are always placed among the roots of the trees, or fed to pets.

The other type of Fellowship worshiper is the "civilized" type. Occurrences of this sort have been on the rise since the fall of the Gabrothian Empire, and are slowly becoming the majority in the Meni'Driad structure, especially in Vurmberg. This method of worship is much more subdued. Rather than openly defy established governments, civilized Meni'Driad practice clandestinely, with very subtle mannerisms, such as simply keeping an overgrown garden or a multitude of household pets. While the Fellowship still meets in secret, actions are done with much less ceremony, save their traditional sacrifices. All shrines and identifying items are concealed, as the Meni'Driad otherwise try to mimic the everyday person.

Oddly enough, the civilized Meni'Driad have a very broad reach. Noblemen and beggars alike have been accused of fraternizing with the Pagans.

Druids typically wield the powers of the Elements and bear heightened senses. Others possess nature-related abilities, skills related to wild creatures, or improved agility and strength.

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