|
|
|
|
|
|
Druids
|
|
The Machtig worship the spirits of nature and the Druids are their only priests.
Druids preside over all religious events, ceremonies, and solstices. They have total
autonomy subject only to their own hierarchy.
|
|
|
|
|
The adjoining chart lists costs for the Druid Status Perk.
|
|
|
|
|
At the head of the order is the Grand Druid, the Father of the Vold, and he has
nine Great Druids under him corresponding to the nine Great Clans. The Grand Druid
is responsible for maintaining the Balance of nature both in the Vold and among
the Machtig themselves; additionally the Grand Druid sanctifies all new Lairds and
Oberlairds, crowning them with a crown of leaves and holly water.
|
|
|
|
Further, the Grand Druid is the one person who can overrule the Oberlaird, though
in practice this has only been done a handful of times (typically when an Oberlaird
was abusing their position to further their own Clan or in matters dealing with
the spiritual).
|
|
|
|
DRUIDIC MAGIC
|
|
|
|
Druids practice a powerful form of ritualistic magic that is deeply tied to the
natural world, and maintain an air of mystery that occludes much of their activity
from non-Druids. They have a tendency to speak in mild riddles or of portents and
omens. Since many of the things they speak of later come to pass they are heeded,
and it is commonly believed among most Machtig that Druidic Lore is not meant for
the common man, so few press them.
|
|
|
|
STANDING STONES
|
|
|
|
Druids have a penchant for raising monoliths and stone circles aligned along esoteric
lines for reasons only they know, and they use them extensively as part of their
powerful ritualistic magic.
|
|
|
|
DERWYDDA
|
|
|
|
Machtig Druids use the
Derwydda Magic System presented on this site. All of the
Derwydda Packages are possible, though the Derwyddyc Champion would
be very rare. The presented sample Derwydd,
Grimnir Norvison, is in fact a Machtig Druid.
|
|
|
|
Druids favor divinatory effects; Clairsentience is almost always the first Spell
Skill they learn, followed by Mindscan and Teleport.
|
|
|
|
CLAN AFFILIATION
|
|
|
|
Druids are removed from all Clan affiliation immediately upon being accepted into
the order. Druids dwell apart from the Machtig in various areas that are strongly
connected to nature, such as forest groves, copses, caves, coves, and of course
places where the Druids have erected standing stones.
|
|
|
|
NUMBER OF DRUIDS
|
|
|
|
The exact number of Druids is never really known by non-Druids except the Skalds
who could probably get a rough estimate with some effort by going through the heredity
records.
|
|
|
|
BECOMING A DRUID
|
|
|
|
The process of becoming a Druid is artificially lengthy, with most Druids being
selected or sought out in their early teens and sequestered for a number of years,
rarely appearing in public again until their mid-20's. However some Machtig feel
the pull of the nature spirits later in life and are either found by a Druid or
more rarely seek one out, and these older initiates don't seem to spend as much
time training as those inducted in their youth.
|
|
|
|
Regardless, the youngest Druid has a status nearly that of a Reeve and slightly
less than a Hoher Skalding in the Vold, but matters of status aside no non-Druid
may question them on matters spiritual. Druids do not live among the people, but
might stay amongst them for extended periods of time when directed to or by necessity.
|
|
|
|
ROLE
|
|
|
|
Typically, Druids of this rank are responsible for the day to day tasks such as
administering to the health of a region, delivering babies, consecrating burials,
conducting marriages, and so forth.
|
|
|
|
Elder Druids often make a point by assigning new Druids to be active in Clanholds
other than their original Clan.
|
|
|
|
Status (Druid): Must be inducted by the Druids; Real Cost: 3 Points
|
|
|
|
ELDER DRUID
|
|
|
|
The Druids have a complex internal heirarchy, the details of which are not known
to outsiders, but there are multiple "circles" that concern themselves
with different things each with various ranks.
|
|
|
|
It is known that the number nine has mystic significance to the Druids, dating back
to some Prophecy or another no doubt, and this has lead some Skalds to conjecture
that there are nine circles, each with nine ranks and each culminating up to the
nine Great Druids. The Druids themselves remain silent on the matter.
|
|
|
|
However, the most senior of these inner circles are given greater status within
the Druidic ranks and are referred to as Elder Druids among non-Druids. Each Elder
Druid has status slightly greater than that of a Reeve or Hoher Skalding, and these
are the Druids that have the most seeming independence and interaction with non-Druids.
|
|
|
|
These Elder Druids appear to be largely autonomous beyond some oversight from the
Great Druids and are the backbone of the Druidic order.
|
|
|
|
Status (Elder Druid): Must be a Druid and be accepted by other Elder Druids;
Real Cost: +1 Point
|
|
|
|
GREAT DRUID
|
|
|
|
At all times there are nine and only nine Great Druids in the Vold, one per Clan.
Each Great Druid administers over the Clan they were born to, and are responsible
for the spiritual health of that Clan, which includes administration of all places
of Druidic significance within that Hold, ensuring that the proper ceremonies are
conducted at auspicious occasions such as births, deaths, marriages, and so forth,
and ensuring that no dark or inimical forces are allowed to take root within the
Hold.
|
|
|
|
STATUS
|
|
|
|
Each Great Druid has status equivalent to that of a Laird. While the Laird is the
temporal power, the Great Druid is the spiritual. However the Great Druids are seldom
seen, instead directing the actions of Elder Druids and Druids assigned to them
via some internal organization.
|
|
|
|
APPEARANCES
|
|
|
|
Thus when a Great Druid does appear its a matter of some significance. The
most common appearances of Great Druids recorded have been in conjunstion with a
new Clan Laird rising to power as the Great Druid of that Clan traditionally consecrates
them upon their gaining Lairdship in a simple ceremony.
|
|
|
|
On rare occassions a Great Druid has appeared at weddings or birthings and sometimes
both for the same couple, and this is always considered to be a sign of some prophesy
being involved, for good or ill.
|
|
|
|
INDUCTION
|
|
|
|
When a Great Druid expires or ascends to be the Grand Druid a new one is chosen
to take their place by some internal means, but it is known that a new Great Druid
must be approved by the other eight (or however many there currently are) Great
Druids, for they are known to meet at the most powerful standing stones in the Hold
of the would be Great Druid to burn the remains of the old Great Druid and raise
the new Great Druid at the same time, in a symbolic observance of the circle of
life.
|
|
|
|
In the case of the Great Druid ascending to be the Grand Druid the ceremony is the
same, with the incumbent Great Druid being ignited on a pyre but rising from the
flames unharmed, symbolically born again as the Grand Druid. This event is attended
by the Clan Laird of that Clan, and all the Skalds and Reeves able to make it as
it is considered to be a very holy event.
|
|
|
|
Status (Great Druid): Must be an Elder Druid and be accepted by other Great
Druids; only one per Clan at a time; Real Cost: +1 Point
|
|
|
|
GRAND DRUID
|
|
|
|
At all times there is but one Grand Druid, chosen from among the nine Great Druids
when the previous Grand Druid expires. The bodies of the expired Grand Druids are
never seen, and it is commonly believed by the Machtig that they do not die but
become one with the nature spirts. Whatever the truth of it, the Druids as usual
remain silent on the matter.
|
|
|
|
The Grand Druid is much as a Great Druid save that they are responsible for the
Vold in its entirety, but more to the point their charge is ensuring the future
of the Machtig.
|
|
|
|
There is no one with a greater status than the Grand Druid among the Machtig; they
are the ultimate spiritual leader and guide, the one person that can overrule or
crown an Oberlaird, the only person who can issue a command and have all the Machtig
set aside their differences and congeal into a single people with but one goal:
to enforce the will of the Grand Druid.
|
|
|
|
GRAND EDICTS
|
|
|
|
Of course, this power is rarely used, but there have been occassions when the Grand
Druid has appeared and issued an edict which are always obeyed with alacrity and
an unswerving dedication by all of the Machtig. A Laird might quibble with an Elder
Druid or even a Great Druid over the details of some Druidic edict, but to question
the Grand Druid would certainly see a Laird challenged and supplanted by their own
people, abashed at their leader's blasphemy.
|
|
|
|
INDIVIDUALITY
|
|
|
|
Each Grand Druid has a name of course, but only the names of a handful have been
recorded over the millenia. Most accounts merely refer to "The Grand Druid",
giving the impression that the position supercedes the person filling it, and that
there has been a single guiding force dating back to the Machtig's arrival in the
Vold and beyond.
|
|
|
|
Each Grand Druid is in fact a real and distinct person and there have been a few
individuals with a different way of going about things than their predecessors,
but neither the Druids nor the general populace seem to register any awareness of
the occassional incongruity.
|
|
|
|
Status (Grand Druid): Must be a Great Druid and be voted on by other Great
Druids; only one at any given time; Real Cost: +1 Point
|
|
|