Adventures in Arcadayn
Druidism
By Tim Emrick

The druids of Arcadayn worship two gods of nature, Canthor the Horned God and Yanira the White Goddess. This dualistic pair divides the whole of nature between them: Canthor is the master of animals, herding and hunting, winter and male fertility; Yanira is the mistress of plants, agriculture, summer and female fertility. Druids will sometimes peacefully co-exist with priests of other religions who show concern for the balance of nature, but will always remain suspicious of clerics of other faiths. They are most likely to be friendly with Elementalists, but are always opposed to the worship of death gods (Tovanira [Celestian Church] and Shulkor [Demon Cults]).

The primary symbol of Canthor is his horns, either in the form of any animal with horns or antlers, or in the image of the Horned God himself: a tall, dark man with the antlers and hide of a stag. Yanira is depicted as a beautiful woman, usually pregnant, clad in either a simple white garment or in a gown of leaves. Her symbols are the mother rune (a stick-figure of a pregnant woman), the tree and the egg.

Druids have four major festivals: Imbolc (winter solstice, Canthor's holiest day), Beltane (vernal equinox), Lammas (summer solstice, Yanira's holiest day) and Samhain (autumnal equinox). These four holy days celebrate the cycles of the seasons, birth, life and death. By properly observing these rites (and lesser rituals throughout the year), worshipers hope to insure health and prosperity for their community. Druidic holy places are always natural settings rather than artificial buildings. The most sacred of these sites will have massive standing stones arranged in patterns used to track the seasons and to focus the magic of important rituals.

In cultures which have druids, both the Horned God and White Goddess are always worshiped together. The cult in a given region may include druids who favor one nature god over the other (specializing in either animal or plant lore) as well as those who study both paths. Due to their ties to nature, druids flourish in wilderness areas, including all parts of Feria.

Druid Characters

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