Druids
The Culture of Druidism
For the Druid Order see Casters
At the core of Druidic life and Casting is the manipulation of the Creepers, the malleable and fast growing flora present throughout the Continent. The Slenders have long insisted it was one of their number who first granted them this knowledge; more likely it was stumbled upon by a proto-Druidic forerunner, and exploited in escalating amounts as they developed. As few Druids remain who are aware of the correlation between Anima, Creepers and flora, it is no longer an active dispute.
The Druids perform a Rite which allows them telepathic control of the vine-like Creepers. Mastery takes years of mental discipline, until reaching out and tapping into the wavelength the vines communicate by is possible. The Creepers possess a semi-sentient hivemind, requiring Druids first learn their language, then gain their trust, followed by convincing them of one's intentions.
Depending on the Caster, and the amount of Creepers in the vicinity, the trained Druid can use them in highly imaginative ways. The simplest Casts include tangling a target, forming the vines into objects - such as utensils, furniture or weapons - and producing edibles. The Elder Druids historically cultivated stronger Anima, and are able to form the green mass into Golems, or more subtle, realistic and alluring doppelgangers, granted with limited Creeper sentience.
One is not considered even a Sprout (a dabbler in the Order) until they can coerce the vines to produce moisture, yield fruit, or cultivate moulds and growths for remedies. Some Druids choose to specialize in accelerated growth, and send the vines forth to replenish areas with virulent forestation. This is seen as a nobler calling for their craft, and is technically closer to the Deumana's purpose for creating them; the Creepers' raison d'etre. All Druids, Casters or not, wear garments Cast-woven into cloth, and due to constant cultural exposure even the feeblest Druid has more connection to Anima than typical Folk. Being incredibly malleable, Creepers can be willed to symbiotically accelerate another plant's growth, channel water, and do not necessarily require soil to do so. See Air plants.
The Druids have seen their cycle of prominence come and go, and are a waning people. Their numbers dwindle, their idealistic outlook forgotten, their culture wallows in the mire of stunted rituals and secret lore that serve little purpose. In her former Druid years Granny Moss recognised this, and attempted to incite her kin to overthrow the Elders, break with tradition and rediscover their potential. While some of the younger and brighter members of the community took notice, complacency won out, and she was eventually banished.
Moss is one of the few Casters left on Lume adept at combining Creepers with Elementalism, which she uses to full advantage during the Dead War. The contribution of fields of flaming whip-vines, carpets of electrified, writhing tendrils, and verduous, boulder-throwing titans, make her a force to be reckoned with.
