Created to be the guardians of nature, the Dryads are elusive and mysterious to most of the inhabitants of Raphtova. Intensely protective of the natural order, Dryads oppose anything that destroys or exploits the world they care about. A Dryad’s life-essence, known as their “seed”, is immortal. They clothe their seed with whatever form from nature they wish, such as a stag, a wolf, a raven, or one of the sentient races of Raphtova. Young Dryads change their form at will as they roam through Raphtova and learn about its plants and creatures. After they mature, at about 150 years, they begin the process of choosing one specific form which they will primarily inhabit and live among for the rest of their 400-year lifecycle. Dryads are not inherently male or female, but take either form as fits the need of the moment. They are unable to bear or father children, but it is not uncommon for a Dryad to adopt an orphaned creature and care for them for a while.

At the end of their life, Dryads plant their lifeseed, which grows into a new Dryad. Although this new Dryad bears the same lifeseed as countless other Dryads before them, they do not retain any of their memories or knowledge of their past lives. The knowledge they do retain is an instinctual understanding of their purpose as a Dryad and their ability to shapeshift.

Dryads can shift into the form of any living aspect of nature, as long as it can contain the Dryad’s seed, which is about the size of a grapefruit. The servants of the Deity (Tilaryn, Dragons, and Griffins) are not considered forms of nature and do not need the Dryads’ protection. 

A controversial subject among Dryads is whether the creations of the Fallen General are considered forms of nature. It does not come easily for a Dryad to shift into these forms (such as an orc, terasian, troll, crox, or night mare), but while some Dryads consider these abominations, others believe that they should be protected and cared for like the rest of nature.

Dryads do not often spend much time with other Dryads, tending to be solitary creatures or to live among the forms of nature they feel called to protect, but there are two places where larger numbers of Dryads gather together in informal “schools” where older Dryads teach younger “sprouts”. One such school is the School of Dryads found in the Forest City, the capital of the Forest Kingdom on Arvera. 

Famous Dryads

• Arl (Death on the Night Wind)
• Ember
• Fell Claw
• Swift Wing