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  Druids of the Old Faith
   
  Power Groups
   
  by Eric Menge
   
  The sun rises and the sun sets, the two moons dance across the heavens, and the seasons pass. Since the
  earliest days, the druids of the Old Faith have watched the Eternal Circle of Nature. They know the ways of
  nature and the mysteries of Oerth, but they are not its master. Instead, they are servants of nature and tend to
  the needs of the land and its creatures. Only the foolish would underestimate their power for they have mastered
  the secrets of the world itself.
  Gods of the Old Faith
  At the core of the Old Faith is Beory the Oerth Mother. She is the wellspring of all life and some druids consider
  her the manifestation of Oerth itself. Additionally, the Old Faith believes that each season has a deity who acts as
  steward for that portion of the year. The identities of these gods vary, depending upon the faithful. Like nature,
  the Old Faith is very adaptable.
  Among the Flannae, Ehlonna is the Spring Maid, Obad-Hai is the Lord of Summer, Berei or Beory is the Lady of
  Autumn, and Nerull is the Winter King. At the center of the yearly cycle is the sun, symbolized by Pelor, who
  ensures the change of the seasons. When the Old Faith spread among the Oeridians, Procan birthed five
  children to assume these roles – Atroa (spring), Sotillion (summer), Wenta (autumn), and Telchur (winter) – while
  Velnius, lord of the sky, fills the same role as Pelor. Though the Old Faith has only a small following among the
  Suel, Bralm (spring), Llerg (summer), Phyton (autumn), and Vatun (winter) are the stewards of seasons among
  communities with significant Suloise presence, while Lendor keeps the cycle. Other nature gods have devotees
  among the Old Faith, as long as the druid remains of purely neutral alignment.
  Beliefs of the Old Faith
  The Old Faith of the Flanaeess is not about the temporal power of a church but about truths present in nature.
  The druids seek to understand these truths, internalize them, and preserve them. Four truths permeate the
  philosophy and teachings of the Old Faith.
  The Eternal Circle: The central belief of the Old Faith is that of the Eternal Circle. Spring blooms into summer,
  which fades to autumn and then descends into winter before winter gives rise to spring. The moon waxes,
  wanes, and waxes again. Life gives way to death, which leads to rebirth. The root of all druidic philosophy is
  grounded in the belief that the Eternal Circle continues without end, and all that is will pass away before being
  reborn.
  All Things in Balance: For the Eternal Circle to turn, all things must exist in Balance. There is a place for
  everything natural somewhere in the world. Death exists because it must, and winter comes because it is part of
  the cycle. Nature is wild and dangerous, and the predator is just as much a part of the world as the prey. Old
  Faith druids constantly strive to maintain the Balance of nature through their actions and in their thoughts.
  Symbolism through Nature: The druids of the Old Faith hold great store in symbolism and respect oracles,
  auguries, and omens. Animals and plants both represent philosophical truths, and druidic auguries are centered
  on observing natural phenomena – such as what kind of birds fly overhead or the pattern formed by dropping a
  stone into a still pond – and interpreting the meaning rather than asking a god’s servants directly. Druids often
  keep oracular animals to assist with the divinations. The elemental weirds (described below) are greatly revered,
  and many druids seek their advice.
  The Power of Four: The number four has powerful significance in the Old Faith traditions. There are four
  seasons in the year. The family has four roles – mother, father, daughter, and son. There are four great celestial
  bodies – Oerth, the Sun, Luna, and Celene. The four elements – fire, water, earth, and air – are the foundation of
  nature.
  Legends of the Old Faith
  The Old Faith druids first arose among the Flannae of Oerth, a human tribe with a proud tradition of storytelling.
  Below are two of the most prominent myths of the Old Faith.
  The First Dance of Beory: Long ago, Oerth was naught but lifeless stones and dust. Beory arose from the
  essence of Oerth itself, looked over the windswept, broken land, and saw promise. Hope and the desire to give
  of herself filled her, and she danced across the barren land. As she danced, she cut her foot on the sharp rocks
  of the young world, and her blood sprinkled the ground where she stepped. Far above, Pelor turned his eye to
  the dancing goddess, and he fell in love as he watched her dance. Beory’s blood mingled with the soil and
  Pelor’s light shone from the heavens. Living things grew in the wake of Beory's dance, and the world blossomed
  for the first time.
  
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  Obad-Hai and the Summer Tree: Each spring, Obad-Hai is born and grows into an eager and daring boy. At the
  threshold of summer, Ehlonna comes to him and guides him to manhood. In the summer, Obad-Hai becomes the
  Stag King and leads the Wild Hunt. His strength withers in the autumn until he is the Shalm. At the last breath of
  the year, Nerull comes and slays him with a single stroke and hangs the corpse from the Summer Tree for seven
  days, at the end of which Pelor cuts him down and buries him so that he is in the embrace of his mother, Beory.
  Ehlonna comes to the grave and waters it with her tears. From that grave sprouts a sapling that gives forth a
  single fruit. The fruit ripens, falls to the ground, and splits open to reveal the boy – Obad-Hai – beginning the
  circle anew.
  Friends of the Old Faith
  The Old Faith does not exist in isolation. As an ancient religion, the Old Faith has made numerous allies over the
  centuries. The tenet of All Things in Balance allows the druids to accept the widely varying customs and faiths of
  people across the Flanaess. However, a few friends bear special mentioning.
  Elves: The cordial relations between the elves and the Old Faith stretch over millennia. When the elves first
  encountered humans, they interacted with the Flan tribes who were devout followers of the Old Faith. The elves
  were impressed by the level of understanding and reverence of nature possessed by the druids and that
  friendship continues to this day. The wood elves and the snow elves are the friendliest toward the druids, while
  the grey elves are the most reserved. The valley elves are the exception to the rule, but their antipathy is a
  recent development that began with the arrival of the Mage of the Valley. While the drow worship a demon, they
  do revere spiders, and the neutral live-and-let-live stance of the Old Faith makes interaction between dark elf and
  druid a complex one.
  Fey: The Old Faith druids have long had relations with the fey. Because of the druids' strong connection to the
  land and nature, they seemingly understand the capricious fey and can treat with them without dire peril. The fey,
  in turn, respect the druids and deal with them in preference to other mortals. However, a faerie’s definition of
  respect and dire peril are often far different from a mortal’s. Some groves sacred to the Old Faith have a dryad’s
  tree among their number or a pool that lairs a nymph. Satyrs and sprites roam and do not settle in one place for
  very long but often visit with the druids to share tales or receive advice.
  Old Lore Bards: The Old Lore is a select order of bards affiliated with the Old Faith. Originally chosen from
  among the Flan nobility, today’s bards must be human or half-elven and of noble descent. The bards have a long
  tradition of scholarship and are organized into seven colleges, which are scattered throughout the Flanaess. The
  druids entrust the Old Lore bards with many of their secrets. In return, the bards serve the often anti-social druids
  as messengers and ambassadors.
  Rangers of the Gnarley: Numbering roughly 200, the Rangers of the Gnarley are an independent faction who
  strives to bring the good folk of the forest together and keep the forest independent of outside influences, such
  as Greyhawk, Dyvers, and Celene. The strict neutrality of the Old Faith keeps them from becoming fast allies of
  the good-aligned Rangers, but the Ranger Knights often seek out the druids for counsel and the druids rely on
  the Rangers to eliminate threats to the Balance.
  Foes of the Old Faith
  The druids of the Old Faith have gained their fair share of enemies as well as allies over the years. The clerics of
  St. Cuthbert are often rivals with the Old Faith for the devotion of the common folk but this competition is mostly
  a peaceful one. The druid’s conflict with the followers of Pholtus is not heated enough to rise to the level of a foe,
  but there is little love lost between them.
  Aerdi and the Great Kingdom: When the Aerdi, the largest of the migrating Oeridian tribes, arrived in the
  eastern Flanaess, they encountered decadent Flan tribes who had forsaken the Old Faith and had embraced the
  worship of Ahmon-Ibor the Sibilant Beast (who would later be known as Demogorgon the Prince of Demons.) Not
  every tribe was in the thrall of demons, but the Aerdi made no distinction in their destruction between the Old
  Faith and demonic cults. By the time of the establishment of the Great Kingdom, the Oeridians had completed
  the obliteration of the Flannae culture. The Old Faith druids retreated to the depths of the great forests, as their
  circles were systematically destroyed, but prophesized that this was but a winter and they would outlast any
  nation that the Oeridians could devise. With the fall of the Great Kingdom, their words came true, and the druids
  have begun to emerge from their forests.
  Elder Elementalism and Tharizdun: In the past, the Old Faith did not consider the cults of Elder Elementalism
  a danger. Even at the height of the Temple of Elemental Evil, the Old Faith only had one druid, Jaroo Ashstaff, in
  Hommlet to watch the cult. However, the Old Faith’s attitude changed when the druids learned that the Elder
  Elementalism was a plot by the followers of the Tharizdun. The Old Faith considers the Unmaker the greatest of
  all threats because he plots to completely destroy the Eternal Circle. The druids aggressively seek to undo any
  attempts by the followers of Tharizdun to unleash their dread deity.
  The Far Realms: Beyond the fabric of reality are the Far Realms. This horrific place is the home of aberrations
  that are not part of the natural order of Oerth. Normally, the Old Faith would not concern itself with the matters of
  another plane, but sometimes the barriers between planes wear thin and things seep across the boundaries. The
  
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  gruesome might of the incomprehensible beings from the Far Realms warp nature in disturbing and impossible
  ways by their very presence. This perversion to nature is anathema to the druids of the Old Faith, who constantly
  attempt to destroy the intruders and seal the breaches between the worlds.
  Vecna and the Ur-Flan: The Ur-Flan were a mysterious group among the Flannae about whom little is known for
  sure. It is known that several of their number, Vecna and Keraptis among them, made themselves overlords of
  pre-cataclysm empires and these Ur-Flan empires were quite evil. The druids did not concern themselves with
  the Ur-Flan as long as they were not a threat to the Balance or the Eternal Cycle. This passive acceptance
  allowed Vecna and others like him to flourish, and some held whole tribes in bondage to their evil. When Vecna
  betrayed the druids and twisted their power over nature into a source of undeath, they were completely
  unprepared. Some druids fled, many died, and the few who remained served the Whispered One. A number of
  scholars believe that the druids who served Vecna rescued many of the Ur-Flan secrets and the Old Faith
  preserves that knowledge to this day.
  Places of Power
  Worship of the Old Faith always takes place outdoors. Instead of temples, the druids and their followers gather at
  places of natural significance. The druids often accentuate the power of these sites through additions of stones
  or carefully chosen trees.
  Elemental Weirds: The druids believe that elemental weirds are either manifestations of Beory's will in Oerth or
  reflections of her consciousness. Either way, these cryptic beings are powerful diviners that dwell in remote and
  hidden locations. The air weirds specialize in exploration and can be found on windy plains or mountaintops. The
  earth weirds speak of death and fate and live in soft earthen pools of mud or clay. The fire weirds keep ancient
  lore and give guidance to the suffering and ignorant, and their essences are bound to pools of fire or lava. The
  water weirds speak words of healing and hope and dwell only in the clearest springs.
  Megalithic Circles: The great megalithic circles are the heart of the Old Faith. The druids erect standing stones
  on prominent hilltops or other places of natural power. The massive stones are either solitary (a menhir),
  arranged to form a doorway (a trilithon), or a covered room (a dolmen). The stones commonly are arranged in
  circles, but the exact arrangement varies widely.
  Sacred Groves: The sacred groves act as centers of worship for the Old Faith. They are the lesser of the two
  worship sites and are much more common than megalithic circles. Oak groves are the most prevalent, but other
  trees are used, such as the massive deklo or the fruit-bearing usk. The choice of trees in a grove is crucial as
  every tree has symbolism to the Old Faith.
  Ways of the World: The Ways of the World are a secret means of travel for the Old Faith druids of the Flanaess.
  They access a portion of the Ethereal Plane, which allows the druids to cover long distances on Oerth by walking
  a short distance in the Ethereal. The Ways open to Oerth between the stones of a trilithon at a megalithic circle
  and are guarded by a fey spirit bound to that gateway. Every gateway has a different guardian with a different
  personality, and the druids must bargain with the fey for passage into the Ways. Common prices are a bit of
  gossip, a song, or a flower, but sometimes the fey demands a difficult or valuable gift for passage.
  The appearance of the Ways changes drastically depending on the season and the whim of the natural world.
  Sometimes it resembles islands of stone in a thick sea of mist connected by narrow stone bridges. Other times, it
  is twisting network of caverns or raised causeways through endless mire. The one constant are the menhirs
  located at any crossroads in the Ways. Markings written in the Druidic language cover these stones to guide the
  druids through the Ways.
  The Ways of the World are not without danger. Centuries ago, vargouilles crept into them and flourished. The
  druids consider them an unnatural parasite and try to eradicate them at every opportunity, but they have met with
  little success. Because there is no sunlight in the Ways, once a victim is bitten, the corruption into one of these
  aberrations continues unabated. The druids often take an Old Lore bard with them to counter the vargouilles’
  scream, but travel through the Ways is extremely hazardous.
  Hierarchy of the Old Faith
  Druids enter the Old Faith as Ovates, where they assist more senior druids much as acolytes assist priests.
  Above the Ovates are the Nine Circles of Initiation. When druids first become Initiates, many take an appellation
  based upon an aspect of nature that speaks to them (for example, “Dorendel the Hawthorne” or “Jolene the
  Hare”) and symbolizes their dedication to the neutral path of the Old Faith. Above the Ovates and the Initiates
  are those with the title of Druid, who hold responsibility for a grove or a megalithic circle. The Druids must answer
  to the nine Great Druids who each oversee one of the nine geographical regions of Oerth. Because of the vast
  distances involved, each Great Druid is assisted by three Archdruids. The near-legendary Grand Druid stands at
  the ultimate head of the Old Faith.
  Druids arise from the rank of Ovate through the Nine Circles of Initiation by means of a series of trials and
  ceremonies that test their wisdom and understanding of druidic lore. The ranks of Archdruid, Great Druid, and
  Grand Druid are determined by challenge. Challenges must be made and resolved on the equinoxes and the
  
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  solstices, and a druid may only challenge the rank directly above her current one. The challenge is determined
  by the incumbent but must involve some sort of contest between incumbent and the challenger. Common
  challenges include riddles, races, wrestling while in wildshape, or chess-style games, but any form of challenge
  is possible as long as both contestants face the same danger. If successful, the challenger ascends in rank and
  cannot be challenged that season while the incumbent is reduced to the challenger’s rank. If a druid dies while
  holding a rank determined by challenge, the druid of the next higher rank sets the challenge and all claimants
  must compete with each other. If this happens to the Grand Druid, Beory sets the challenge, providing details of
  this through divinations and visions.
  The Great Druid for the region that encompasses the Dominion of Greyhawk is Hildefer Paravis (Paravis being
  Ancient Suloise for “the Feathered”) (N female human druid 15). She makes her home in the Gnarley Forest,
  where she is on excellent terms with the rangers, swanmays, and fey. She is known to use her thousand faces
  ability to take a variety of guises. Her favorite is a half-elven bard who travels throughout the lands on the border
  of the Gnarley, carrying news while collecting tales to preserve the oral history of the region. Until this year
  Hildefer held the rank of Archdruid, but she won the challenge against the former Great Druid at the summer
  solstice, when she collected more fireflies (1,526 to be exact) in a single night.
  As her first act, Hildefer has reclaimed several megalithic circles in and around the Gnarley Forest. She has
  ordered the druids to cull back the bracken and restore the menhirs to their former glory. This activity has
  attracted a lot of attention among the fauna and fey of the Gnarley, who have been gathering at these points. The
  Greyhawk militia is watching these events carefully for fear that she make take a strong stand against their
  incursions into the ancient forest. So far, Hildefer has been content to reclaim the old places of power and to
  watch those who enter her forest.
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