Giga

The Pine Druid wipes a tear from his eye as he looks at the tea cup, proceeding to fill it with his signature pine needle tea and raising a toast to his oldest nemesis, his greatest adversary and perhaps deep down, one of his oldest friends.

The Pine Druid simply rolls his eyes as news of yet another impending attack from an unnatural force reaches his ears. He looks to the newly-reborn phoenix chick that sits idly squawking at him from the nest on his desk. ”Aye Leyu, those buggers had better sod off before I shove a shroom so far up each and every one of their arses that they’ll be pukin’ spores for a millennia.”

Blimey, I'm on six years and even that seems too long.

The Pine Druid scratches his nose as he reads the document, his finger freezing mid-stroke as his eyes spot something in the second point. ”The Druidic Order is not a nation!” he proclaims angrily to literally nobody, although a couple of woodlice in his beard wiggle in agreement before the Elder Druid disappears back into the mirky depths of his swamp, grumbling all the while.

Corrections & Misconceptions A tome of thoughts and lessons by the Pine Druid Gi’Garun Dear reader, Herein lies many of the things that I feel should be engrained in the knowledge of all Druids and Dedicants; things I have learned during my time as a brother of this Druidic Order. I hope this reaches many of my fellow servants of the Aspects, so that we can learn from the past and not get lost in old grievances and misconceptions that may threaten to derail the Order and turn us away from our purpose. May the Aspects watch over you all. Blessed be. ~#~ Gi’Garun Ibar’ker – Pine Druid & Hierophant ~#~ Duties: Until we pass on to the Eternal Forest our duties are firstly to the balance. They are secondly to the Order that we Druids swore an oath to upon our first day as a Dedicant. Do not let anything get in the way of your chosen purpose. Respect: All Druids are equal in importance. That fundamental principle has been a part of the Druidic Order for as long as can be remembered. Once a Dedicant becomes a Druid, they are held to the same standards and level of importance as all other attuned Druids. Elder Druids have seen and done much in their time. They deserve the respect of the younger generations for their commitments to the balance and the order. Wisdom comes with age and experience. Do not take the wisdom of your elders for granted. They have seen more than you could ever know and while not always right, are to be shown respect as you too will be by the generations that succeed you. This does not mean that you cannot disagree with an Elder or a Hierophant, but if you do disagree with them, you must do so in a respectful and courteous manner, which they shall return in kind. Disrespect towards an Elder is unnecessary, and the wrath of an elder Druid has been known to come crashing down upon rudeness like an avalanche upon a spring morn. Attitude: A Druid should be stern but fair. Proud but humble. Strong but delicate. Aggressive but calm. Silly but serious. Learn to laugh as well as lecture, for a Druid forever walks the perilous line at the centre of the extremes. We are keepers of the balance, and we must make sure to find that balance within ourselves as well. Focus: A Druid must learn to focus on what nature needs, not what they themselves desire. When we committed to the path of the Druid we agreed to put the balance first, and our own desires come much later. Do not allow desires to cloud your judgement and your approach to Druidism. The Gifts: The Gifts are exactly as they are titled – gifts. Do not seek them before you are ready, and do not seek that which you do not yet possess. Gifts are not taken, they are given. This is something many Druids and Dedicants fail to realise and yet continue to seek that which they do not yet have. Control your lust and harness your humility. Family: The Druids are a family. Do not take your family for granted. Do not seek revenge on your kin and do not block them out. Too many good Druids and good friends have been lost by Druids who disagree with them forcing them away. Stand by your brothers and sisters as they stand by you, for together, we will roll over the earth like an ongoing storm, held in the palm of Cerridwen’s hand and strengthened by Cernunnos’ iron will as we drive all that threatens our precious balance out of existence and bring forth the serenity we swore to achieve on our first day as a child of the Aspects. The Past: The history of the Druids is long and full of great achievements. It is also full of great mistakes. Learn from these and use them to be better. Do not shame those who have made mistakes, help them up, dust them off, help them right the wrong and focus on their positive impacts over their negative ones. In my time I have seen many Druids shamed by those who didn’t know them, based on half-truths and ignorance. The Present: A wise man once said, “Yesterday was history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Do all that you can to make today as good as it can be. Do not wait until tomorrow to achieve what you can achieve today. Time is a strange thing, and if I’ve learnt anything from my nigh on seven centuries on this good earth, it is that we will never truly know what is around the corner. The Aspects have trusted us to carry out their will so carry out their will we shall, as efficiently and as effectively as we can. The Future: It can be easy to forget about what we will leave behind; what future generations of Druids will have to deal with in the wake of our absence. We are duty bound to ensure the ongoing safety and security of the Balance and the Order, so that those that come after us have the best chance of continuing that which our earliest ancestors started, equipped with the knowledge and wisdom of those that came before. Be sure to leave the world and the Order with fewer problems to solve than there were when you came into it.

The Pine Druid's expression is one of intrigue as he scans the parchment, though the last section brings a frown to his face. "So an Archdruid's personal approach to their path as a Druid requires even more ranks? Almost as though yet another circle is forming... More divisions... Less unity... What has become of our people... Goodness me... Aspects bless us in these troubling times..." He taps his staff against the ground a couple of times before disappearing amidst the trees, becoming one with the surroundings.

I think if they are not breaking server rules there is no reason to ban them, albeit at moderators discretion as it has been for a while. There is no way to police what happens on other servers and I think for the integrity of LoTC it should be based on what they've done or not done on this server rather than on other ones. Untrustworthyness is based on opinion so I do not think that is a viable reason for a ban. Just my two cents.

I like it. Could you add some clarification about tree lords? I've been told they follow the same rules regarding souls and whatnot, but would there be any difference with moving their soul across and stuff? Considering their souls are bound to a tree, their tether is the tree, not their body. Or is that not the case?

Hierophant Garun chuckles. "Threat level medium? I could probably have a cup of tea and a nice conversation with the fellow." he scoffs.