Dryads

You don't have to play a human if you don't want to! Well - certain limitations notwithstanding, of course. All details related to canonical species or highly specific ethnic groups are to be found here.
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IamLEAM1983
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Dryads

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- dryads aren't exactly animates. Their physical material is technically alive (plant life) and their seed is an elemental spirit
- they've always been around, all around Nature. Usually very small, however. Very weak. Sidhe took dragon expertise and took it in new direction
- involves giving an initially almost nonexistent spiritual force a lot of power and capability in one go. Can be dangerous if not attempted by professionals
- normally, golems grow into sentience naturally. Dryads and naiads have to be *made* sentient. Very, very risky gamble in terms of via use. Could always backfire and result in Chlorofiends, to quote Dresden Files...

- once made, though, dryads are immediately capable and can immediately be tasked. Sentience is immediate, purpose is to be determined by the creator and summoner...
- ...personality is something else. Unless dryad is very sheltered, it will develop naturally as with any other man or woman
- on the other hand, once a dryad has been created using a form of plant life and a specific spirit, any offshoots of that first dryad can become potential replacements
- this means a destroyed dryad can be reasonably replaced. If it isn't, the seeds are just going to stay dormant, wanting for an occasion to be planted.
- you can also "reset" a dryad's offshoots so the end result consists of unique individuals. See the Centennial Tree being an offshoot of Yggdrasil

- dryad is actually a bipartite organism. Main part is the "host" plant or patch of plant life, next comes the sentient, usually bipedal entity itself
- host plant stores tremendous amounts of arcane energy over time. Goes double if the dryad is planted over a Nexus. Will usually be a little to a lot bigger than a corresponding plant of the same genus
- bipedal part is usually mobile, but its power is tethered to its plant. The bigger the plant, the wider the dryad's range of movement and control
- Sophia controls whole of Cent. Park's plant life (about Central Park), parts of Bucktown (administrative and financial sector), parts of Southgate (residential area south of park. Condos, apartments)
- protects all of Hope, however, so she's free to move about the city

- dryads are usually created by Sidhe of both clans to protect areas they've claimed. Most seem to be of Summer, but Winter dryads also exist. More thorny, potentially poisonous, more eerie than Summer types

- naiads are the exact same thing, but tied to a narrower band of plant life: pond or shoreline organisms. Algae, lily pads, lotus flowers, etc. A little less powerful than their land-dwelling counterparts.

- being Earth spirits, most will use their host plant's roots to ensnare foes, or can stimulate growth in their radius to insane levels. This could be used to break roads apart, constrict someone, tear through weak walls and masonry, etc.
- all are very protective, but rarely excessive. Tend to take their duties seriously, but old dryads used to the ebb and flow of their surrounding mortal community will be generally congenial.
- relation with tech can start out very alien, very contemptuous. Dryads are more or less pushed by Fae, who themselves aren't the biggest of all technological apologists or supporters
- time can also shift perspectives, as with anyone else. There aren't, any reasons for Sophia to be uncomfortable with pay phones, modern medicine, televisions, etc. Not in 2025.
- especially not when modern research is as environmentally conscious as possible. Definitely not the same thing as back in the 50s to 80s.

- dryads have the same needs as plants, though. Sunlight for photosynthesis, water, fertile soil. Can absorb food for appearances' sake, but they digest very, very slowly
- most dryads are picky and very occasional drinkers. Healthy hydration habits, though. Can either dig their feet in the ground to collect water, or drink through glass

- they don't quite age like normal plants or like mortals
- they emerge fully mature, physically. Will usually appear young according to human or anthro standards, nubile, physically capable
- only changing aspect is color and texture of skin and hair. Goes from deep olive greens of sprouts to pale beiges. Hair usually feels like extraordinarily fine vines - like plants emulating human hair
- "age" is affected progressively, as a dryad is killed and planted anew. Its spirit and experience passes on to next body, so may result in more of a world-weary appearance. Darker, craggy bark for skin, crooked appearance, etc.
- changes are fairly slow and can require a dozen "generations"

- ex: Old Jack. Systemic cycle of seasonal creation and sacrifice *made* him old over time. Inside and out. Sophia arrived after Jack and couldn't do much to help him or to change the locals' minds
- she supported him over the centuries, but couldn't really stop him from turning bitter. Her friendship prevented him from turning into a total sourpuss, though.

- his spawning plant is a pumpkin patch located north of the city, closer to Pickman Sound
- was attached to one of the smaller settlements that unified to become Hope over time, Absalom.
- farmed for the locals year-round, was killed on every All Hallows' Eve.
- is understandably bitter about it and is pretty protective now that he has a plot of land that's entirely his own...

- dryads are planted over Nexuses to protect them from outside tampering. Usually from Mab, Morgana or Others.
- covered Nexuses are tapped by the dryad's tree, so this reduces amounts of free energy by a bit. Is an esoteric practice, but makes things safer for most practitioners
- like sticking a pressure nozzle on top of a steam vent. Controls the flow partially
- on the other hand, this turns dryad into an arcane light socket. Any sort of contact carrying a deeper meaning on an arcane level is discouraged
- includes Karthian mental hierarchies, invasive telepathic procedures, body or mind-swap attempts, forced lucid dreaming - or sex
- it's considered smart to let dryads choose who gets to "plug" into them by whatever means on their own. They live and learn to control the arcane energies passing through them, to make close contacts safe for others

- Sophia's been part of Hope since Dutch settlement was claimed by British in the late 1700s. Late 1880s problems with Zeb Buck and Evangeline left her nearly dead after possessed lich assaulted Nexus.
- Archie called for help and had spinal segments normally used for clanks filed bare of all glyphs and had new ones inscribed to force her body to accept them
- as such, Sophia's a little special. She controls all the plants in the park, but has also access to phone booths and call boxes, and can control lighting and other electric fixtures in park
- sort of a full dryad, with a few Genius Loci elements.
- in 2025, this means she essentially can put the whole park on lockdown with a thought if the Tree, herself or the park's users are in danger.

- Archie and Bucky are some of the instigators of Sophia's fairly easy acceptance of tech as a positive force - if used responsibly
- space under tree roots used to be barren, but 1800s saw construction of a sort of man-sized "hobbit hole" underneath them. As of 2023, Sophia has a fully furnished "green" condo under the tree's roots
- solar panels for her flat are on top of the park's gates, her water supply comes from collected rainwater, warmth or cool comes from Tree itself

- still, dryads can be forcibly aligned to just about any group or species with the power to claim ley lines or Nexuses en masse
- Greg Rendell, Rasputin and others came close to forcing Sophia to work for them. Involves largely replacing the dryad as via recipient, even if control can't be claimed
- informs Doherty's pragmatic attitude towards her. He doesn't hate her, he'll treat her with respect like any other citizen - but if she's ever forced to serve something other than the common citizens, he'll have her tree cut down

- dryads have no real society, no real structure. They tend to be feral, or inversely, to integrate themselves into the closest settlement
- partial exception with Eurydice: first ever dryad the Sidhe created. Wasn't tried to any one tree, but oversaw plant growth across Greece
- Eurydice isn't part of Sidhe hierarchy per se, but is still regarded with high esteem. Her trace was lost in the 2011 Athens riots
- is suspected that she may have gone rogue, and may be operating as head of an eco-terrorist group opposing research, human augmentation or armature use. Involvement with Others is suspected...
-...although she, herself, may not be aware of it
- was known to be close-minded towards technological developments

Boggarts
- terms is unisex in Hopeverse, refers to dryads coming from a defective creation process, or seriously corrupted.
- will usually abandon all human or anthro traits, go full-on Ent or moss-covered gorilla. Usually very aggressive appearance
- their associated stretches of land will also be blighted
- sentience is gone for the most part, but dryads aligned with the Others can be fairly devious
- attacks anyone who comes close to their base tree, which is also corrupted
- these *must* be destroyed. Even other dryads would agree, as they're also endangered
- extremely rare, unless Others are concerned. Indicates a monumental fuckup on a Sidhe's part, otherwise
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