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01/02/01 10:34:57 AM D&D, Dungeons and Dragons, Greyhawk, and the D&D and Greyhawk logos are full copyrighted property of Wizards Of The Coast, Inc. ©2000. The information on the Greyhawk pages is also copyrighted ©2000-3 property of Wizards Of The Coast, Inc. This website is in no way a challenge to those property rights. All information on this site that is not property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc., is copyrighted property of Dale R. Thurber., ©2000-3. You are adventurer # |
Oerth's natural fertility has
inspired the devotion of its people. The cult of the Oerth Mother (Beory) once
dominated the entire Flanaess, and the traditions of her worship persist in many
lands. The present hierarchy of the old Faith is built upon the ancient religion
of the druids, though deities in addition to Beory are worshiped. Of course,
other nature religions exist outside the old Faith, even different branches of
the druidic heritage, but few of these are in the Flanaess. The druids of the
inner circles of the Old Faith gain far more prestige and respect than these
other groups. Mistletoe, oak leaves, and holly leaves are their common emblems.
Druids of the old Faith are completely neutral in philosophy and personal
alignment. They yield only to the world-spanning authority of the legendary
Grand Druid. The practices of the Old Faith are
generally in accord with those of other nature priesthoods. The druids do not
engage in the sacrifice of sentient creatures, yet there is a dark legacy within
the Old Faith. The druids of antiquity allied themselves with the sorcerous
Ur-Flan, who once held whole tribes in bondage to their evil. The unspeakable
rituals performed by the Ur-Flan went unchallenged by the druidic hierarchy of
that era, so long as the former were not so prevalent in any region as to
threaten the balance of nature. Eventually, the Ur-Flan sorcerers waned in power
and vanished. Some of their magical secrets are still preserved by the old
Faith. The old Faith is still widely
practiced in the Flanaess, and not only in those regions dominated by
descendants of the Elan peoples. The age-old sacred groves and monolithic
circles of the old Faith may include shrines dedicated to any nature deity the
resident druids permit, but most often they are unadorned. While Beory the Oerth
Mother is the best known deity associated with the Old Faith, any druid of
purely neutral alignment may matriculate through the Nine Circles of Initiation,
regardless of which nature god that druid venerates. The most junior druids must first serve as Ovates, simple administrators and readers of auguries who govern only the aspirants who seek admission to the hierarchy. Above the ovates and the initiates are those who may claim the title of Druid. They, together with the three Archdruids and the Great Druid, provide tutelage to their underlings (there are nine Great Druids in the Flanaess, one representing each of the geographic divisions outlined in Chapter one). Legends also speak of a Grand Druid and a cabal of ascended mystics called the Hierophants, but complete knowledge of these masters is hidden from those outside the hierarchy. A Word about the Old Lore The Colleges of the Old Lore are an order of bards appended to the druidic society of the old Faith. Very few of these archetypal bards are left, as their traditions are primarily those of the ancient Elan. Bards of the old Lore are distinguished from today's common bards and minstrels by their noble origins, their tradition of scholarship, and their use of druidic magic. The prospective Old Lore bard must be of human descent and noble birth, although half-elves are permitted as well. Tradition demands that each candidate have proven skill in warmaking and stealth, in addition to surpassing grace, in order to receive druidic training. The Old Lore legacy also includes a small number of magical, stringed instruments crafted specifically for each of the seven colleges of the Old Lore. Recovery of any such instrument is of prime concern to the remaining members of these colleges, and the true enchantments worked by the ancient craftsmen come alive only at the touch of a bard of the Old Lore. |
