In the World of Windstone, dryads are absolutely on the side of good.Â
In The Windstone Chronicles, Dryad - Shepherd of the Trees, is charged with attending to the needs of the plants, trees, and all things that grow. Every place she steps, new life abounds. Her song of hope rejuvenates what once was tired and weak. A Dryad’s Kiss can heal any ailment.
A dryad is a mythical creature typically depicted from Greek mythology, but they are also found in Celtic mythology. In the more modern sense, dryads are a race in TTRPG adventures such as Dungeons and Dragons, or our very own Windstone Chronicles. Â
A dryad is a female spirit or nymph who is connected to a particular tree or forest. Dryads are believed to live within the trees themselves, and they're often portrayed as beautiful and ethereal beings. They're guardians of the trees they're associated with and are deeply connected to nature.
In other depictions outside of Windstone, dryads are depicted as being tied to a single tree, something more akin to the tree’s spirit or the tree’s protector. In Greek mythology, if you harmed the tree then you harmed the dryad. Dryads attacked those that they believed were going to cut down their tree. Does that make them bad? I would argue not. However there may be a few dead townsfolk who wandered into the wrong part of the forest. So it is possible a party of adventures would be called in to handle the situation.
Our Dryad is a Guardian of the Copperbind. Great Oak imbued seven creatures as Guardians, each given great power and a duty to protect the forest. For ages the Copperbind has been protected. Each guardian wields its power to keep the trails hidden or open, to seal boundaries breached by evil, and to watch over the life of the forest, both plant and animal alike.Â
Want to Run a Simple Dryad in Your Next Narrative Adventure?
Walking through the forest and you and your friends come across a tree that looks like no other around it. This tree casts shadows like nothing you’ve ever seen. There is a feeling in the air, and you can see that this tree is old, older than it should be. It should have withered years ago, but somehow, here it stands before you. A voice rings out sending a chill down your spine. It is quite obviously a female voice, but something is off, and her voice resonates in an earthly tone.Â
Now you can have your dryad test the party to see if their intentions are true, or she can be slightly mad due to the tree that stands before you. Perhaps the tree has a curse upon it and that curse is affecting the dryad. Will the party destroy the tree? In the process will they also destroy the dryad?
Go Deeper and Tell a Creative and Engaging Dryad StoryÂ
Pick up our spring narrative adventure - A Dryad’s Fate. Melissa and I poured a lot of love into this one, and I know we say this about all of our monthlies- but this one is definitely our favorite!Â
It’s free for the month of April for all Windstone Fans!
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