[Brainstorming] Druidism - Developing Caiyha's Gnosis

[Cayenne]

I have to say, I'm really glad to see this thread. ^_^

I don't mind either way about the name.

As far as I'm concerned, Caiyha is all about nature... from the roots of the plants to the leaves in the canopy, from the smallest insect to the largest whales. It's not about outright control. It's about asking something to work with you, it's about give and take. Nature is alive and free and wild, always and constantly developing and growing. I can see communing with the flora and fauna - asking them for favours, and returning those favours in kind. Be it as simple as asking a tree to drop an apple for you, and finding some way to return that favour. Maybe it's been dry recently, and the tree is thirsty, and has no access to or is too small to compete for it, compared to its fellows nearby. Or maybe the druid wants to check out something... and asks a cat for assistance, either to lend its senses (maybe skin-riding, if druidism goes in that direction, and by skin-riding, I mean no control, just going along for the ride and asking them to go a certain way), or to have a look for you... in exchange, for, say, a fish.

But the key to that, maybe, is that they are alive.

A wooden bowl or chair... that's already been cut. It has no more roots connecting it to life. I have a hard time imagining a druid being able to influence the size or shape of a wooden bowl any more than they would be able to influence or control an animal's corpse.

A druid should be one with nature. As Jen said... they should be able to walk into a habitat, and know what's normal and what isn't, or if something is wrong, and at higher levels, be able to find out what's making it so wrong... even if it's from the eyes of a living thing in that area. Maybe someone poisoned a pond because people thought that it would chase away the local wolf pack - but that affects everything in that ecosystem.

Just my two cents, though.

[Rhylen]

I’ve thought of a few name ideas. I suppose they could also be used as nicknames for other races/cultures.

Earthwarden (Taken from Runelords -> which I lurved)
Lifewarden (Adapted)
Woodsage
Tree Talker
Animist

Thoughts?

[Terminus Norin]

Actually I can see all that as being part of a druid's nature. As for the warping of organic materials..I see it as saidi...a druid would never *make* life do what they want..they would ask and trade with it. However they would still have an influence over that which was part of nature..even if it is no lonegr connected to the chain of life, they could fashion things by will out of things once connected.

As to recombining, again going with the idea of trade...they might see the combining as more of helping nature by combining the best of two or more items...its like cross pollinating plants except on a larger scale. They would do this for a favor for themselves of just to keep the cycle of life going.

Its all good though...Ilike the idea of being able to ask nature for things..an cooperate by understanding nature so each level would convey a deeper connection and understanding of nature

[Alice]

About biochemistry - I'm really no expert, I just remember what we've spoken about in recent chemistry lessons (particularly atom models, non-ionic/ionic bonds etc., just the basics).

Of course it's difficult to make the distinction between knowledge that something is wrong and manipulation to make it right or make it work better. Perhaps druids could make conditions for photosynthesis better, provide water, carbon dioxide and/or sunlight in a very limited way. Apart from that, I imagined this ability as some kind of sixth sense: instinctively knowing how plants work, what they need without having heard about herbalism before. Perhaps it could be described as sending one's senses into the plant and feeling their structure in an understandable and natural way.

Do you know what I mean?