This is a brief overview of the history and background of druids. It probably should have come before the first installment of my story, but I hope that it will help clear up a few things as the story goes on. You may find this kind of boring, but it's really necessary to fix some misconceptions that may be out there later. Just bear with me

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There were four races in the ancient world, three of which have all but died out now. There were the elves, the druids, the Merthandels and humans. All of these races except humans have extremely powerful magic. The elves and the druids are all but gone now; just a few with mixed blood remain. Of course, there were only a few hundred of the druids in the world at the peak of their existence.

It is often believed that all druids are the religiously trained magicians of medieval times, but originally (at least for the benefit of this story) druids were a race of their own, gifted with the powers of the elements. These "original druids" were feared as witches and killed in cold blood, requiring secrecy and concealment. There were also a select few with other powers, such as the "sight", which allowed you to see into the past or the murky future, and other, very specific powers that set them apart. The elements that the druids controlled were fire, water, earth, sky, and ether, the element of stars. In being tied t o these elements, druids are able to turn into associated creatures. No two druids are capable of turning into the exact same creature so there are no stereotypical animals to go along with the element.

The other druids that exist with special powers are no more or less dominant than the elemental druids. The first of these special powers is the lore. There are a few druids born with the knowledge of all the druids that came before them. The sight I've already explained, and the last unique power is the ability to change into any animal in order to aid his or her cause.

Now, I have to talk about the war that went on between these great races. Seven centuries ago a great war transpired between these nations. The elves and the druids fought against the Merthandel in the bloodiest war the world has ever seen. Humans finally saw fit to intervene and the elves and druids retreated to the forests in the east and the Merthandel moved to the Merthan mountains. All three races had to mate with humans to keep their races alive. There is a rumor, however that there may be a full druid alive today.

The Merthandel have not forgotten their grudge, even after all these years. There forces are gathering even now, and all those with even a hint of Merthandel blood are hearing the whispers calling them together to serve.