Here's my thought on the druidic head on the IoD. I developed the basic information to best suit my own needs. I don't go far into stats details, as they belong to an experimental system. About the rest I wait for comments.
HOW THE ARCHDRUID HAS BECOME KNOWN
When my PCs arrived to the Isle of Dawn, they made a stop at Kendach. It was
late AC 998. Countess Julia Kendasius claimed as hers the Kendach Escarpment, in
the name of Thincol I of Thyatis. She was trying to expand her dominion rights
through the occupation of the area. Her project included the building of a chain
of fortified towers all around the border of the plateau, in order to protect
"her" lands from the Alphatians beyond.
The first tower, the nearest to town, was already under construction. Half the
perimeter of the escarpment border had been explored and "cleaned".
The internal part of the plateau was checked only 40 km from the first tower.
Countess Kendasius, as the majority of the human population of the IoD, knew
nothing about those highlands. So she had to send explorers to map the area and
reporting its features. Most explorers were from the County Army, other were
hired for that job. Among the latter were the PCs.
Their task was to go straight toward the centre of the plateau, reported to be
the most dangerous and mysterious.
They went, and met the most important person they ever knew: Kalmyshiye,
Archdruid of the Isle of Dawn.
KENDACH ESCARPMENT BETWEEN "TURRIS PRIMA" (FIRST TOWER) AND THE
"HERMITAGE"
The first tower rises aside a small river falling from the plateau border onto
sheer cliffs. This river apparently comes from the centre of the escarpment. The
exploration starts from the tower and directs upriver through a plain grassland.
After about 40 km, the clear waters become darker, the ground becomes muddy and
swampy: this is the "Palus Kendasia", or the "Kendach Fen".
The river separates in a labyrinthine net of rivulets, which sometimes fade into
uniform mud. The air becomes fetid and a thick mist contributes to disorient.
The vegetation includes twisted bushes and gigantic fungus. The fauna includes
many species of lowlife, insects and arachnids, and many reptilians.
Particularly dangerous are numerous killer bees (with grey and yellow stripes),
mosquitos swarms, giant leeches and urticant scarabs. Other dangerous creatures
are stirges, troglodytes and hungry black alligators. The only intelligent
presence inhabiting the "Palus" is a population of "swamp nymphs"
(in my campaign I prefer to call nymphs what Expert rules call nixies). They had
a problem with a mummy (a Nithian remnant), but were saved by my PCs. They are
friendly to elves and know the archdruid and his attendants.
Many stretches of the limit of the swamp are enveloped by black widow webs,
leaving reduced ways to safely pass.
Beyond the swamp the mist dissipates and the rivulets merge again in a small
river, crossing as plain a grassland as the one previously seen. This plain is
inhabited by sprites and "dawn panthers" (light yellow fur with small
grey and brown spots). In the distance you can see a dark line, a sort of wood.
Some 10 km from the swamp, you meet the "Wood Ring". It is a wood
shaped roughly circular, about 20 km diameter. Few dangers inside it: some
vipers and little more.
Closed by the Ring is a vast glade, placid and idyllic, crossed by the river,
now somewhat smaller. At the centre of the inner glade, some km from the inner
border of the Wood Ring, another small wood is visible, a thin line of smoke
rising from its core.
Inside the inner wood lives Oluindomul, a gentle treant. It is even younger than
Kalmyshiye and strongly tied with him. In fact, once when he was in Norwold,
Kalmyshiye saved young Oluindomul from an arson caused by an enraged red dragon,
whose breath destroyed the native wood of the treant.
At the centre of the wood, the rivulet comes from a small lake. A small raft can
be useful to lead you to the small island rising from amidst the calm waters.
There live the major druids of the IoD.
Their house are little more than humble huts: this help them live closely to
nature.
KALMYSHIYE
He is an elf from the Shiye clan of Alphatia. His grand-parents participated in
the abandon of Mealiden Starwatcher migration. His father was among the first
Shiye elves born on the continent of Alphatia. He himself was an elf-kid when he
saw the Alphatian coming down from the sky.
His appearance comes from his extraordinary age: he himself lost the count of
the springs he saw (you understand, he's very old), but he clearly remembers the
Alphatian-Thyatian wars preceding the crowning of Zendrolion I! He was already a
young adult elf, an initiate in the druidic hierarchy. Surely he's more than
2000 years old! (It is a mystery how this could be possible)
PERSONALITY: Kalmyshiye is not a born leader. He keeps his charge out of sense
of duty, but he's not interested in rise through druidic hierarchy. He is more
philosopher than adventurer. All this explains his relatively low level in spite
of his long age.
STATS: elven D20*; hp 50; St 13, De 11, Co 10, In 16, Wi 18, Ch 15; (he should
have weapon mastery with staff and short bow).
APPEARANCE: He's hardly recognizable as an elf, because he's short and bowed (he
hardly reach 1.20 m), with white hair and beard, both very long (similar in this
to Mealidan Mealidil of Alfheim), and a myriad of wrinkles upon his face. He
usually wears druidic tunics in black and green.
MAGIC ITEMS: He always wear a pair of "boots of travel and jump", and
carries a druidic knotty "staff of healing". Other items includes a
"wood armour +3", an enchanted short bow named "Showerain"
(short bow +2 of extinguishing), a "magical rope", a set of
"panic drums", a "hydroelemental amphor" and a
"training muzzle".
DM NOTES: Due to his long life, he has stored an extraordinary amount of
knowledge, in particular related to "his dominion", the Isle of Dawn.
He knows all animal and vegetal life forms of the island, he personally knows
the heads of all packs, of all herds, of all flocks and of all swarms on his
territory, and he's guardian of all the natural inhabitants of the land under
his feet.
Moreover, he can tell about ANY historical event happened on the IoD from AC 0
to present day. His charge requires him to constantly monitor human (and
non-human) activities in order to prevent any major natural disaster.
Nevertheless he's not known by virtually any civilized being, as he always
adopts subtle methods to act. Maybe one or two of the eldest men on the IoD
knows of him, simply naming him the "Wise One of the Escarpment".
Kalmyshiye fights only if strictly necessary.
KURNOS
He's the fighting attendant of the archdruid, he who pursues wrongdoers (in the
eyes of nature) and who plans and coordinates the actions commanded by his
superior. Kurnos was born in AC 970 in Redstone to a family native to Julinius.
He soon showed a special love for pets. Then he was fascinated by horses, as to
go around trying to free all of them. Lastly he met a druid who told him the
"right way". He adventured and grew until he took the place held
before by his teacher: attendant to the archdruid.
PERSONALITY: Kurnos hates the use of animals as slaves. He literally goes mad
when he sees a whip risen upon a humble mule charged with great loads. He's in
charge of coordinating the actions towards (and against) civilians. He's a
little Machiavellian, but he remains loyal to Kalmyshiye.
STATS: human D10*; hp 30; St 16, De 12, Co 14, In 11, Wi 12, Ch 15; (he should
have weapon mastery with mace and whip).
APPEARANCE: Thyatian stock, 28 years old, tall 1.90 m, muscular; totally bald,
brown short beard, blue eyes, aquiline nose, well drawn lips. His voice is
commanding and thunderous, very impressive on male characters. He wears
comfortable clothes in neutral colours (from light to darker browns), and a pair
of soft boots made from alligator hide. He always wears his armour, his weapons,
and a medium sized wood-and-leather shield.
MAGIC ITEMS: Bone armour +1 (elm got from a big deer skull), mace +1 (the head
is a fossil dinosaur skull), black leather whip +1.
TAPHNIRI
Taphniri was born in Edairo, second daughter to a goat herder. One day, while
attending her father's flock, she met Kalmyshiye. Fascinated by that elderly
figure, she instantly followed him, and no one ever heard of her among the
civilized men. She was taught the druidic philosophy and rapidly grew studying
plants' virtues. Now she's the closest attendant to the archdruid, and nurtures
her master out of affection and respect.
PERSONALITY: Peaceful and comprehensive. She incarnates the motherly aspect of
nature.
STATS: human D10*; hp 30; St 10, De 10, Co 13, In 12, Wi 12, Ch 16; (she should
have weapon mastery with dagger and short bow).
APPEARANCE: Thothian stock, 27 years old, 1.54 m tall, regular built; hazel
eyes; black hair; thin lips. She wears comfortable linen-clothes, undyed, and a
pair of sandals. She seldom speaks, but when she does, her voice is hypnotic to
male ears.
MAGIC ITEMS: Leather armour +1, staff +1 (engraved with flower patterns), 6 bone
daggers +1 (wolf fur hilt).
DM NOTES: She never adventures unless told to by her master. She'll take care of
him until the end of his (or her?) days.
ZEFRAM
Zefram was the fifth child of a farmer family from the countryside of Hillvale
lands. One day he lost in a wood, where he met the druid who was his teacher.
Similarly to Kurnos, he took the charge of attendant as legacy from his mentor.
PERSONALITY: Curious and substantially peaceful.
STATS: human D10*; hp 30; St 13, De 13, Co 11, In 12, Wi 14, Ch 15; (he should
have weapon mastery with staff and dagger).
APPEARANCE: common Alphatian stock; 30 years old; 1.90 m tall, lean but built
like an athlete; golden and almond shaped eyes; long blonde hair, worn loose;
small mouth, thin lips. He wears comfortable scanty clothes (in mimetic colours
ranging from yellow to reddish brown) under his magic armour, goes barefoot.
MAGIC ITEMS: dawn panther skin (fur armour) +1, staff +1 (twin to that owned by
Taphniri), bone dagger +1 (wolf fur hilt, similar to Taphniri's, but unrelated
to them).
DM NOTES: His task is that of looking at human action toward wild nature and
report to Kalmyshiye. Often he takes animal form (dawn panther is his favourite)
to test human behaviour: in case of attack he flees, to come back later (in
human form) at the head of a great pack of wild beast, in order to hinder the
attacker's plans, whatever they are.
* A NOTE ON RULES. When the PCs were playing this campaign, I was extensively experimenting new rules and game mechanics, some by my own, some found in the web. In particular I stumbled upon the 20 levels druidic class description of AD&D_2E, and tried to span it over my 36 levels system. So I estimated "archdruid level" to be around 20 level in my system. I used (and will keep on using) AD&D model for druids, as the OD&D official version never fitted in my perspective of that class. Now I'm thinking upon coming back someway toward the OD&D rules, though maintaining some corrections and adding some new. If I ever come to a pseudo-final version, I'll share its features.
RELATIONS BETWEEN DRUIDS AND KENDACH
Kalmyshiye never wanted to overtly act, in order to let [almost] nobody suspect
druidic presence on the island. His idea is to find subtle ways to preserve
nature's beings, thus preventing direct actions by possible enemies. His method
consists in slightly manipulate flora and fauna configurations where this could
discourage human settlements, thus cutting away stretches of land from human
influence and actually limiting it to reduced areas. His attendants work as
lieutenants, commanding and instructing lesser level druids and managing minor
forces of nature.
This method has proved successful for a millennium (thus partially justifying
the relatively low population density on the island), but Kalmyshiye himself
doesn't know how long it could be so.
This is why he accepted to be addressed by representative of the human dominion
which is closest to his hermitage. He intends to come to a secret and personal
alliance with one dominion ruler who could be an intermediator between druids
and civilians. This can be the pact: Countess Kendasius keeps silent about
druidic existence and promotes a nature protecting policy (similar to Machetos'
or Vyalia's), at least under her jurisdiction; the druids agree on informing her
about human movements all over the IoD and to help her in case of natural
disaster.
ABOUT KALMYSHIYE'S LONGEVITY
Kalmyshiye's age appears to be absurdly long even to elven eyes. There may be
several theories about that:
- Kalmyshiye conducts a particularly healthy way of life. This could grant some extra years of life, maybe beyond racial limits; but 1000 extra years perhaps are too many indeed.
- Kalmyshiye has discovered a way to prolong lifespan. This could be some kind of herbal-druidic mixture producing effects analogous to "potions of longevity". In that case he'll probably teach this knowledge to Taphniri, and keep on taking that drug until he feels his time has come.
- Kalmyshiye is actually 1000 years old. He tells to be older in order to inspire a sense of reverence in those who listen. What he knows of older history he was told by someone else, adding details spawned by his mind. He keeps on being an extremely old elf, and a very joking one.
- Kalmyshiye was bestowed Exalted status by a druidic Immortal (think about Eiryndul, Djaea or someone else) he has done a major favour to. This way he is virtually immortal and can live many millennia longer. If this solution seems too strong, you could replace "Exalted status" with "longer (but finite) lifespan".
- Kalmyshiye is actually an Immortal in mortal form. This could mean he is a new Immortal at Initiate rank, keeping on pretending to be Mortal until he finds a suitable successor. Alternatively he could be a senior druidic Immortal (see above) who wants to look at the IoD by a close point of view (or has some other plot in course). This last theory could justify his noted predilection for covert action, this coming out of habit.
I won't tell you what's the truth. You are free to choose what best fits your
ideas, or even add some new.