# [SHORT] The Parable of the Wise Druid



## Roudi (Aug 3, 2006)

Once upon a time, in an old and majestic forest, there lived a wise Druid.  Daily she traversed the width and breadth of the woods, lending her skilled hands to nurture and maintain all that lived under the leafy canopy.  Oftentimes the people of the nearby village sought out the Druid to benefit from her wisdom, and she enjoyed guiding mortals along the druidic path.

One day, while walking through the forest, the Druid noticed several small animals scampering westward in fear.  Heading to the east, she came upon a path on which a horse-drawn carriage trotted noisily along.

“Hold!” she cried, and the carriage did so.  Addressing the driver, she spoke, “Can you not see how your loud progression disturbs the forest so?”

The driver replied, “Beggin’ yer pardon, good woodsy lady ma’am, but I jes be fulfillin’ me obligation t’this ‘ere newly wedded couple, seein’ as der hunnymoon suite be at d’end o’ this ‘ere forest, an’ I dinnit see any o’ dem lil’ critters or nuttin’, so I’se figger’d I’se wasn’t hurtin’ non o’ this forest now.”

The Druid nodded in understanding and responded, “You see no animals because the noise of your rickety carriage frightens them away.  You should walk through the forest; you will disturb nothing with your passing.”

The bride popped her head out of the carriage and asked, “You would like us to walk, then?”

The Druid nodded and said, “These are my ways.”

Convinced of the Druid’s wisdom, the bride and groom and driver dismounted from the carriage.  They unhitched the horse and, leaving the carriage, the continued on foot to the north.  The Druid smiled and set off southward.

Later in the day, a pack of wolves noticed the northbound travelers.  Normally such wolves would have been scared away by the sound of a passing carriage, but the quiet progress of the three humans and the horse gave them little to fear.  They set upon the four and ate them.

As she continued south, the Druid noticed a dwarf hiding in the brush next to the path.  She called out “Ho, dwarf!  Whyfor art thou skulking in the bush?”

Noticed and ashamed, the dwarf stepped out into the open and said, “Have mercy, Druid!  I am a thief and a scoundrel.  I have gone into great debt, and have resorted to robbing travelers along this path.  My life is forfeit if I do not pay off my moneylender, and I have no other option!”

The Druid shook her head and replied, “There is always another option, gentle dwarf.  You may forsake the ways of thievery, and of civilized folk.  Come live in the forest; I will show you how the land provides for you if you provide for the land.”

Exictedly, the dwarf responded, “Truly?  You would have me as a student and show me how to live as you do?”

The Druid nodded her head.  The dwarf exclaimed in praised and asked, “What must I do first?”

The Druid answered “Return to your home, and leave there all the vestiges of civilized life.  Take with you but one robe and return here.”  The dwarf immediately darted down the path, eager to fulfil the Druid’s wishes.

Later in the day, the dwarf returned to his hometown.  Excited at the prospect of a new life, he took no care to remain stealthy.  Thus, the men hired by his moneylender found him easily, and took his life as payment for his debts.

Near evening, the Druid noticed smoke rising from the southern edge of the forest.  Going to investigate, she discovered a large muscular orc next to a roaring fire.  A skinned boar was spitted and roasting over the flames, evidently killed by the orc.  The Druid was appalled at this sight and stepped forward indignantly, shouting, “What is this here?”

The orc grunted and replied, “Peace, gentle Druid.  I am a mercenary warrior.  I have little money to spend on shelter and food at a tavern, so I have made my camp here and hunted a wild boar for my dinner.”

The Druid declaimed, “Thou may live off this land, but do not set a fire or kill a beast!  The forest is in delicate balance, one that I maintain by giving unto it and taking little.  Thou could live off the fruits of the land as I do!”

The orc grunted once more and responded, “You would have me sleep without fire, without its warmth and security, and eat leaves and berries instead of meat?”

The Druid nodded her head and said proudly, “These are my ways.”

The orc considered this for a moment.  Then he raised his axe and cleft the Druid cleanly in twain.  The two halves of her corpse collapsed at the orc’s feet.  Grunting a final time, the orc muttered “These are *my* ways,” and set about cleaning his axe.


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## Roudi (Aug 3, 2006)

*Author's Notes*
Back in University, in my Creative Writing (Prose) class, we were tasked with writing a parable.  At the time, I was in the middle of GMing my first real D&D campaign in a long while, so my mind gravitated to a fantasy setting when thinking of inspiration (I wasn't the only one in the class to go that route; we were encouraged to look to "fairy tale" examples).

In my campaign, one druid character (whose player was new to D&D) was encamped with a company of orcs along with the rest of the party.  She took offence to the orc's meal, a freshly-killed, spit-roasting deer.  She commanded her wolf companion to remove the carcass from the roasting pit, which understandably angered the orc hosts.  They took up arms against the party.  One particular orc just kept rolling high until, with one very lucky strike, he hit the druid for enough damage to kill her three times over.  I described the blow as one that cleft the druid in twain from head to toe.  It was that player's first spectacular character death, and it certainly wasn't the last.

That incident was obviously the inspiration for the piece: a druid imposes her sensibilities onto another and meets the end of an orcish axe.


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