Speaker of the Green

Copyright Eric McLuen © 2006

Edited by Nicholas HM Caldwell for The Guild Companion

"Speakers of the Green are by no means pacifists.� Nature is full of examples of self-defense and necessary violence"

The sun was beginning to set. The workers in the field were trying to take full advantage of the remaining light, trying to get in as much of the crop before nightfall. "It is a good harvest. Thank you again Sir Brennick" one farmer said to another.

"I am no Sir, Reginald. I am just a humble servant of the land." Brennick replied. He paused for a moment and closed his eyes as if gathering his thoughts, his hand grasping a circular amulet about his neck. "Come, that is enough for one. The night will be cool and there won't be any rain for the next few days."

The workers gathered around a cask of water and talked about the day's events as well as the war brewing in the nearby Duchy of Ilwyn. "What say you about such things Brennick?", someone asked.

"War rarely solves anything and often does more harm that it was trying to prevent. But enough talk of that. Reginald, you offered me thanks earlier. A blueberry muffin that your wife makes would be a good start for repayment. What's this?", Brennick said after noticing several men and an ox-cart coming up the road.

The men wore the livery of Sir James Stetman, one of the lords currently in rebellion against the Duke. They were armored in mail and each was armed with a sword. One stepped forward and said "These crops are hereby confiscated in the name of Sir James Stetman to feed his troops in his just war against the Duke of Ilwyn. You will fill the cart." Pointing to the workers, "Burn the rest so the Duke cannot have it either."

*The workers gripped their scythes more tightly and began shouting at the soldiers. Brennick raised his hand for silence. "These men here have worked hard for that grain. It is needed to feed their families in the coming winter. We can part with some but you cannot have it all. Burning the rest is out of the question."

"Is that a threat, peasant?" The leader sneered. "I thought we could do this without bloodshed, but apparently not. Kill them." The soldiers drew their weapons and slowly walked forward.*

As the commander issued his order, Brennick dropped his head and his hand went to his amulet. Suddenly the ground beneath the soldier's feet became liquid. Their arms began to flail wildly as they sank.

Soon after the last of the soldiers slipped beneath the surface, Brennick raised his head. "It is done. Take some stones and mark the location of the bodies. While the corpses are generally good for the soil, their metal gear is not. We shall have to dig that up, but that is for another day."

Focus: The Green. This is the life force that permeates all things, both living and inanimate. It is not a personified deity but a force that can be manipulated and called upon for aid. Followers should do their utmost to live in peace and harmony with their surroundings preventing wanton destruction of nature. The Green manifests itself most strongly in ley lines and nodes. These are seen as veins and hearts of the Green.

Followers who live underground may call this force The Deep. Since Speakers of the Deep live in a different environment, they have a different spell selection. It is quite possible there is an aquatic representation of this order for creatures of the sea but that is currently unknown.

Culture (Temple Locations): Followers of the Green rarely build a temple as the Green resides in all things. Speakers will often set up a place of learning and teach conservation, farming techniques or less intrusive ways to mine ores. As such they might establish a shrine to serve as a focus or place for the laymen to meet but one place is just as good as another. Generally small communities may form around nodes, as these concentrate the Green's power where it can be tapped and manipulated in different ways.

The exception to this is cities and other places where mankind has destructively forced its will upon nature.

Membership: Members may be of any race but are typically elves, gryx or humans. There is a growing contingent amongst the dwarves as well.

Benefits: All speakers gain a +5 to flora lore. The Green variety also gains a +5 to the horticulture skill. The underground variant may apply this to mining instead.

Restrictions: Clerics or other followers of the green may not take granted mana as a source as there is no personified deity to grant it. Ambient mana should be the preferred source, with fixed second and personal third.

Lifegiving is also a prohibited ability -- in both spell and ritual and through the use of herbs. As in nature, all things die in its appointed time. This does not mean Speakers are against healing or lifekeeping, which is seen as an extension of healing.

It is this philosophy that drives their utter hatred for all things dealing with the undead. They are seen as a corruption of the Green and should be destroyed whenever possible.

Symbol: A circle that can be made of wood, dried clay or stone. The actual material depends on where the cleric resides. It is typically worn as an amulet.

Dress: Plain and functional clothing. As Speakers work with their hands, fancier garb would only get ruined and this would be seen as wasteful.

Structure: Followers of the Green have no formalized hierarchy. They are there to teach people how to live in harmony, not form an organization themselves. When the situation does arise, they will take on suitable apprentices to teach them the ways of the Order. However, communities founded near nodes or ley lines tend to attract the more powerful clerics, as those locations have greater religious significance and may need to be defended more vigorously. The leaders' opinions at these locales are often given greater weight as they are charged with greater responsibility.

Philosophy/Purpose: To maintain the balance between the sentient races and nature. They are a check on the unnecessary destruction of natural resources. Just as crops and game are the fruit of the land, ores and gems can be seen as fruits of the earth. Each can be harvested without careless destruction. Hunting for sport is the highest form of waste and arrogance. Strip mining is an offense against the earth. Speakers of the Green are by no means pacifists. Nature is full of examples of self-defense and necessary violence.

Activities: Speakers of the Green wish to impart their knowledge of conservation and efficiency to others. A great deal of their time is spent either teaching or working in the fields. The pomp and circumstance of the ceremonies of some other more 'civilized' orders serve no practical function (in their eyes) and as such there are none for followers of the Green.

Favored Categories: Clerics place both of their selected categories into Outdoor. As such they gain 6 ranks in this category.

Spells: Speakers may choose from the following spells. The clerical spells on the left are those more generally taken by Speakers of the Green. The other columns represent selectable spells that can be taken (up to 20 total, half of which must be from the clerical sphere)