With the equinox on Sunday, September 23rd, there’s a countdown of just 10 days left.
And more information regarding the new ‘Occult Defence’ scenario is becoming steadily available.
Scenario parameters received _ > Awaiting host input _
. . .
> /set 189 "Ní Neart Go Cur le Chéile"
> Stat "ScenarioMOTDInstanceLabel" set
There is no strength without unity. We require your assistance.
The Equinox is nearly upon us.
With the limited-time Seasonal Event coinciding with the new scenario release, how will Stonehenge feature in the story backing and Legends? will the upcoming equinox play a part? How will the Druids be involved?
Will they be references to the ancient Celtic Druids and/or incorporate aspects of the modern Druidry movement?
Will there be a new (Celtic?) themed cache tied into the Season Event? If so what kinds of pets, clothes, weapons would you expect to see?
The etymology of the name ‘Druid’ is cognate with words such as ‘wren’ and ‘oak’, so re-skinned anima-touched weaponry could fit, or even a wren as pet.
There is no specific costume for modern Druidry practitioners, however some prefer earth-coloured robes which are said to link them to the natural world.
Also the legend of the Wicker Man is held to be of ancient Druid origin, whereby human sacrifices were performed by imprisoning people inside large wooden effigies of sticks and setting them on fire.
There is already a cosmetic item; ‘Wicker Bee’ Helmet’, so why not a re-skinning for a ‘Flaming Wicker Helmet’?
As the Druids are to be the theme for the upcoming Seasonal Event, how will they tie in to the Secret World story and legends?
The ancient Druids communicated their lore orally and left no written accounts of themselves. What is thought to be known comes from speculation by other cultures. One of the most important sources of information regarding the ancient druids (derwydd, druí, draoidh) claims that their main teaching was that "souls do not perish, but after death pass from one to another", and that they were also concerned with "the stars and their movements, the size of the cosmos and the earth".
The construction of Stonehenge was achieved by a culture that left no written records. It has been popularly attributed to the Iron Age Druids and proposed as an astronomical observatory or religious site. However, Stonehenge predates the Iron Age and there is no evidence that it was ever used by the Iron Age druids.
"‘Druids sacrificing to the Sun in their temple called Stonehenge’,
a 1722 engraving of the site as imagined by William Stukeley".
Modern Druidry has a history of affiliation with the occult and secret societies, first arising in 18th century Britain from Romanticist ideas regarding the ancient druids, then later organising into fraternities modelled on Freemasonry.
Allegedly in 1874 freemason and the first Supreme Magus of the occult Rosicrucian Society Robert Wentworth Little founded the Ancient and Archaeological Order of Druids (AAOD).
Of the Ancient Order of Druids (AOD) one member, Gerald Gardner, went on to establish the Wicca Pagan Witchcraft movement.
The main beliefs of contemporary Druidry include healing the planet through respect and veneration of the natural world. Concerns which are likely to be very different from those of the original Iron Age society druids.
However, there are claims that because Ireland was never conquered by the Romans, that there the ancient druids survived to pass their teachings hereditarily down to modern times.
Druidic organisations are referred to as ‘Orders’ and smaller groups are usually known as ‘Groves’ reflecting an association with trees, which can also be appreciated in their system of tree lore and Ogham alphabet divination.
Small details regarding the Druids already exist in the game such as; in the profile of agent Siobhan Gowan and the commentary from Sonnac and Kirsten Geary via mission reports from Tokyo side ‘The Corpse and the Key’.
The lovely matron of the Dream Palace believes in proper quid pro quo. As you have shown her courtesy in returning her key, she offers the courtesy of identifying her dead patron. He was from the Druids. They are one of many parties represented in the Council of Venice. You’ll note the tree of life symbol on their badges. Curiouser and curiouser. He was so far from home, and the minor factions do not usually tread in places as contentious as Kaidan. I wonder what the Druids, and for that matter the other little factions, are up to?
R. Sonnac
Kaoru likes to play fair, or at least return the back scratch. Since you so graciously returned her love hotel’s room key, she sent us a few tidbits on the dead guest. Looks like he was part of the Druids, a minor faction represented in the Council of Venice (they wear the little tree symbol badges). That’s a surprise. I didn’t think any of the little glee clubs would brave a hot bed zone like Kaidan. I wonder what else they’re getting into, the little darlings.
KG