Autumn Equinox
Just sayin’…
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Oh my… what a time to be alive.
Anything to be made of this?
There are stones in Stonehenge if I remember rightly.
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I mean… it’s an excellent representation of the game… 
Right. These stones are connected to druid culture and were hung are the neck for magical protection, particularly malevolent witchcraft.
They were also tied to the key of stable doors to protect horses, or on the end of beds for protection against witches and demons such as the Night Hag.
They have a number of names including ‘Druid’s Glass’, ‘Gloine nan druidh’ (Scottish Gaelic), ‘Hag stones’, ‘Witch stones’ and ‘Adder stones’. In the druidic tradition the stone is formed from the hardened mass of writhing snakes.
It is held that by looking through the hole in the middle, in addition removing the glamour of a witch or fairy, can align oneself to the non-material world, even provide the ability to see through to the faerie realm.
There are strong similarities here with Samhain’s ‘Crossing The Black Path’.
Hag stones also feature here as one of 13 pieces of folklore, any of which could relate to the Secret World.
Also mentioned in Nivelle’s letter Initiating forum simulation. Initiating dev letter simulation. Standby
Also related to the repeatable content events / seasonal event.
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Sale Event Arrived!
Discounted Agent Boosters and Catalysts for fusion upgrades. Also selected cosmetics.
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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
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I can’t add much about Druids, but each solstice and equinox, Stonehenge is the central point of pagan celebrations. They are also the only times when access to the stones is permitted by English Heritage, which might, in game lore anyway, allow all sorts of undesirables to sneak in and attack the stones.
Coloured disco lights and electronic music performance provides cover story for rising supernatural energy investigations at Stonehenge.
OK, can we also have a “disco defence” scenario? 
Keep the music playing while filth-infected neighbours try and turn it off because you’re making too much noise
There is a possibility that the ‘event’ could also involve the Nite Team 4 tie-in. The game goes ‘early access’ on the 2nd of October, and those who backed the game should be getting their SWL in-game swag at that time, according to the email I received. Still no word on the SWL tie-in missions that were promised back in the day.
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LOL this seems like such a distant memory now. I forgot all about that kickstarter.
I haven’t forgotten about the Kickstarter, but I know that they said the stuff wouldn’t be in SWL until the game launched so I just kept checking every week to see if they had a release date set yet. 
It would be fantastic to see some ARG activity in SWL again, even if only for vanity items for those Black Watchmen supporters.
Vomher I’ve been waiting to hear about the Druids ever since we saw their badges in the Sunken Library years ago!
From the dusty, damp vaults of the Sunken Library.
Also just prior to the release of the Defence Scenario video, a SWL Twitter feed made references to the COV, Druids and to Avalon.
‘Avalon’ being connected to Arthurian Legend, notably as the location where the sword Excalibur was forged.
The island’s name is considered a derivation of ‘apple tree’, therefore perhaps giving indication of the species depicted on the COV visitor pass above.
“The island of apples which men call the Fortunate Isle ( Insula Pomorum quae Fortunata uocatur ) gets its name from the fact that it produces all things of itself; the fields there have no need of the ploughs of the farmers and all cultivation is lacking except what nature provides. Of its own accord it produces grain and grapes, and apple trees grow in its woods from the close-clipped grass. The ground of its own accord produces everything instead of merely grass, and people live there a hundred years or more. There nine sisters rule by a pleasing set of laws those who come to them from our country.” - Avalon
Shrouded in mist, mystery and myth, there are numerous proposals for the modern location for Avalon in the British Isles. However, the island of Anglesey off the north coast of Wales, is considered to have been the sacred island of the druids of Britain.
Alternatively, it is possible that the legend of the “apple” island is derived from Celtic mythology of the Otherworld, a supernatural realm where the souls of the dead gather. An intrusion into our world being signalled by phenomena such as the appearance of a magic mist and unusual animals.
The Otherworld is elusive, but during certain times such as Samhain, contact with the Otherworld was more likely. It can be reached by entering ancient burial mounds, these were known as sídhe, bringing to mind the Secret World’s haunted cats of Solomon Island.
Perhaps the development of the Druids as a secret world faction will bring additional relevance to agents Calum MacLeod and Callie James, as well as John Galahad, Ealdwic Park and the missing sword of Dawning of an Endless Night.
And a similar discussion underway on reddit.
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IT’S HAPPENING!!!
This will be in my head for days…
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I didn’t forget:
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Druids, demons, ghosts… and cats!
Even a simulation needs to be based on facts. Everything is true!
Thanks AndyB.
As the servers are coming down in preparation for the September Event, and this thread has run its course, i’ll leave it with some secret world Stonehenge concept art.
Ní neart go cur le chéile!
I’m not gonna lie the things your not happy about are exactly what most people complained about most in the old scenarios. But I do agree with the groups mode that would really spice things up in both scenarios.
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