Woodkenners

"I am the hill and the valley. I am the rising and setting sun. I am the key and the door. I am the closed fist and open hand."

• from The Invocation of the World Tree, an old Skyreach "kenning" or spell

The woodkenners, a decentralized federation of druids, bards, and priests, are revered as spellcasters and spiritual experts among the indigenous tribes of the Skyreach mountains. These enigmatic figures work closely with the local hunter-gatherers and horticulturalists, sharing and preserving eons of knowledge which they maintain through a rigorous oral tradition. The woodkenners maintain a sacred connection to nature, using their magic to ensure balance and harmony in the region's diverse ecosystems. They are also deeply attuned to the cultural and spiritual needs of Skyreachers, serving as mentors and guides in matters of tradition and wisdom. Despite their influence, the woodkenners remain autonomous, operating through decentralized networks that reflect the tribes' commitment to self-sufficiency and resistance to outside cultural encroachment. Their presence ensures that the Skyreachers' ancient ways endure, blending the power of nature with the wisdom of their ancestors to protect their land and way of life.

Education

• Children often study under a woodkenner for up to three years, and if they show great promise, they are sent to a Hall of Wisdom, where they are taught the arts of history, poetry, ecology, and more, memorizing tens of thousands of "kennings" or discrete pieces of knowledge.
• Kennings are memorized using a complex system of symbols and mnemonic devices. These symbols are believed to "contain" the knowledge of the kennings and form the basis of Woodkenner spirituality.
• Three grades: Bardic training takes three years, Ovate training takes three years, Druid training takes three years.

Organization

Woodkenners are organized into Lunar Groves, which hold Sabbats, or meetings, on full moons, and Solar Groves, which hold Sabbats on the Solstices. Lunar Groves are local, consisting of a few towns, and Solar Groves are regional, with representatives of many Lunar Groves in attendance. Finally, the High Grove meets each year on the equinoxes.

Each grade holds different kinds of office. Initiated Bards are authorized to educate people and to act as advisors to leaders. Ovates are trained to coordinate group rituals, to facilitate sacrifices, and to cast high-powered spells. Druids hold authority within the order, and their activities and goals are far-seeing and mysterious.

Role in Society

• Many important rituals are administered by woodkenners, including mask-making, seasonal festivals and the election of new chiefs.
• Woodkenners are forbidden to hold any official leadership status, but they are often influential in electing or deposing chiefs.

Doctrine

Anathema, the Written Word

Woodkenners forbid reading and writing. To commit wisdom to paper, they say, is to transform it into a dead, unholy abomination. Written information can be misinterpreted by uneducated folk or stolen and misused by enemies. Furthermore, they hold that the development of written language was the key incident that caused the decline of the Ancients.

Stories abound of demons and monsters that spring forth from written letters. A common folk tale tells of a young man, envious of his neighbor, who writes the name "Bugbear" three times on a thorn tree stump near his enemy's house. On the new moon, a monster springs forth from the stump and seeks out the young man, devouring him and stealing his mask.

Some writings survive from the Ancient days. Weirdkenners believe the wisdom of these writings must be learned and preserved, and have often thwarted Woodkenners' attempts to destroy them.

The Living Word, Sacred

Woodkenners revere the tradition of the spoken word, and their traditions are obsessive about the value of memory. For three years, neophytes are trained to become Bards by memorizing thousands of Kennings.

At Lunar and Solar meetings, the ritual of Litany is practiced, in which an experienced Ovate recites a new kenning to the group. After the recital, two members are selected at random to retell the story. The random nature of the ritual forces all members to pay close attention, and the kenning is added to the memory of all members present.

The Doctrine of Quiet Authority

Woodkenners are forbidden by their most deeply held kennings from holding any kind of permanent offices of leadership. Authority, they say, comes from excellence, not titles.

Reincarnation

The druids believe souls are reincarnated in a spiritual ecosystem that mirrors the physical one. The three parts of human experience - body, life, and mind - pass through endless cycles in which nothing is lost. They say that each soul must see all things, know all things, and suffer all things before passing finally into the Overworld.

Mythopoeia, the Secret of the Druids

The woodkenners have a secret, wrapped in a mystery. It is the most closely guarded secret in the entire world, only revealed to those who become druids. To further safeguard this secret, a druid has a geas, or charm of compulsion, placed on them which keeps them from discussing the nature of this truth with anyone but another druid. The ultimate truth of magic in this world is that belief shapes reality. Magic works only as long as people believe in it. Oaths have power only as long as Knights keep them. Gods exist - so whisper the woodkenners - only because they are worshiped.

This is how the woodkenners have maintained their power in Skyreach, as well as honing their magic, since they know belief will make something true. They travel, bringing "truth" where it is needed, sharing their magic, and occasionally quelling rogue legends that threaten their establishment.

It is also why it is exceedingly difficult for enemy nations to lay siege to Skyreach, since the woodkenners are keenly aware that as long as they are sure in their impending victory, they begin any war at a steep advantage.