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Lichenmorphist — Description
When people talk about magic-wielding species, they often just think of three. Number one is always the humans, as they are the ones who have the most range and diversity in the field of magic. Second are the fairies, who wield bizarre spells and powers which brews mystery and intrigue. Thirdly are the demons, who wield fire and stone as if it were extensions of themselves. Depending on the person, they may also bring up the Aelf and the Sphinxes, who have magical prowess beyond our understanding. All of these are usually thrown around in the conversation, but most of the time, people forget another race of magic users: dryads. This is not because people think that dryads are incapable of magic, oh no no. The reason people overlook dryad magic is because they don't think what we do is considered magic. What most people know of dryads is their skill in manipulating plant life and using it as a tool. While this is greatly oversimplifying things, it is what people are most familiar with. They know we build our villages and towns by weaving the forest and plant life, so they think that is the extent of our abilities. Since we are plants and we manipulate plants, people assume that we alter plants by "talking" to them. It may sound weird, but yeah, people think that is what we do. I have even had someone claim that we control plants by singing! They assume we have some kinship to all plants, so we just command them to do our bidding. I can't even begin to describe how ridiculous that is. Just because we share the same sap and bark as other plants does not mean we are one in the same! If we ran with that logic, humans should be able to command bears to turn themselves into canopied beds! Why not? They both have flesh and hair, so they must be connected somehow!

All of that aside, dryads can indeed use magic. Our forms of magic are more similar to the demons, as we are bound to certain elements. Dryads do not possess the Splenius magus that humans have, which allows humanity to use any element freely. Like how the demons are born of flame and stone, we dryads are born of earth and root. Our bodies and natural energy is tied to the likes of nature, soil and sun. These are very broad terms, but it is the classes that dryad magic users are locked into. You will never see a dryad using ice magic, or releasing lightening bolts on the battlefield. Those are elements we cannot wield or replicate. We are forever stuck in these certain classes of magic, but I don't think that bothers us dryads that much. What we can use, we excel at. Centuries of study and practice has allowed us to take advantage of every aspects of the elements we are tied to. Yes, we may be able to only use a handful of the magic types that exist, but we are darn good at them!

Dryad magic has some similarities to the magic used by other species, but we often wield it in a different manner. The magic of fairies is used to alter, elude and confuse, while demons use their magic for pure offense. Humans, with their amazing magical flexibility, use their magics for a bit of everything. Dryads, however, use their magic to grow, aid and enhance. To better state it, dryad magic is more passive than what other species use it for, and is often used to benefit and aid others. While demon mages may use their fire to burn down defenses and fry foes, dryads would use their spells to fix broken structures and armor warriors in the battlefield. These more passive uses of magic are best seen in the art of lichenmorphy.

Lichenmorphy is a class of magic that is confusing to anyone who isn't a dryad. The name of it is puzzling to others, as it bears similarities to another term. There are some humans out there that think dryads can turn into werewolves! What they are thinking of, however, is lycanthrophy, while this type of magic is called lichenmorphy. We don't control werewolves or aconstrum, that is not what this class does. Lichenmorphists are skilled in the art of creating and manipulating lichens! Lichens are strange things, as they have some fungal ties, but are not fully fungi or plants. These odd growing things are quite hardy and can be found growing in the most inhospitable conditions. While they do a good job growing on rocks and bark, dryads have found that manipulating them can create even more uses!

When working, a lichenmorphist can be identified by her numerous bottles, flasks and bags that hang off her body. Each of these contain special powders, juices and spores that are used to fuel their spells. With a special staff and the right words, a lichenmorphist can cause specialized lichens to grow on just about anything! That is including dryads! That is another way to spot a lichenmorphist, as they usually have some of the stuff growing on their bodies. Now this may sound silly or useless to others, especially since other species can raise firestorms or bring hail from the heavens, but that is because this magic is a bit more passive than theirs. Lichenmorphists use their magic to create lichens that can do a variety of things. One of the common ones is lichen that is hardened to the strength of metal, creating organic armor in an instant! With a dash of powder and a sweep of a staff, designated surfaces will explode with a hardy layer of lichens that can repel arrows and withstand blows. This lichen also holds a firm grip onto whatever it grows on, which is good for quick repairs. A broken shield can be grown over with these lichens and the warrior will have a solid, suitable defense within seconds. Damaged structures and siege weapons can be patched up with lichen growths, a temporary fix until things calm down enough for suitable repairs. A sturdy branch can be grown over to create a hefty club, and armor can be enhanced with an extra layer of protection. When in battle, lichenmorphists will coat warriors in this thick lichen, giving them extra protection and resistance to the elements. Particularly skilled lichenmorphists can weave detailed armor, or create extra sprouts from the lichen growth. Armor lichen can make thick sturdy stalks that stick out from the plated mass. Lichenmorphists like to use these stalks when armoring fellow dryads, as they serve well as extra claws, spikes and horns that can create quite the terrifying visage! With the right stuff, a lichenmorphist can make a dryad warrior look like some alien monster! Other lichens can be used to create walls and seals to patch up structures or block out attackers. Certain lichens are good for speeding up healing for wounded dryads, growing on top of the injuries and feeding essential nutrients right into the spots that need it the most. Other lichens can completely cocoon a dryad or plant and put them in temporary hibernation. This is helpful for severely injured dryads, or those suffering from debilitating diseases. Sealing them in a protective cocoon protects them from outside infections or injuries, and feeds them nutrients so that they can heal. In towns and villages, lichenmorphists use their lichens to help build, stabilize and carve. A well trained lichenmorphist could create a sturdy, decorative bowl, or coat an entire tree dwelling in fire resistant growths. These magic users are extremely useful in villages and in battle, giving aid to every dryad they can.

In rare instances, lichenmorphists can use their magic to take out foes that threaten them. These magic users usually hang in the back and let the fighters do the battling, but they must be able to defend themselves if enemy forces close in. In these cases, the lichens are used for offensive purposes. With a well aimed spray of dust and spores, a lichenmorphist can throw off opponents by causing growths to form on their bodies. A face full of lichens can blind attackers, and a solid coating of armor lichens can glue an attacker's legs together. Breathing in the spores can can choke enemies to death, as the growths seal up their throats. Other growths can eat away at metal, or run roots into flesh so that they can strike nerves and muscle. With large amounts of spores and powder, a lichemorphist can cause lichens to grow with explosive force. A large pillar of lichens can erupt from any surface to knock away foes, or the ground may heave upward with a surge of growth right beneath a charging platoon's feet. If all else fails, a lichenmorphist can turn their staff into an armored club and beat their attackers to death. Funny enough, many soldiers don't seem to see this coming.

While lichenmorphy is extremely useful, it unfortunately has some negativity tied to it. This is due to the reign of the Yellow Queen. Before she was corrupted, the Yellow Queen was a lichenmorphist. When she rose in power, she used this magic to enslave other dryads and vampirize the world around her. She armored herself with these growths, and her terrifying image still haunts our culture today. During her reign and after her fall, lichenmorphy faced much criticism and scrutiny. Villagers and survivors worried that others would follow in her footsteps, so lichenmorphists faced many rules and regulations. Some were run out of their towns, while others were banned from ever using the art. Over time, though, these laws have faded away and the class has risen back to its original power. Even with this, though, many lichenmorphists do not use yellow lichens in their spells, making sure to use any other color they can. I am pretty sure lichenmorphists make it a personal rule to never wear yellow in their life. That color is forever tarnished within that class...

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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Humans and demons aren't the only ones with magic. The dryads got some too! If there was an RPG, lichenmorphist would totally be a class that a dryad could have. It would be one meant for buffing allies with extra armor and resistances and weakening attackers with stunning blows and armor-eating lichens.