Dryads and other magical things
- Jennifer Rae
- Mar 27, 2016
- 4 min read
This is not a full list of all of the supernatural creatures and abilities that you can find within the lands of Accila. Below is a small snapshot explanation of the few that we do meet in Extol of Agnatic Dreams.
DRYADS Mythology: The dryads feature heavily in Ancient Greek festivals. Most people are familiar with the Dryads of Ancient Greece. Dryad was a term used to the tree Nymphs to help separate them from other Nymphs. In Ancient Greece mythology, they were exclusively tied to Oak trees and were the spirits of the forests. They were notoriously shy and their lives were linked to the life of their tree. If the tree were killed, then the Dryad inhabiting it would also die.
Greek dryads were depicted as beautiful, perpetually young maidens. Often they had tree like characteristics. However, they did not obscure the beauty of the woman, but rather enhanced her. The tree connections (leaves, bark, branches) never hide her face and often took on the appearance of clothes.
Braykith: The Dryad's within the novel are very similar to how the dryads are portrayed in Ancient Greek stories. However, there are slight differences. They retain their traditional descriptions of beautiful women. However, I gave them a more exaggerated appearance to ensure they do not seem human. I also incorporated the camouflage effect of being a Dryad by giving them green skin and hair.
The Dryad's of this world move from tree to tree, with only their Queen stuck in her own tree. They can be summoned by burying meat at the base of the tree and speaking an incantation. It is to be decided by the Dryad if they will appear to the person. During to Evangeline's heritage, she does not need to follow this ritual.
Because of the curse placed on the Braykith Kingdom, Dryad's avoided the trees of the area, which is why they appear so different to the trees found in the rest of Accila. Without Dryad's the trees suffered.
In book description: The Dryad stood before her nude, and yet it did not seem vulgar... Her eyes were perhaps distracting her from the explicit nudity. Pale white, with no colour or dark centres... the other woman’s ears were long and pointed, going further then the crown of her head and ending in a precise point. They seemed more like animal antennae than ears, twitching slightly and moving on their own accord.
WITCHES Mythology: Witch is a very broad term that loosely applies to anyone who uses witchcraft. Wizards and casters also fall under this large umbrella term. For as long as there has been human history there is some kind of record of a witch user. Usually, these people are shunned from society and very rarely do they raise to positions of power. It is connected, but not limited too, sorcery, the paranormal, magical, superstition, necromancy, possession, shamanism, healing, spiritualism, nature worship and the occult.
Braykith: Although we do not meet any witches directly in Extol of Agnatic Dreams (part one), their effects are profoundly felt. The curse set upon the Braykith crown was done by a suspected witch. Evangeline's mother approaches a 'spiritual woman' when she has trouble conceiving. Evangeline finds an old book that she assumes was owned by a witch. This book contains directions on how to summon a Dryad.
In book description: she found a small book that seemed to be forgotten between two massive tomes. There was nothing fantastic to its cover, no markings on the leather that bound the pages and she nearly dismissed it entirely on the look alone. However, she glanced at the page, picking it at random, and felt the heat drain from her face.
A witches’ spell book. She dropped the book and stared at the offending thing as if it somehow could infect her.
BRAYKITH HORSES Mythology: Many powerful Gods have been depicted throughout history riding a horse. Odin rode an eight-legged horse called Sleipnir, and Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings series has Shadowfax. Many religions around the world tell stories about a Solar deity where horses would pull them via chariot across the sky. They were symbols ridden by both heroes and villains alike, their alliance depicted by the colour of the horse. Like most animals that are seen in stories and mythologies, a white horse was often seen as inherently good, while black was evil.
It is near impossible to study any Ancient world's mythologies and not find a horse.
Braykith: The Braykith horses are exclusively bred within Braykith and are never used for trade or for sale. They were created out of necessity, a potent visual metaphor for the Braykith armies. Although it was often discussed that the Braykith Kingdom had a fearsome reputation, the only signs of it being faithful are found in the horses and the trees. The horses are the opposite to the real threat of Braykith. They seem monstrous. However, they are emphatic and kind while many of the people within Braykith are not. Evangeline finds her first real peace with Temptest, her horse.
In book description: Impressive muscular bodies, standing hands higher than even the tallest horses housed in Crimah, the Braykith horses were treacherous and beautiful... The problem with the Braykith horses was due to their size it took much longer for Cameron to get her saddled then a regular mare.
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