Dryad

The Dryad is an enemy in the Castlevania series. They are evil tree spirits.
==Origins==
A dryad is a tree nymph, or tree spirit, in Greek mythology. In Greek, drys signifies "oak"; thus, dryads are specifically the nymphs of oak trees, although the term has come to be used for all tree nymphs in general.
They were normally considered to be very shy creatures, except around the goddess Artemis, who was known to be a friend to most nymphs.
==Description==
Dryads are evil tree spirits. According to legend, they are tree nymphs (female deities), although they have indistinctly appeared both in male and female forms throughout the series. They made their first appearance in the arcade game Haunted Castle, where they unexpectedly protrude from the trunks of trees in the form of human-shaped branch torsos with their hands reaching out for the player. This has been its most consistent form in most games, although there are a few different variants that have appeared in others.
The Dryad in Castlevania: Circle of the Moon is a moving 'dead' tree that features what appears to be a face on its trunk; it attacks by emitting spores that slowly move toward the player.
In Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, the Dryad is instead a complete tree with its upper part in the form of a woman's torso. It attacks by growing and then throwing its own fruits at the player, which will stick and drain health from them if they connect.
==Appearances==
===Haunted Castle===
First appearance of Dryads in the series. Only three are found in the entire game, all in the Graveyard after exiting the burning section. Due to their unconventional way of making their presence and attack, they may take the player by surprise. Even then, however, they are easily avoidable and will be put down with just a few whip strikes.
===Super Castlevania IV===
After a long absence, Dryads return once more in Super Castlevania IV. Once again, only two appear in the entire game, at the beginning of the Sorcery Tower, and they protrude from solid walls instead of trees. Their shapes are more akin to that of a feminine body this time around.
===Castlevania Chronicles===
Dryads are the very first enemies encountered in the Courtyard and appear all throughout the first section of the level. They retain their usual means of attack by protruding from dead trees in an attempt to surprise the player.
===Castlevania: Circle of the Moon===
Dryads in Circle of the Moon deviate from their usual portrayal and instead appear as monstrous tree trunks which, along with their branches, give them a humanoid appearance that boasts a face contorting in pain.
They are only encountered in a long tunnel of the Underground Warehouse which leads back to the Catacomb. They are mobile this time around, although they move very slowly and resort in spewing giant spores that travel across the ground to inflict Plant damage. While not particularly difficult to avoid, they can become a nuisance should the player let their spores populate the screen.
===Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow===
A most faithful depiction of the mythological nymph, the Dryad in Aria of Sorrow appears as a female torso protruding from a dead tree trunk, with its long branches playing the role of hands. They are found in the Underground Reservoir guarding the secret path to the Forbidden Area.
Unlike their Circle of the Moon counterparts, they remain stationary this time around and only resort on hurling three persimmons which they grow themselves at Soma. If one of these manages to connect, it will stick to him for a short time and deal small but constant damage until it disappears. This attack is the only one in the entire game which does not cancel Soma's bat transformation.
Gaining dominance over its soul grants Soma the Drain Seed ability, which allows him to hurl the same kind of fruits at enemies to deal damage and transfer their HP to himself.
==Item Data==
==Gallery==
Super Castlevania IV - Dryad - 01.png|Wood from the All About Akumajō Dracula guide for Super Castlevania IV.
AoS 071.png|Dryad enemy list entry from Aria of Sorrow.
King of the Dryads MR Beta Bestiary.JPG|King of the Dryads beta bestiary entry from Moonlight Rhapsody.
==Trivia==
*In the French version of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow, another plant-based enemy known as the Treant was renamed "Dryade" instead, probably because of an error by the localization team due to the similarity between both monsters.
Category:Female Monsters
Category:Greek Monsters
Category:Plant Monsters
Category:Spirits
Category:Aria of Sorrow Enemies
Category:Chronicles Enemies
Category:Circle of the Moon Enemies
Category:Haunted Castle Enemies
Category:Moonlight Rhapsody Enemies
Category:Super Castlevania IV Enemies