Verdant Sphere

**The Verdant Sphere** druid circle once stood proudly as devout protectors of Vari, the Natural World and She Who Breathes Life. Since the Severance, their mission has been to try and restore the World to what it once was, in a never ending battle against the entropy caused by void. It has extended beyond that of druids, all that revere the natural world, or those who's life has been devastated by the void, are welcome within the protection of the sphere.

The circle was formed 544 years before a The Severance, during a time which is now considered the Forgotten Age. The reason this exact date is known, is that the a journal of the first Archdruid, Korbek Gristlemaw, has been passed down through the ages to each Archdruid that has followed. He predicted that, after his death, a great Severance if then planes would occur and change the very world we live in. He predicted it down to the very year, which was 544 years after the Verdant Sphere was formed.

Void Rifts, or Tears, open in seemingly random locations of the wild, unleashing devastating dark energies and entities that destroy the natural order of things. Monsters pour through, and the Verdant Sphere stand to send them back, restoring the corruption left by the abominations of the Void and sealing the portals from which they emerge.

**The Verdant Sphere** spend a lot of their time that is not taken up sealing Void Tears and killing Void entities, teaching druids and other interested and caring people, the ways of nature and healing those afflicted by The Void's darkness, giving them a place to call home.

The Verdant Sphere make no secret that they great care and effort to guard and protect the Mater Abor**.** A lone, giant tree that grows in the midst of the barren rocky expanse that is the The Laughing Wasteland, south of Emberwind and east of Courtwald. It is four to five hundred feet tall, about 30 feet in diameter and the lowest branches are approximately three hundred feet from the ground, with a lush, leafed canopy defying the desolate bleak environment surrounding it. It is surrounded by verdant grass about ten to fifteen feet from it, which grows out a hundred feet or so during the night and then retracts during the day.

The tree was first recognised in 045AS, by **Archdruid Serro Cedarheart**, former leader of the Verdant Sphere. Serro proclaimed that this tree was growing at a rate beyond anything anyone would consider natural and that it must be a gift from Vari herself. During her proclamation, gentle warm rain fell from the sky and gave life to beautiful grasses and flowers around the tree. It was named Mater Abor (Mother Tree) in reference to the Life Mother that gifted it to them.

The sphere actively preserve the creatures natural to the world and try to protect nature in all its forms. In particular their circle has a close kinship with three animals, Owls, Cats and Bears. The druids of these sphere that these animals share a special connection to the Life Mother, which is why they can often be found within old sacred druid groves or living peacefully near the Mater Abor.

Many of the Sphere are Elves, Tauren and Centaur, but all with a connection to nature, or a past scarred by the void, are welcome amongst their ranks to learn, heal and help Vari become a better place. Today, the Sphere is lead by their ancient and very wise Tauren leader, Archdruid Nalarn Autumnwind.

### Notable Members

* Archdruid Nalarn Autumnwind
* Keeper Viriscent Florasong
* Guardian Ekko'su of the Emerald Skull Tribe

As bound by the Faction's Accord, **The Verdant Sphere** are responsible for the following remits:

* Sealing Tears to the Void & Tracking and Hunting Void Entities
* Preventing a Second Severance
* Ensuring Natural Balance Across Vari
* The Regulation and Teaching of Druids

### Rank

* Hopeful - New Recruits
* Watcher
* Vigilant
* Guardian
* Keeper
* Archdruid - The Faction Leader

**Faction Benefits:**

Your chosen faction provides you will a set of additional starting equipment, in addition to that which is granted by your class. Including gold.

* a writing kit (small pouch with a quill, ink, folded parchment, and a small penknife)
* a wooden icon of The Life Mother (considered druidic and holy)
* a set of common clothes
* a hunting trap
* a pouch of herbs
* a pouch of animal feed (of your choice)
* a walking stick (quarterstaff)
* 5 sticks of incense
* a belt pouch containing 3 gp
* Feature: Druidic Wanderer

**Druidic Wanderer**

You have an excellent memory for maps and geography, and you can always recall the general layout of terrain, settlements, and other features around you. In addition, you can find food and fresh water for yourself and up to five other people each day, provided that the land offers berries, small game, water, and so forth.

As deemed in the Faction's Accord, benefits are awarded for progression through the rank system of all factions in Vari.

* **Hopeful:**
	+ **[ Teachings of Vari ]** You know the cantrip Druidcraft and one other Druid cantrip of your choice, for which Wisdom is your spellcasting modifier. You gain proficiency in Nature plus your choice of one from among Insight, Survival or Religion. You gain one Language of your choice.
	+ **[ Cirilia's Blessing ]** With the blessing of the moon Cirilia, you are able to cast the invisibility spell once using this feature and only after dusk. Wisdom is your spellcasting modifier for the spell and it requires no components. You are unable to cast it again until the next dusk.
	+ **[ Vari's Warmth]** With the blessing of Vari, You have a pool of **three d6 solar dice**. You regain these dice everyday at dawn. While you are in direct natural sunlight during the day, you can:
		- Use a bonus action to magically heal a target with Vari's life essence, choose a target within 30ft and expend a number of solar dice equal to your level or lower. Roll the dice, the target receives hit points equal to the result dice rolled.
		- Make a range spell attack against a visible target within 30ft, expending a number of solar dice equal to your level or lower. (You must declare how many dice your are expending before you roll to hit.) If you hit, roll the dice you have expended. The target takes damage equal to the dice plus your spellcasting ability modifier. You can use Wisdom, Intelligence or Charisma as your spell casting ability modifier for this ability.
* **Watcher:**
	+ **[ Further Teachings of Vari ]** The teachings of the verdant sphere have given you further understanding of the natural world of Vari. When you make a Nature check to understand something about the natural world of Vari, you may add your Wisdom modifier to the result. You gain proficiency in one of the following: Insight, Perception, Religion or Survival. In addition, you now have **six d6 solar dice**.
	+ Your choice of one of the following Amulets:
		- **[ Amulet of the Observant Owl ]** This small wooden disc is an amulet is carved in the likeness of a wise and observant owl. If you use an action to speak the command word and while placing your hand on a living tree that has reached maturity, you summon a fey spirit that takes the form of an Owl on one of the tree's branches. The Owl is a beast, but also a fey creature and it is friendly to you and your companions. It understands your languages and obeys your spoken commands. If you issue no commands, the creature remains perched in the branches of the tree and watches for danger, calling out to you if it spots a threat. Without a command, the owl defends itself, but takes no other actions. The owl can remain for 8 hours after which it vanishes. It must stay within 100ft of the tree you summoned it in at all times or it vanishes. While touching the tree, the Owl allows you to cast the **beast sense** spell on it at will, however, you must continue to touch the tree or you lose connection to the spell. Once the Owl has been summoned, it can't be summoned again until 2 days have passed.
		- **[ Amulet of the Graceful Cat ]** This small wooden figurine is an amulet is carved in the likeness of a cautious and graceful cat. If you use an action to speak the command word, you summon a fey spirit that takes the form of a cat, within 30ft of you in an unoccupied space. The cat is a beast, but also a fey creature and it is friendly to you and your companions. It understands your languages and obeys your spoken commands. If you issue no commands, the cat defends itself, but takes no other actions. The cat can remain for 1 hour after which it vanishes. The cat allows you to cast the **animal messenger** spell on it at will. Once the cat has been summoned, it can't be summoned again until 1 day has passed.
		- **[ Amulet of the Ferocious Bear ]** This small wooden totem is an amulet is carved in the likeness of a furious and angry bear. If you use an action to speak the command word, you summon a fey spirit that takes the form of a brown bear within 30ft of you in an unoccupied space. The bear is a beast, but also a fey creature and it is friendly to you and your companions. It understands your languages and obeys your spoken commands. If you issue no commands, the bear defends itself or you and your companions, but takes no other actions. The bear can remain for 8 hours after which it vanishes. The bear allows you to cast the **Barkskin** spell on it at will. Once the bear has been summoned, it can't be summoned again until 5 days have passed.
* **Vigilant:** **[ Sprig of the Mater Arbor ]**
	+ - +1 Magical Quarterstaff - Made from a branch of the Mater Arbor, This staff has 7 charges. While holding it, you can use an action and expend 1 charge to speak its command word. For the next minute, you know the direction of the nearest creature hostile to you within 60 feet, but not its distance from you. The staff can sense the presence of hostile creatures that are ethereal, invisible, disguised, or hidden, as well as those in plain sight. The effect ends if you stop holding the staff. The staff regains 1d6 + 1 expended charges daily at dawn. If you expend the staff's last charge, roll a d20. On a 1, the staff crumbles into ashes and is destroyed.
* **Guardian:** *Unknown*
* **Keeper:** *Unknown*

> "Do you know the teachings of Vari, child? It means finding beauty in imperfection. Those who live by this philosophy understand the transience of nature, accept the cycle of life and death, and derive joy from this truth. To understand nature is to understand the great cycle of all things. A blooming flower will someday return to the earth to fuel new seeds. The sun sets each day, to rise again and give new life. Our order is dedicated to understanding and preserving the continuation of this pattern.” — Archdruid Nalarn Autumnwind
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