Entry 1: Mycological Druidism
Druidism is the art and practice of communing with nature.
Nature does not take kindly to those who take and do not give back. The cycle of life is demonstrated as such. Without life, there is no death. Without death, there is no life. The mighty kodo must fall to the cunning wolf of the plains, just as the same wolf births kits that thrive. The Earthmother grants us the blessings of life—the trees that bear fruit for us, their bark to be used as tools and kindling, their leaves as shade and clothing. As shu'halo, and as druids, this is the great circle that brings us closer to the Earthmother and her ways.
Above is all I was taught, and what most shu'halo are taught, when we are very young calves. Disrupting this balance throws our world into despair. Thus, the nature of what happened just two nights ago seems unnatural yet obvious.
I was called to aid in the teachings of one fledgling druid, Hokyamani Flathoof, by Krahruk. Those who know Hokyamani know that her spirit is tethered here on Azeroth. She is unfortunate to receive the curse of undeath, and she was denied a comfortable rest with the Earthmother. Despite her condition, Krahruk had a plan to discover if she was at all able to have a connection with the Earthmother even now. A simple pinecone test: she was to help it bloom, and the seeds inside shall bear fruit.
She was able to make it bloom. In my opinion, that was incredible in and of itself. Bringing the pinecone to open and expose its seeds allowed me at least to see that the Earthmother still speaks to her. With more time though, the pinecone disintegrated in her hands and she became upset, running away from Krahruk and I. On second thought, perhaps her being a death knight accelerated the life cycle of this pinecone and caused it to die, but I believe the pinecone should have immediately settled to dust once she touched it. I digress.
I ran to find her in the cave below the Spirit Rise. There, if you're unfamiliar, is where many Forsaken and a couple shu'halo practice their arts, be it magic or demonic. She was injured, and once she rose to her hooves, the strangest occurrence happened. Mushrooms had sprouted from her body, specifically at her shoulders and arms, and she breathed with spores. Admittedly, it was too much for me and I had to keep my distance, but she seemed calmer. Much calmer in fact, that she recognized I was ill and looked at me with neutral disinterest for a moment. She repeated the same thing, calling me Chieftain Skyheart and declaring I was ill. After some time, she appeared to "wake" and told me she felt them in her head. She described them as whispers. At first, I would have thought perhaps the lurking, recent Twilight cultist activity was to blame (I am still a little suspicious of it). It appeared that the mushrooms had found their way into her brain and speak through her.
I have never seen anything like it before. It almost appeared to be puppetry, of someone else pulling the strings for her. She looked exhausted from it, and thankfully she got home safely.
What could this mean for druidism as a whole? Perhaps controversially, in my opinion—nothing. We commune with nature, honor its cycle, and persist with it, both as druids and shu'halo. Mycocultures have long been known to bring beauty to death. Mushrooms are often symbiotic, sometimes parasitic, and grow where wood rots or plants soften. They are also equally as important in the greater ecosystem. Many animals eat mushrooms as part of their staple diets, and many genera of mushrooms aid forests in regrowth. In fact, this has been seen in the aftermath of the Cataclysm in the Southern Barrens, in the jungles of Feralas, and even in the forests of Silverpine. I know of a few druids as well that use mushrooms to their advantage, seeking them out specifically for healing. At times, though, they may sometimes require more energy from the healer. I have no experience with this, but I welcome any thoughts and discourse.
I hope Hokyamani continues her journey and doesn't get discouraged. I know many druids reading this remember struggling to get a form just so, or can't use specific forms (such as myself; those who know me understand I am unable to assume any type of bear form!). I think it's best to be patient, to allow the Earthmother to speak even to those who are deaf. She has been there for us—why would she forsake a departed daughter? To expect it is to expect that our spirits may only go one way. What then? Shall we assume all undead shu'halo share the same curse of a broken bond with the Earthmother, An'she, or Mu'sha? The Earthmother's eyes still watch over them, just as they do for us still living.
Until my next entry.
Chieftain Taina Skyheart
