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Description
As I go about my journeys through the many lands, a lot of people ask me why I do it. Why do I travel to so many different places? Why do I put myself through frozen plains, roving bands of mercenaries, war zones and the occasional aggressive specimens? Being away from my home for years on end, relying on my skills, luck and the goodwill of others to survive. To them I say, it is because I am a natural historian! It is my duty to discover and record the many different creatures and beasts that roam this world. To learn more about these beings and spread this knowledge to those around me. As well as learn more about the different cultures that can be found throughout the world, from the frozen plains to the Underworld. And also all the myths and legends that they have! Touring their villages and learning more about their lifestyles. Seeing the different ecosystems and habitats. Okay, maybe I am more than a natural historian....

Regardless, my main focus is to learn more about different species and creatures that can be found across the globe. My mission is to record them all, a most likely impossible task, but I am game to give it a shot. And with a goal like that, what better species to start with than the one I belong to! Many natural historians don't see it as a valid entry due to bias, but I feel that it is still something that should be said. After all, I have been recording so many other Dryad species, why not mine?

Common Dryads, as the name suggests, are the most common species of Dryad one can find. We live in a variety of habitats and environments, but mainly stick to temperate climates. Compared to other species of Dryad, we kind of look bland. We lack spines, claws, armored bark or any kind of specific adaptation that the others have developed. This is due to the fact that we choose to live in non-hostile environments, and thus do not require a lot to get us through. We don't need to worry about extreme winters or scarcity of water, so we just kind of stayed as we were. And I, for one, don't see us bland, but more as a base! The base of which all other Dryads split off from! I do believe we are the species that is the closest to our ancestors, but we did undergo a lot of changes from then til now. But enough about that!

Common Dryads and all Dryads are plant-based creatures, with our traits and form matching those of a tree or a flower more than that of a dog or human. We feed off the sun by absorbing light through our head caps/plants and any other green areas of our body. We get a good chunk of energy and food from sunlight, but due to our more mobile nature, it isn't enough. To get more energy and nutrients we pull it from the soil with our roots, as well as consume food. Dryads do indeed have organs, and a stomach is one of them! Our digestive system is like that of an omnivore's, so we can eat both plants and animals. Yes, we eat plants, I don't know why everyone makes a big deal about that. Humans eat meat! They are made of meat and eat meat! How is that okay for them, but not us? I get so confused with people some times...

Anyways, Common Dryads are very social creatures and thus congregate in towns and villages. There can be nomadic tribes or Dryads who go solo (like me!), but most of them prefer to be in groups. Due to our friendly nature, it does not matter who is in the group. Common Dryads are more than happy to be with other Dryad species, and often you will find a variety of Dryads in a single village. We can also make our homes in villages of other species, like humans and slimes! But when it comes to a Dryad village, we build them within forests. Through use of magic and plant intuition, we can shape the trees and plants around us to craft homes, buildings and resources needed to run a village. We will indeed chop down certain plants, but we do our best to keep our villages natural and living! Years of research and cultivation have allowed us to craft plants into lights, furniture and other things for us to use. And what we can't grow, we build manually or trade with other species.

Overall, Dryads are a pretty friendly race. We always welcome others into our villages with open arms and are happy to help others. We do not look to harm or attack people who have done nothing to us. Dryads, overall, have sworn to a peaceful lifestyle and prefer to keep things non-violent. By that, we mean that we will not start battles or wars. We will not bring harm to kind visitors within our villages. We will look to help where we can and aid those in need. When we hunt or kill, it is not with cruelty, but with necessity. Bet that sounds weird, huh? That is quite the misconception people have with us Dryads. They hear "peaceful" and instantly assume that we are a pacifist race. Wrong. It just means that we are not the aggressors. We don't start unnecessary violence. But if someone attacks us, wrongs us or looks to harm those we care about, we will fight back. You come into our village with your bandit buddies, looking to loot and steal, you'll be in for a bad time. Cause we will fight you. We totally will. And don't think that we have sworn of killing, cause we are fine with doing that too. You snatch a sapling from her mother's arms and you will get a knife in the eye socket. We are peaceful, but we very much believe in self defense.

Another important thing about Dryads, and a topic that has a lot of misinformation too, is our gender and reproduction. If you have been around a group of Dryads, you will know what I am talking about. You will hear them call each other "sister," no matter what species or sub-species they are. Dryads call each other "sister," and say things like "her" and "she." With this, many people believe that we are an all female species, with no males to be found. This is incorrect. On a biological level, we aren't even males or females. We are monoecious. In basic terms, we have the reproductive organs of both a male and female. Any Dryad can pollinate another Dryad, as well as birth a seedling. It is a reproductive strategy that has helped our kind spread throughout the globe. With such a biological make-up, we technically aren't males or females. So why do we refer to each other as females? Well it has to do with our culture colliding with other species and other societies. Almost all of the other sentient beings we run into have defined genders: male and female. Even the animals I study have this distinction. To them, females are the ones who bear child, and are responsible for raising them. So when they learn that all Dryads can have seedlings, their minds snap to "female" and refer to us as such. To add to it, our race naturally has higher pitched voices and mannerisms that others see as "feminine."So over the years, our kind has just gotten used to being seen as females, and have adopted it to our own culture. Other Dryads that are not related to us are called "sisters," while siblings are referred to as "seed sisters." Parents are "mother," and the children often use different terms like "mama" and "mom" to differentiate between the two. The parent that births the seedling is called the "birth mother," while the other is the "seed mother." But no sapling calls their parents that. they just stick to "ma" or "mom." In short, Dryads just decided to refer to each other as females. We just got used to it and it has ingrained itself into our society. Does it biologically make sense? Kind of sort of maybe, but that is how it is.

Now that it has been said that we are monoecious and refer to each other as females, you would think there are no male Dryads. Incorrect again! Because once again, our female label is just that, a label. We call each other sister and mother because we choose to. Well, in some cases, there have been Dryads who have felt like they are more of a male than female. Something about the male gender appeals to them, or fits better, and thus they want to be seen as such. They will look to be referred to as "he" or "him" and will often change their name and dress to fit the male role better. Are they truly males? No, since they can conceive seedlings just like the rest of us. But once again, we aren't truly females either. It is just what they feel comfortable with. This desire to be male, though, is rare in our kind. In many cases, the Dryad will be too scared or nervous to make this known to others, since they don't want to be seen as "different." They just want to fit in. Sadly, Dryads who do make this change will run into a variety of social problems. Bullying, harassment, gossip and inappropriate questions will arise, from both Dryads and other species as well. It is not an easy road to go down. Thankfully, I believe we are starting to become more accepting of these changes, and are making these few feel more confident in being themselves. That being said, there are still villages where this behavior is severely frowned upon. Best to steer clear of those places.

And in the end, Dryads are adaptable to a variety of situations and ecosystems, which has allowed us to split off into many different species. To try and cover the whole scope of our kind would be too much for a single entry. But I hope that this entry at least helps one understand our race more as well as clear up some misconceptions!

Edit: I didn't think I would have to say it, but that is not me in the above drawing. Everyone is like, "you look nothing like this picture!" and of course I don't because that is not me. Why would I draw myself for an entry about my species? It's egotistical! No, that is Arica. She was a town guard that I rented a room from during one of my stays in another Dryad village.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-----------------------------------

You think I would have made this entry sooner. Going about all these different kinds of Dryad, and never really hit on the most basic kind.

And Dryads being monoecious has always been a part of the plan. Yes, they call each other sister and are seen as female, but when it comes to reproduction, they can breed with one another. Some plants in the real world reproduce like this. Why do I have them seen as primarily female, despite being essentially plant hermaphrodites? I don't know if I could fully describe why. Fiction has plenty of instances of single gender species, and they often receive some label. And we as humans often assign gender labels to things that don't even have any, like boats and cars. I just feel that it would be something Dryads run into so many times, that they adopted it into their cultural.

Apologies if this entry hits any sore spots. I am not trying to say anything, I am just trying to make a species out of a dumb drawing I did.

Description
As I go about my journeys through the many lands, a lot of people ask me why I do it. Why do I travel to so many different places? Why do I put myself through frozen plains, roving bands of mercenaries, war zones and the occasional aggressive specimens? Being away from my home for years on end, relying on my skills, luck and the goodwill of others to survive. To them I say, it is because I am a natural historian! It is my duty to discover and record the many different creatures and beasts that roam this world. To learn more about these beings and spread this knowledge to those around me. As well as learn more about the different cultures that can be found throughout the world, from the frozen plains to the Underworld. And also all the myths and legends that they have! Touring their villages and learning more about their lifestyles. Seeing the different ecosystems and habitats. Okay, maybe I am more than a natural historian....

Regardless, my main focus is to learn more about different species and creatures that can be found across the globe. My mission is to record them all, a most likely impossible task, but I am game to give it a shot. And with a goal like that, what better species to start with than the one I belong to! Many natural historians don't see it as a valid entry due to bias, but I feel that it is still something that should be said. After all, I have been recording so many other Dryad species, why not mine?

Common Dryads, as the name suggests, are the most common species of Dryad one can find. We live in a variety of habitats and environments, but mainly stick to temperate climates. Compared to other species of Dryad, we kind of look bland. We lack spines, claws, armored bark or any kind of specific adaptation that the others have developed. This is due to the fact that we choose to live in non-hostile environments, and thus do not require a lot to get us through. We don't need to worry about extreme winters or scarcity of water, so we just kind of stayed as we were. And I, for one, don't see us bland, but more as a base! The base of which all other Dryads split off from! I do believe we are the species that is the closest to our ancestors, but we did undergo a lot of changes from then til now. But enough about that!

Common Dryads and all Dryads are plant-based creatures, with our traits and form matching those of a tree or a flower more than that of a dog or human. We feed off the sun by absorbing light through our head caps/plants and any other green areas of our body. We get a good chunk of energy and food from sunlight, but due to our more mobile nature, it isn't enough. To get more energy and nutrients we pull it from the soil with our roots, as well as consume food. Dryads do indeed have organs, and a stomach is one of them! Our digestive system is like that of an omnivore's, so we can eat both plants and animals. Yes, we eat plants, I don't know why everyone makes a big deal about that. Humans eat meat! They are made of meat and eat meat! How is that okay for them, but not us? I get so confused with people some times...

Anyways, Common Dryads are very social creatures and thus congregate in towns and villages. There can be nomadic tribes or Dryads who go solo (like me!), but most of them prefer to be in groups. Due to our friendly nature, it does not matter who is in the group. Common Dryads are more than happy to be with other Dryad species, and often you will find a variety of Dryads in a single village. We can also make our homes in villages of other species, like humans and slimes! But when it comes to a Dryad village, we build them within forests. Through use of magic and plant intuition, we can shape the trees and plants around us to craft homes, buildings and resources needed to run a village. We will indeed chop down certain plants, but we do our best to keep our villages natural and living! Years of research and cultivation have allowed us to craft plants into lights, furniture and other things for us to use. And what we can't grow, we build manually or trade with other species.

Overall, Dryads are a pretty friendly race. We always welcome others into our villages with open arms and are happy to help others. We do not look to harm or attack people who have done nothing to us. Dryads, overall, have sworn to a peaceful lifestyle and prefer to keep things non-violent. By that, we mean that we will not start battles or wars. We will not bring harm to kind visitors within our villages. We will look to help where we can and aid those in need. When we hunt or kill, it is not with cruelty, but with necessity. Bet that sounds weird, huh? That is quite the misconception people have with us Dryads. They hear "peaceful" and instantly assume that we are a pacifist race. Wrong. It just means that we are not the aggressors. We don't start unnecessary violence. But if someone attacks us, wrongs us or looks to harm those we care about, we will fight back. You come into our village with your bandit buddies, looking to loot and steal, you'll be in for a bad time. Cause we will fight you. We totally will. And don't think that we have sworn of killing, cause we are fine with doing that too. You snatch a sapling from her mother's arms and you will get a knife in the eye socket. We are peaceful, but we very much believe in self defense.

Another important thing about Dryads, and a topic that has a lot of misinformation too, is our gender and reproduction. If you have been around a group of Dryads, you will know what I am talking about. You will hear them call each other "sister," no matter what species or sub-species they are. Dryads call each other "sister," and say things like "her" and "she." With this, many people believe that we are an all female species, with no males to be found. This is incorrect. On a biological level, we aren't even males or females. We are monoecious. In basic terms, we have the reproductive organs of both a male and female. Any Dryad can pollinate another Dryad, as well as birth a seedling. It is a reproductive strategy that has helped our kind spread throughout the globe. With such a biological make-up, we technically aren't males or females. So why do we refer to each other as females? Well it has to do with our culture colliding with other species and other societies. Almost all of the other sentient beings we run into have defined genders: male and female. Even the animals I study have this distinction. To them, females are the ones who bear child, and are responsible for raising them. So when they learn that all Dryads can have seedlings, their minds snap to "female" and refer to us as such. To add to it, our race naturally has higher pitched voices and mannerisms that others see as "feminine."So over the years, our kind has just gotten used to being seen as females, and have adopted it to our own culture. Other Dryads that are not related to us are called "sisters," while siblings are referred to as "seed sisters." Parents are "mother," and the children often use different terms like "mama" and "mom" to differentiate between the two. The parent that births the seedling is called the "birth mother," while the other is the "seed mother." But no sapling calls their parents that. they just stick to "ma" or "mom." In short, Dryads just decided to refer to each other as females. We just got used to it and it has ingrained itself into our society. Does it biologically make sense? Kind of sort of maybe, but that is how it is.

Now that it has been said that we are monoecious and refer to each other as females, you would think there are no male Dryads. Incorrect again! Because once again, our female label is just that, a label. We call each other sister and mother because we choose to. Well, in some cases, there have been Dryads who have felt like they are more of a male than female. Something about the male gender appeals to them, or fits better, and thus they want to be seen as such. They will look to be referred to as "he" or "him" and will often change their name and dress to fit the male role better. Are they truly males? No, since they can conceive seedlings just like the rest of us. But once again, we aren't truly females either. It is just what they feel comfortable with. This desire to be male, though, is rare in our kind. In many cases, the Dryad will be too scared or nervous to make this known to others, since they don't want to be seen as "different." They just want to fit in. Sadly, Dryads who do make this change will run into a variety of social problems. Bullying, harassment, gossip and inappropriate questions will arise, from both Dryads and other species as well. It is not an easy road to go down. Thankfully, I believe we are starting to become more accepting of these changes, and are making these few feel more confident in being themselves. That being said, there are still villages where this behavior is severely frowned upon. Best to steer clear of those places.

And in the end, Dryads are adaptable to a variety of situations and ecosystems, which has allowed us to split off into many different species. To try and cover the whole scope of our kind would be too much for a single entry. But I hope that this entry at least helps one understand our race more as well as clear up some misconceptions!

Edit: I didn't think I would have to say it, but that is not me in the above drawing. Everyone is like, "you look nothing like this picture!" and of course I don't because that is not me. Why would I draw myself for an entry about my species? It's egotistical! No, that is Arica. She was a town guard that I rented a room from during one of my stays in another Dryad village.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-----------------------------------

You think I would have made this entry sooner. Going about all these different kinds of Dryad, and never really hit on the most basic kind.

And Dryads being monoecious has always been a part of the plan. Yes, they call each other sister and are seen as female, but when it comes to reproduction, they can breed with one another. Some plants in the real world reproduce like this. Why do I have them seen as primarily female, despite being essentially plant hermaphrodites? I don't know if I could fully describe why. Fiction has plenty of instances of single gender species, and they often receive some label. And we as humans often assign gender labels to things that don't even have any, like boats and cars. I just feel that it would be something Dryads run into so many times, that they adopted it into their cultural.

Apologies if this entry hits any sore spots. I am not trying to say anything, I am just trying to make a species out of a dumb drawing I did.