In fantasy, druids are often portrayed as wise and knowledgeable hermits, well-learned natural scholars that have herbs and concoctions for many purposes. Their relationship with society is complex, as they may occupy an important spiritual role for their community, but may feel closer to the wild, its inhabitants, and its spirits than any tribe or clan. Some druids can even see themselves as wardens of nature, bulwark standing between the destroying force of civilization and the fragile stability of the forest. This tension between nature and society can be a rich aspect to explore for any druid player, causing conflicts and moral dilemmas to the character, and putting them at odds with more industrious and expansionist ambitions.

While the archetypal druid may be an old and soft-spoken sage worried by balance and continuity, there is also a terrifying and ruthless aspect to the natural world that can breed a very different take on such characters. Nature isn’t only about trees, peaceful lakes, verdant plains, and gentle beasts. Predation knows no pity, and its violence has nothing to envy to the ravages of war. In the eyes of the hunter, the prey is nothing but meat, or maybe practice for the young ones. A more feral druid could see the world in a similar fashion, with little place for empathy and consideration for those they consider weak or dangerous. This kind of druid may perceive civilization as a force that corrupts everything it touches with its comfort and luxury, seeing city dwellers as nothing more than domesticated cattle, made soft and dull by their lifestyle.

Likewise, the elements can be a terrifying aspect of nature. Little matches the destructive power of wildfires, thunderstorms, earthquakes, and floods. Druids can revere these forces, trying to understand the meaning behind these catastrophes, or trying to appease them to protect the ones they love. A druid could even serve as a vehicle for these ravaging forces, spreading the wrath of nature where it is deemed necessary. In a similar way, rot, decay, and disease can be seen as part of the natural cycle, bringing with them much more sinister and grotesque druids that serve this aspect of life, rejoicing in the birth of maggots and the countless fungus that feed on a carcass.