The Seeds of Life (Book)

booktype = Book (Orange) booktype2 = Book (Brown) booktype3 = Book (Black) booktype4 = Book (Brown Square) title = The Seeds of Life pagename = The Seeds of Life (Book) location = Orange book is in Isle of the Kings Library; brown book is in Thais Libraries; black book is in Ab'Dendriel Libraries; brown square book is in Edron Libraries. blurb = The story behind Dryad Raids author = returnpage = Isle of the Kings Library returnpage2 = Thais Libraries returnpage3 = Ab'Dendriel Libraries returnpage4 = Edron Libraries relatedpages = Dryad, Seeds, Rosemarie text = The Seeds of Life Spring is the time when the powers of the vital force are strongest. It is this time of the year when everything is growing and nature is vibrant of life. But not only nature is growing and giving birth, also the pure force of life is pulsating with energy and the power of creation. This energy often enters in living beings, making them stronger, healthier, and more fertile. Sometimes it enters in seeds of the most diverse plants. No one can tell what kind of plant may grow from these seeds, but many creatures instinctively feel the vital force in the seeds and collect them. Some creatures of nature think of these seeds as holy relics. They cannot stand the thought that those who they regard as defilers of nature could gain possession of such seeds. Therefore, the activity of those who see themselves as preservers of nature is unusually high in spring. Dryads and other creatures of nature who are hardly ever seen for the rest of the year suddenly appear in great numbers and often pose a threat to unwary travellers of the woods. The fact that the powers of the vital force infuse them with additional energy makes matters only worse. For some time, whole forests might be impassable while the trees seem to come alive. Roots try to snare and trap travellers, walls of rapidly growing tendrils and thorns block passages, and dryads and tree spirits ambush exhausted and tired travellers. Still, not all dryads are that hostile. Some of them are even willing to trade these special seeds for other items or help the finder to cultivate the seed into a magnificent plant. Sadly such helpful spirits are rare and as capricious as all dryads. So you never can be sure what exactly to expect from them. Stories are abound in which dryads deal seemingly peacefully with humans only to turn them into trees once they have earned their trust. Other stories tell about dryads that kidnapped humans and took them into their homes in some ancient tree where they had to work as servants forever. There are even stories about people who went to the dryads to trade with them or get some advice, and when they returned from their trips which had only lasted a few days, years or even decades had passed in their hometown. Of course most of these stories are fairy tales, exaggerations or outright lies, but mortals are well-advised to be extremely careful when dealing with dryads. implemented = 8.10