IC WRITING. HCS. STUDY. VISUALS. PINTEREST. MEMES.
DISCLAIMER. i take inspiration from general fantasy and, especially, dungeons and dragons when it comes to magic and druids. my portrayal is heavily headcanon influenced and doesn’t take the netflix series into account.
SUMMARY
i. (druid, healer, royal advisor) born and raised on the skellige islands by the local circle of druids after his mother, wounded and on the run, gave birth to him deep into the forest of ard skellig and disappeared soon after. the druids raised him and taught him the principles of druidism, how to honor nature and how to use her gifts. he was admitted in the circle upon his coming of age and, once his training was officially deemed complete, he traveled the continent for years, lending his aid to other circles and learning from the wisdom of their hierophants. soon after his return to the islands, he entered the service of the tuirseach family. he was appointed head of the skellige circle in 1213, when he was around 50 years old and deemed wise and experienced enough (not only in matters of magic and religion, but also diplomacy and relations to the continent as a whole).
ii. while his rather thin frame makes him less imposing than most men of the islands, his gaze has managed to make far bulkier skelliger man wither where they stood. his dark hair and beard are both steadily graying, albeit at a slower rate than the norm. he has the habit of keeping his hair bound, otherwise they would reach past his shoulders. FC: hiroyuki sanada.
iii. his magic comes from the land around him, but it is not merely taking. an equal exchange takes place: what he uses he must restore, giving his own energy to the land. spells of higher power, therefore, require a greater cost. he often uses a yew staff to channel his magic, rather than a wand. he favors defensive and healing spells. used if pressed, his offensive spells can have a devastating effect and revolve aroud nature and the elements. most notable examples — branches turned into whips. inner plant growth. wheater manipulation. he can also turn into a bear for both defensive and offensive purposes (technically, he could turn into any animal he has seen before, but he has more affinity for earth bound creatures and bears most of all. he could try, say, a falcon, but the results wouldn't be optimal).
iv. despite being human, he stopped aging regularly around the age of 50. from then on, he physically ages one year each ten. in default verses he is around 89-100 years old. only druids who reach the peak of their abilities may be granted such slow aging, through many years of study and application. it would be easy to presume that emíl would dislike winter, given how it generally worsens his health, and causes pain and inflammation in his joints to flare more. however, he considers winter part of the natural cycle of life, thus not to be disdained simply because it makes his life harder. besides, he has a deep fondness for yuletide and would be loathe to miss it.
v. as a druid, but even more keenly as the hierophant of the circle, he is connected to the land of skellige. he doesn't influence it, for that would mean overstepping the boundaries between man and nature, yet he can feel when its health wavers, when harm comes to it. one of his duties is to protect it.
