LORE FEATURE #8 - A RANGER’S TRAINING
“The world we live in is alive. It lives and breathes and sleeps just as we do. Look to the tides, or the shifting of the moon, or the changing of the seasons, and you will see it. The Balance is a cycle, and as Rangers you are in tune with this cycle in a way no other on Eldris is. It is up to you to protect and preserve this delicate cycle, or else the Balance will be ruined.”
Lore submitted by: @roswitha-unroh
Everything in nature is cyclical. The seasons, the lunar phases, life and death itself. It all is a constant flow of energy and the Balance. To reflect this, the training of Rangers follows the flow of the energy of the seasons. As spring is a time of beginnings, most Rangers start their training then, although all are welcome to join at anytime. Each season Rangers in training are encouraged to leave Change of Season Offerings as a new course of study begins. Completing a full year is the requirement, to ensure the Ranger is exposed to all areas of learning, although they are encouraged to repeat courses. Each day of training begins and ends with an hour of meditation to reflect on the lessons learned that day and to send prayers to the Singing Tree.
The spring is a time of growth, of new life and new beginnings. As the new leaves bud and bloom on the trees, Rangers are taught to connect with nature and the Balance. The focus is on using nature magic to heal, protect, and nurture. The Balance looks out for its Rangers, and Rangers are expected to do the same in turn. During these lessons, Rangers will be expected to grow and nurture a small sapling, using nature magic to protect it from lingering frost or things that would wish it harm.
The heat of the summer sun gives warmth and energy to the world. During the long summer days Rangers begin archery training and learn about bow maintenance and how to craft arrows. The best way to become familiar with a weapon is to craft it yourself. The training culminates in an archery festival hosted on the summer solstice. While it’s mostly used as a proving ground for Rangers in training, archers from all over Eldris attend. For the rest of the summer Rangers can either continue honing their skills with the bow or focus on other means of fighting.
Autumn arrives and the leaves change colors as the unrelenting constancy of time marches on. The forests of Siften become blanketed in fragile sticks and noisy leaves. It is during this season that Rangers are taught the necessary skills for being silent and nimble. Agility races are held, as well as stalking exercises. If one can move silently and swiftly through a dead, dry forest without being detected, then one has truly mastered the agility necessary to be a Ranger.
Snow muffles the senses. It blankets the world in a quiet, pressing whiteness. Many animals hide in their burrows or dens, waiting for the nights to shorten and for the light breeze of spring to return. It is during this season that Rangers are trained in focusing their enhanced senses, their sight, sound and smell, during a time when the world is silent and sleeping. As they hone their senses, they are also tasked with speaking to the animals who stay awake during the winter months and listening to their needs. Winter is a harsh season, but having someone to rely on can make all the difference.
Once a Ranger completes their training they are free to make their own choices, so long as it preserves the Balance. Most choose to leave, finding a forest or glen to protect. Other’s strike out on their own, hoping to make a name for themself. Some even become Earthspeakers, if the timing is right. All are welcome back should the time come.
Those that do return continue the cycle of knowledge. They share what they learned during their travels, and use it to teach the next generation of Rangers. Some choose to stay year round to educate, while those that feel the call of the wild a little more strongly only stay for a season or lunar phase before continuing on their way. As long as the knowledge is passed on to ensure the cycle continues, so too can the Rangers.
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