The Great City of Alutrel sits on a plateau overlooking the barren expanse known as the Wastes. It hadn't always been so - the Wastes (or the Wilds as they were then known) were once brimming with life and the magical force we call Spirit. Then, for unknown reasons, the Spirit started draining away and, with it, life. In response, the city Council put up protective Wards to help its inhabitants survive with whatever resources they had left.
Alutrel's Citizens are its best resource, and the Council soon noticed that some people had the unusual ability to channel their Spirit outwards and could use it to restore other’s. The Council created the Academy to study this phenomenon, and through intensive research it developed energy Crystals. Once imbued with Spirit and placed in an area of power (also known as a natural Shrine), these minerals could restore Spirit to a large area of land and everything in it at once.
The Academy began to train gifted individual to become Druids - envoys of Alutrel who travel throughout the Wastes with energy Crystals, placing them in natural Shrines in order to restore Spirit and allow life to thrive once more.
You entered the Academy the same way everyone else did: by Decree of the Council. It wasn’t the worst - after all, life at the Academy was one of relative privilege (complete with a private room, more food variety than the average Citizen and access to the best tutors). In fact, these tutors seemed to have an answer to absolutely every question, with the exception of these two:
What caused the Spirit to drain from the Wilds?
How many Druids ever made it back to Alutrel?
Druid is an exploration-focussed solo tabletop role playing game that is guided by Firelights and created as part of the Firelights Jam. It also draws significant inspiration from the danger clock mechanic developed by Cezar Capacle for Derelict Delvers.
In order to play Druid, you will need a standard deck of 52 cards, two six-sided dice and a marker of your choice.