"H-hello? Mr. Meadran?"

Well it would have been rude, not to return his greeting.

"HO HO! I HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO DO THAT IN A LONG TIME." He had toned down the volume some, but a giant Tree Person? He had a lot of bass.

A talking tree. A tree that can talk! That was pretty cool.

"It was funny. I guess everyone where you are from knows about you?" I got back to my feet and brushed myself off.

"YES. AT LEAST OF MY KIND. YOUNG ONE TOUCH MY BARK, SO WE MIGHT BETTER INTERFACE."

Huh? I kind of wanted to touch him anyway. A talking Tree!

The bark was warm and gave off a current of the same kind of tingles as the blue flames. Was that Mana?

[ Adjusting...]

[ Tree of Life Meadran is connected to the Great Tree Network.

Options:

Choose Class

Raise Level

Create Wisp ]

'Ah, better, now we can communicate like this, up to a distance of 50 miles.' In my head his voice sounded kind of like my Old Gramps. It was bizarrely comforting.

"That is much better, Thank You!" Maybe, I could start getting some answers.

'You need not speak, Young One. With concentration your thoughts can reach me.' I got a sense of amusement in his, thoughts?, that bubbled into the air around us.

I sighed, no I couldn't hold back any longer.

'Mr. Meadran what is going on?' I'm sure my frustration was carried over in my thoughts.

'Oh right, you were picked by {THEM}." (This is going to be hard to describe, {} will denote Layered Words or Thoughts. You hear the word but multiple meanings are forced into the same space. Even this way of looking at it isn't quite accurate. In this case the layered meanings are, Annoyance, Grief, Sorrow, Obligation, and faintly Hope. There won't be too much of this, but it will be important when it happens.)

I wobbled this was like someone pushed me from every side, but in my head. 'Ouch.'

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'Sorry, they are like that. They just understand what they need to understand and forget or can't imagine that other species can't do the same.' He paused, I could feel a sense of loss in the air now.

'We, but mostly you, are here to Grow, Adapt and Propagate, in order to return Harmony to this Corrupted World. Mana and by extension Life must be spread and defended, so that the Planet itself might Reawaken.' I could kind of see what he was talking about in my head, a verdant World full of massive trees and huge megafauna.

'So "Save the Planet" but for real?' I tried to show him all the bullshit I had encountered in the past.

He chuckled, that was a neat thing. A tree chuckle, in my head.

'Yes, exactly so. You have been given options for spreading Life, yes. But also you have been given options for War. I imagine the people of this World will not let you carry out your task peacefully.'

'War, I'm an Electrician, I don't know anything about War, I barely know anything about fighting.' Panic, yeah that's panic. I sat down.

'Fear not, Young One. We shall teach you.' He projected peace at me, or at least I think that's what he did. I started feeling better.

[ You are not Alone. ]

'Now we have to get you a Class, and the rest of your Starting Package. Then you have to meet the Other side of your forces.'

'Choose Class'

[ Class Options.

Please note you may change your Class in certain circumstances.

You may also Multiclass. ]

[ Druid of Balance

+2 to Will

+3 to Spirit

A Druid of Balance keeps the natural world in order. Removing Corrupting Influences.

Starting Spells: Moonfire, Blessing of Elune ]

[ Druid of Renewal

+1 to Will

+4 to Spirit

A Druid of renewal heals the land, makes clean the polluted.

Starting Spell: Regrowth, Blessing of Nordrassil ]

[ Druid of Extremes

+3 to Will

+2 to Spirit

A Druid of Extremes finds the Middle by adding pressure at the Ends.

Starting Spells: Sunfire, Blessing of Terra ]

'So I'm going to be a Druid then? I mean I've heard the name, but I have no clue what it means.' I felt like I was getting shoehorned again, a forced choice isn't a choice.

'To be a Druid is to seek Wisdom. Understanding not just knowing is the goal of a Druid. For example, you know I am a tree, but do you understand what it is to be a tree?' I had activated his teaching mode.

Being a tree. Well, no, I couldn't say I understood a tree's perspective.

'Seeking that understanding is the primary difference between a Druid and say a Wizard, Arcanist or Mage. Knowing is their struggle and passion. For a Druid, it is not enough. You might never gain the breadth of knowledge of a Wizard but you will live and breathe with what you do know.'

Yeah, that kind of went over my head.

'Well it is better experienced than explained. Many Animals follow the path of the Druid, if they find their minds expanded. So learning by doing is the best.' He was poking fun at me.

I was already sitting down, so I took my time and thought about it. So far, I got that I was here to heal the World, somehow. So it seemed best to be a Healer. It also sounded like I would get some kind of troops to protect things and hopefully me.

Yeah, and if I don't like it I could change it.

'Druid of Renewal.'

[Adjusting...]

Green energy rose from the Earth and sank into me. Everything burned, but in that good way, like after a great workout. Of course, that a little messed up when it happens in your eyeballs, and other places that don't have muscles. It kept going.

[ You have gained +1 Will

You have gained +4 Spirit

You have gained the Ability: Mana Sense

You have gained the Ability: See Ley Line

You have gained the Ability: Shape Mana

You have gained the Skill: Ritual at rank 1

You have gained the Skill: Concentration at rank 1 ]

'HA HA, Welcome Ryan Crestwood Newest Druid of Renewal.'

I passed out for a moment.