E. Mindoth’s Tower
Historical Overview

It is widely believed that Druids first appeared in Shaintar in 1000 B.C. (before Covenants). Indeed, there exists a few remaining  scrolls to support the belief that druids emerged from the time marking The Age of Peace. The Evergreen Scrolls tell of early wanderings of druids who walked the length and breadth of the land in service of doing penance for the evils and harm that came from the long period of minor wars that ravaged Shaintar. For many hundreds of years, druids traveled  individually or sometimes in small groups bringing aid and healing to the land and those who needed it. 

It wasn’t until 1132 A.C. (after Covenants) that the Druids had to come together as an organized group  to halt a natural disaster which had already caused much destruction and taken hundreds of  lives. The gathered druids consisting of mostly  Eldakar & dwarves, some Alakar and humans, and even, surprisingly, some brinchie were able to calm the erupting volcano, called Bloodstone. Some scholars heavily debate that brinchie were part of the druidic gathering  stating that brinchie were still under the stigmatized belief that they are Childer not to mention that their chaotic nature and temper do not lend well to followers of the Path. For more information, you can consult my tome titled ‘Brinchie Through the Ages’. The druids, true to their mantra of “do no lasting harm”,  did not destroy the nature of the volcano. Instead they  tempered it and the volcano became dormant. With the crisis abated, the gathered druids began discussions which lead to the founding of the Druidic Council. Mindoth was chosen as the first speaker of the Council. Given the fact that the volcano’s  location  lent itself well to a stronghold and of the abilities of the druids to calm its volatile nature , the Druidic Council took up permanent residence there. The volcano henceforth became  known as Mindoth’s Tower in 1135 A.C .

From 1135 A.C. to the present, Mindoth’s Tower has served to promote the tenets of the Ascended by functioning  as a school to guide followers of the Path ,as a neutral meeting ground where nobles, freemen, and warlords can come to an accord, offer assistance to organizations & governing bodies, and operating as watchmen looking for any activity from servants of Flame & Darkness that may signal yet another cataclysmic war. Even so, with all the important roles Mindoth’s Tower has and continues to play, since its conception it has gained recognition in an unforeseen way. Due to the rich volcanic soil, the lands of Peacewood have yielded  bountiful crops of fruits, vegetables, and even a truly fine full-bodied wine (unlike wines harvested in Fae lands which are light, airy, and without much substance to please the palate)! In 1321 A.C. the town of Syraignon consisting of mostly farming and one winery sprang up. It remains largely the same today, with it’s residences looking forward to what they have termed (much to the chagrin of the Druids) “the Bloodletting”. The Druids allow the volcano to vent it’s nature every 80 years or so through very tightly controlled supervision. This relieves pressurized buildup from the volcano and also serves to once again enrich the soil. A process that the Druids see as a natural cycle of life. 

                                                                                       Jonkeph Skein
                                                                                       Shaintar: Yesteryears and Today