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Description
  As one can expect from a name like "Desert Dryad," this species of dryad is found primarily in deserts and other sandy, arid places. In such a hot and dry place, plants must be hardy to survive and the Desert Dryad is no exception. Their limbs are coated in thick, thorny bark, while their green skin has thickened and hardened into an almost leather-like consistency. Specialized vessels beneath their hide contain a fluid that helps keep the sun from burning their flesh as they travel and hunt during the day. One of the more obvious adaptations is their spines and needles, which they are coated in. Practically every inch of them has something sharp and pointy on it, and their roots and fingers end in razor talons. All of these prickly things are necessary for them to survive in this harsh land, as they must protect themselves from predators and those who would steal their precious water. As everyone knows, water is a valuable resource in the hot, dry desert, and every living thing within it must find and protect their water at all costs. For Desert Dryads, they primarily get their water from prey and other food sources.

  When it comes to hunting, Desert Dryads require no tools or fancy toys to help them. They have no need for weapons or traps, as their mind and body has everything to do the job. Their method of hunting can switch up depending on their needs and prey, toggling between an active pursuit style or ambush tactics. For ambushing, Desert Dryads will bury themselves in the sand until all that is visible is their head cap. With tough claws and strong limbs, these dryads can dig themselves down surprisingly fast, seemingly vanishing into the earth within seconds. With their head cap exposed, they will simple wait beneath the sand for prey to arrive. A good amount of creatures in the desert rely on cactus and other plants to get water and fluids, and they will approach this tempting meal. When prey gets close enough, the Desert Dryad will burst from the sand and snare them in their thorny arms. Sharp barbs and claws will prevent victims from escaping, and the dryad will finish them off with a savage bite. It should be noted that Desert Dryads have the strongest bite force of all dryads, capable of shearing flesh and cracking bone. The serrated, tooth-like design of their plates allow them to saw through meat and cause crippling injuries. Smaller prey can be cleaved in half with a single bite, while larger creatures often have their throats ripped out. For a more active hunt, Desert Dryads use their sense of smell to track down prey and give chase. Their ability to track scents is more refined than any other dryad species, and they can track prey seemingly for miles. When it is located, they will let out a hiss and bound after it. Due to the specialized sacs on their back and their more elongated limbs, Desert Dryads primarily move on all fours. They are capable of standing on their two feet, but they find it uncomfortable and impractical. Running with all limbs make them fast enough to chase down prey, and they will pounce on their meal with claws and plates bared. They will waste no time in tearing into the victim's flesh and inducing blood loss. They inflict serious injuries on their prey so that the animal is doomed to die even if they escape their clutches. If that happens, the dryad simple has to follow the dying creature until it finally drops. After their food as fallen, they shall gorge themselves on their meal, targeting the parts of the animal that has the most fluids. With this, Desert Dryads have a fondness for organs and similar structures, always nabbing them first during their feast.

  All the food that is consumed is digested and converted within their guts, turning all fluids into water. This liquid is first used to satiate their bodies, and then the excess is diverted into the special sacs that grow on their backs. These vessels will swell up with water, allowing the Desert Dryad to carry a good amount on their person in case things get rough. Glimpsing these spiny sacs can instantly tell you the health of the dryad, as plump full ones means that they are doing well, while deflated, shriveled ones tells that this dryad has fallen on hard times. Since these organs carry a large amount of liquid, they are tempting targets to thirsty creatures. To ward off thieves and predators, they are coated in sharp spines, making access to them difficult. Desert Dryads also have other spines and claws to fight with, and boy can they fight! Their style fits more with an angry cat than any other dryad, as they hiss, claw, bite and throw themselves at attackers. Another thing that helps deter water robbers is the special fluid their body adds to their stores. When water enters their sacs, it is mixed with a chemical that tastes incredibly sharp and foul. Since the fluid is in their own bodies, it doesn't affect the dryad at all, but those who taste it will get quite a nasty shock. Some species, though, have adapted to handle this bitter taste, and other Desert Dryads are immune to it. I say this because sometimes these dryads can be prey to other of their kind, especially during extremely harsh seasons, which means all bets are off. This however, is extremely rare, so don't go about thinking that these dryads are eager cannibals or something dumb like that.

  Due to their harsh environment and constant need to find and protect water, Desert Dryads come off as harsh and sometimes "barbaric." They are incredibly distrusting of anything that doesn't look familiar, and any nearby creature is constantly assessed to see if it is a threat or a possible food source. This paranoia is only heightened further if the dryad has a sapling with her. When they are born, Desert Dryad saplings lack the spines and thorns that their mother has, so they rely on her for protection. They will keep close by, either walking beneath their mother or clinging to her stomach. This helps hide them from predators as well as the burning sun. When prey is taken down, the mother will always let the sapling eat first, that way to insures that their offspring grows up healthy and strong. While the mother is the main guardian of their sapling, the little dryad is by no means defenseless. This is an incredibly important thing to remember about this species, and it is that you should never, never, never get too close to a Desert Dryad sapling. Due to the harsh nature of their home, Desert Dryad saplings are born with an instinct to protect themselves and lash out at threats. In case their mother cannot come to their aid, they must be able to defend themselves, and they will not hesitate to do so. Though they lack spines, they still possess claws and a very powerful bite. Those who are not careful and try to approach one of this saplings may find a hunk of their arm or leg missing, as the little one bites and spits at the presumed threat. I had one colleague who encountered this scenario once, and I believe he was quite lucky to survive. He was out in the desert studying the flora and fauna when he noticed a Desert Dryad mother and her sapling hunting on large hill of scree and rocks. Curiosity got the best of him and he went to investigate. The rest I will leave to his own words:

  "As I approached, I noticed that the two appeared to be on the hunt, no doubt searching crooks and crevices for hiding lizards and snakes. I was eager to see this hunt unfold, so I moved in for a better look. The mother must have a spotted a scurrying lizard, as she suddenly twitched and bolted off after it. As I crept closer to watch, a squawking sound caught my attention. On the slope of the hill was the sapling, who was now separated from her mother. She had tried to give chase as well, but had slipped on some smooth rocks and had slid a bit down the mound. She was now desperately trying to climb back up, but she trying to do so on a rock that was too large and smooth for her to get a grip on. The little thing was so distraught that it wasn't looking for an easier path, it just kept throwing itself at the one spot and kept sliding off its slick surface. At that point, I did something extremely stupid. Before and after the incident, it seemed infuriatingly obvious that my next actions were completely insane, but I had fallen for that common trap. That moment when you see a baby animal in trouble or distress, and you immediately go to its aid without acknowledging the danger or consequences. I did just that, approaching the floundering sapling without thinking for a second. I am not even sure what my plan was, perhaps I was going to move it to an easier path, or maybe give it a boost so that it could succeed its current ascent. I wasn't thinking at all, and the next thing I know, the little dryad had slipped once again and tumbled right into my arms. Everything happened so fast at that moment, and for a second I thought I dropped the sapling. There was a hiss and it was gone from my arms, so I assumed I accidentally dropped it and it was none too pleased. I became aware that this was not the case when my shoulder suddenly started screaming with pain. It felt like I had been stabbed, and I turned to find the sapling with its jaws buried in the meat of my shoulder. Its snarls and hisses were wet with my blood, and the stuff was gushing everywhere. I screamed and flailed as the thing latched on and savaged my arm. In a flash, the mother appeared on the hill and rushed to the two of us. She yanked her daughter off my shoulder, who was now drenched in my blood and had a few pieces of me in her mouth. I looked to the mother in shock, and she only shot back an irritated look. She pointed a clawed finger at a nearby bush, and then turned and left. Last I saw of them, the mother was stalking off with her sapling clinging to her stomach. The little one was eagerly licking my blood off itself, way too pleased with the situation for my liking. Clinging to my mauled shoulder, I crawled to the bush she pointed at and used the leaves to help plug up the wound. Turns out that the plant was known for its medicinal uses, and I am pretty sure that was the only reason I didn't die that day. After patching myself up, I immediately packed my things and left. My quest for desert fauna research had now turned to quest of finding the nearest doctor and saving my arm. Needless to say, I never returned to that desert or any one since."

Thankfully my friend survived the ordeal and recovered from his injuries but, to this day, the wounds on his shoulder still ache and slow him. That is proof there on why you never get near one of these saplings, no matter how cute they may appear or how noble your intentions are. Even saplings that are raised by Desert Dryads who have left the desert and joined other communities carry this viciousness, as it is just something they are born with. In fact, Desert Dryad saplings are banned from all nurseries and schools until they have proven to have been taught out of this behavior. Funny enough, I had one of these encounters myself, and like my friend, I fell for the same trap. During my adventures, I ran into and befriended a Desert Dryad named Candice who lived with common dryads in a forest. She had originally been from the desert, but when she was a sapling, her and her mother were abducted by hunters and sold off to a traveling show. The two were displayed like animals in a zoo, until a band of dryads slipped in one and night and freed them. Candice now lived in the forest with them, and by the time I met her, she was married and just had a sapling. During my visit, I saw her little tyke crawling about in her playpen, which was absolutely adorable. At that moment I should have realized her sapling was there because she was not allowed in the village's nursery due to her aggressive behavior, but nope. Not thinking, I reached a hand in and waggled my fingers at her to catch her attention. You know, that thing everyone does with babies, complete with baby talk. Well it succeeded catching her eye, and suddenly she lunged at me. I yanked my hand back in surprise, and the little one stopped her attack and sat there chewing on something. It took me a second to realize she had bitten off the tip of my middle finger, and was now currently eating it. Her shearing plates were so strong and sharp that I didn't even feel it. Thankfully, fingers grow back pretty fast, but I embarrassingly had to explain to Candice why her playpen now had sap everywhere.

With the mention of Candice and Desert Dryads who leave the desert, I feel now is a good time to bring up something people often ask. With Desert Dryads living in such a harsh place, people wonder why they don't just move. They are resilient, hardy and resourceful, so why not go to a land that is more lush and wet? Some folk have even wondered why Desert Dryads haven't straight up replaced common dryads and other species. They can store water, survive droughts, are way hardier and better equipped at fighting and survival. So why have they not left their burning homes and taken over? The first thing I would say is that they are not some invading force, and we don't do super selective breeding in the sake of bettering dryad kind (well, maybe the Florals). Another point is that Desert Dryads don't much care for the outside world, or even think about it. Life in the desert is all they know, and all they really care about. Lastly is the fact that their adaptations to a desert lifestyle actually causes problems when dropped in a completely different environment. A big thing is that their bodies are adapted to a super dry world and are tuned to work with very small amounts of moisture. When exposed to constant dampness and frequent rains, their bodies are incapable of properly warding off the water and drying out. All other dryads have coatings and special parts of their bark that can run off excess water and keep dry, but Desert Dryads aren't used to ever having too much water. In short, they become soaked and cannot easily dry off, opening doors to fungal infections and rot. Desert Dryads like Candice must take upmost care to keep dry and regulate the amount of water they take in. In some cases, if a Desert Dryad absorbs or drinks too much water, the sacs on their backs may rupture. I don't think I need to tell you that that is quite painful. They also require more heat and sunlight, as their bodies are used to constant hot days. They get chilled a lot easier, and may get lethargic when the weather stays cloudy for several days. So while these desert adaptations seem super useful, they are only best used in the place they were built for.

Another thing that should be mentioned on why Desert Dryads don't leave their homelands that often is the fact that they aren't really...treated right. Due to their harsh nature and ways, people and other dryads see them as barbaric and untamed. When it comes to describing them, folks often use the word "feral" (which I was guilty of for some time), seeing them and treating them like wild animals. What helps further this belief is the fact that they walk on all fours, and they don't commonly talk or form villages. In the desert, there is no real place for a town or village, not when the need for water is constant. And when you roam the land in search of prey, words and writing aren't really a necessity. What results are nomadic dryads that often hiss, spit, bark and growl, making it appear that they are primitive and wild. In truth, Desert Dryads are capable of talking, they just never really see a need for it. When other dryads talk about them, they often unintentionally treat them like feral, dumb animals. I never really realized the full extent of this until I met Candice, and her story definitely opened my eyes. When her and her mother were rescued and brought back the village, they found themselves facing a lot of new challenges. One was that her mother had the hardest time getting a job, as many did not feel that her kind was a good look for their business. She couldn't work at any store or farm, as everyone had the assumption that she would scare off customers or steal food. Construction work didn't work out well, as her thorny body would damage materials and mar buildings. Any position that called for thinking, mathematics and education was seen to be out of her range, as a lot of folk didn't believe she was capable of such things. Candice ran into the same issue at school, were the teachers would unintentionally put focus on her and act like she was going to have a much harder time learning than the other students. Even when she excelled at a subject or did well at a test, the surprise and condescending praise was heartbreaking. One of the things that always infuriated her was the fact that the students and teachers often made subtle digs at her mother, which came when they would praise Candice for becoming "educated" and "civilized." In and out of school, no one would ever play with her, and she was often seen as scary by the other saplings. Candice mentioned once that she was never sure what was the worse: the bullies who made fun of her and her mom, or the others who were too scared to even approach or look at her. Even grown up, working and married, she still runs into these issues. You would be surprised at the amount of times she meets a stranger, starts to talk and the person is like "wow, you must be one of those educated Desert Dryads!" Let me tell you, no matter how much you try to word such a thing as a compliment, it never will be taken as one. It is a sad thing to see and hear, and I want to do my part to help bring an end to such a thing. Desert Dryads are just like us and our fellow sisters. Like the Conifers, Kelps, Pumpkins and Commons, they have different ways and lives, but in the end they are one of us. Never should we see them as something lesser, as I know we are all better than that.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-----------------------------------------------------------------

More dryads! Of course there is more! There is always more!

Description
  As one can expect from a name like "Desert Dryad," this species of dryad is found primarily in deserts and other sandy, arid places. In such a hot and dry place, plants must be hardy to survive and the Desert Dryad is no exception. Their limbs are coated in thick, thorny bark, while their green skin has thickened and hardened into an almost leather-like consistency. Specialized vessels beneath their hide contain a fluid that helps keep the sun from burning their flesh as they travel and hunt during the day. One of the more obvious adaptations is their spines and needles, which they are coated in. Practically every inch of them has something sharp and pointy on it, and their roots and fingers end in razor talons. All of these prickly things are necessary for them to survive in this harsh land, as they must protect themselves from predators and those who would steal their precious water. As everyone knows, water is a valuable resource in the hot, dry desert, and every living thing within it must find and protect their water at all costs. For Desert Dryads, they primarily get their water from prey and other food sources.

  When it comes to hunting, Desert Dryads require no tools or fancy toys to help them. They have no need for weapons or traps, as their mind and body has everything to do the job. Their method of hunting can switch up depending on their needs and prey, toggling between an active pursuit style or ambush tactics. For ambushing, Desert Dryads will bury themselves in the sand until all that is visible is their head cap. With tough claws and strong limbs, these dryads can dig themselves down surprisingly fast, seemingly vanishing into the earth within seconds. With their head cap exposed, they will simple wait beneath the sand for prey to arrive. A good amount of creatures in the desert rely on cactus and other plants to get water and fluids, and they will approach this tempting meal. When prey gets close enough, the Desert Dryad will burst from the sand and snare them in their thorny arms. Sharp barbs and claws will prevent victims from escaping, and the dryad will finish them off with a savage bite. It should be noted that Desert Dryads have the strongest bite force of all dryads, capable of shearing flesh and cracking bone. The serrated, tooth-like design of their plates allow them to saw through meat and cause crippling injuries. Smaller prey can be cleaved in half with a single bite, while larger creatures often have their throats ripped out. For a more active hunt, Desert Dryads use their sense of smell to track down prey and give chase. Their ability to track scents is more refined than any other dryad species, and they can track prey seemingly for miles. When it is located, they will let out a hiss and bound after it. Due to the specialized sacs on their back and their more elongated limbs, Desert Dryads primarily move on all fours. They are capable of standing on their two feet, but they find it uncomfortable and impractical. Running with all limbs make them fast enough to chase down prey, and they will pounce on their meal with claws and plates bared. They will waste no time in tearing into the victim's flesh and inducing blood loss. They inflict serious injuries on their prey so that the animal is doomed to die even if they escape their clutches. If that happens, the dryad simple has to follow the dying creature until it finally drops. After their food as fallen, they shall gorge themselves on their meal, targeting the parts of the animal that has the most fluids. With this, Desert Dryads have a fondness for organs and similar structures, always nabbing them first during their feast.

  All the food that is consumed is digested and converted within their guts, turning all fluids into water. This liquid is first used to satiate their bodies, and then the excess is diverted into the special sacs that grow on their backs. These vessels will swell up with water, allowing the Desert Dryad to carry a good amount on their person in case things get rough. Glimpsing these spiny sacs can instantly tell you the health of the dryad, as plump full ones means that they are doing well, while deflated, shriveled ones tells that this dryad has fallen on hard times. Since these organs carry a large amount of liquid, they are tempting targets to thirsty creatures. To ward off thieves and predators, they are coated in sharp spines, making access to them difficult. Desert Dryads also have other spines and claws to fight with, and boy can they fight! Their style fits more with an angry cat than any other dryad, as they hiss, claw, bite and throw themselves at attackers. Another thing that helps deter water robbers is the special fluid their body adds to their stores. When water enters their sacs, it is mixed with a chemical that tastes incredibly sharp and foul. Since the fluid is in their own bodies, it doesn't affect the dryad at all, but those who taste it will get quite a nasty shock. Some species, though, have adapted to handle this bitter taste, and other Desert Dryads are immune to it. I say this because sometimes these dryads can be prey to other of their kind, especially during extremely harsh seasons, which means all bets are off. This however, is extremely rare, so don't go about thinking that these dryads are eager cannibals or something dumb like that.

  Due to their harsh environment and constant need to find and protect water, Desert Dryads come off as harsh and sometimes "barbaric." They are incredibly distrusting of anything that doesn't look familiar, and any nearby creature is constantly assessed to see if it is a threat or a possible food source. This paranoia is only heightened further if the dryad has a sapling with her. When they are born, Desert Dryad saplings lack the spines and thorns that their mother has, so they rely on her for protection. They will keep close by, either walking beneath their mother or clinging to her stomach. This helps hide them from predators as well as the burning sun. When prey is taken down, the mother will always let the sapling eat first, that way to insures that their offspring grows up healthy and strong. While the mother is the main guardian of their sapling, the little dryad is by no means defenseless. This is an incredibly important thing to remember about this species, and it is that you should never, never, never get too close to a Desert Dryad sapling. Due to the harsh nature of their home, Desert Dryad saplings are born with an instinct to protect themselves and lash out at threats. In case their mother cannot come to their aid, they must be able to defend themselves, and they will not hesitate to do so. Though they lack spines, they still possess claws and a very powerful bite. Those who are not careful and try to approach one of this saplings may find a hunk of their arm or leg missing, as the little one bites and spits at the presumed threat. I had one colleague who encountered this scenario once, and I believe he was quite lucky to survive. He was out in the desert studying the flora and fauna when he noticed a Desert Dryad mother and her sapling hunting on large hill of scree and rocks. Curiosity got the best of him and he went to investigate. The rest I will leave to his own words:

  "As I approached, I noticed that the two appeared to be on the hunt, no doubt searching crooks and crevices for hiding lizards and snakes. I was eager to see this hunt unfold, so I moved in for a better look. The mother must have a spotted a scurrying lizard, as she suddenly twitched and bolted off after it. As I crept closer to watch, a squawking sound caught my attention. On the slope of the hill was the sapling, who was now separated from her mother. She had tried to give chase as well, but had slipped on some smooth rocks and had slid a bit down the mound. She was now desperately trying to climb back up, but she trying to do so on a rock that was too large and smooth for her to get a grip on. The little thing was so distraught that it wasn't looking for an easier path, it just kept throwing itself at the one spot and kept sliding off its slick surface. At that point, I did something extremely stupid. Before and after the incident, it seemed infuriatingly obvious that my next actions were completely insane, but I had fallen for that common trap. That moment when you see a baby animal in trouble or distress, and you immediately go to its aid without acknowledging the danger or consequences. I did just that, approaching the floundering sapling without thinking for a second. I am not even sure what my plan was, perhaps I was going to move it to an easier path, or maybe give it a boost so that it could succeed its current ascent. I wasn't thinking at all, and the next thing I know, the little dryad had slipped once again and tumbled right into my arms. Everything happened so fast at that moment, and for a second I thought I dropped the sapling. There was a hiss and it was gone from my arms, so I assumed I accidentally dropped it and it was none too pleased. I became aware that this was not the case when my shoulder suddenly started screaming with pain. It felt like I had been stabbed, and I turned to find the sapling with its jaws buried in the meat of my shoulder. Its snarls and hisses were wet with my blood, and the stuff was gushing everywhere. I screamed and flailed as the thing latched on and savaged my arm. In a flash, the mother appeared on the hill and rushed to the two of us. She yanked her daughter off my shoulder, who was now drenched in my blood and had a few pieces of me in her mouth. I looked to the mother in shock, and she only shot back an irritated look. She pointed a clawed finger at a nearby bush, and then turned and left. Last I saw of them, the mother was stalking off with her sapling clinging to her stomach. The little one was eagerly licking my blood off itself, way too pleased with the situation for my liking. Clinging to my mauled shoulder, I crawled to the bush she pointed at and used the leaves to help plug up the wound. Turns out that the plant was known for its medicinal uses, and I am pretty sure that was the only reason I didn't die that day. After patching myself up, I immediately packed my things and left. My quest for desert fauna research had now turned to quest of finding the nearest doctor and saving my arm. Needless to say, I never returned to that desert or any one since."

Thankfully my friend survived the ordeal and recovered from his injuries but, to this day, the wounds on his shoulder still ache and slow him. That is proof there on why you never get near one of these saplings, no matter how cute they may appear or how noble your intentions are. Even saplings that are raised by Desert Dryads who have left the desert and joined other communities carry this viciousness, as it is just something they are born with. In fact, Desert Dryad saplings are banned from all nurseries and schools until they have proven to have been taught out of this behavior. Funny enough, I had one of these encounters myself, and like my friend, I fell for the same trap. During my adventures, I ran into and befriended a Desert Dryad named Candice who lived with common dryads in a forest. She had originally been from the desert, but when she was a sapling, her and her mother were abducted by hunters and sold off to a traveling show. The two were displayed like animals in a zoo, until a band of dryads slipped in one and night and freed them. Candice now lived in the forest with them, and by the time I met her, she was married and just had a sapling. During my visit, I saw her little tyke crawling about in her playpen, which was absolutely adorable. At that moment I should have realized her sapling was there because she was not allowed in the village's nursery due to her aggressive behavior, but nope. Not thinking, I reached a hand in and waggled my fingers at her to catch her attention. You know, that thing everyone does with babies, complete with baby talk. Well it succeeded catching her eye, and suddenly she lunged at me. I yanked my hand back in surprise, and the little one stopped her attack and sat there chewing on something. It took me a second to realize she had bitten off the tip of my middle finger, and was now currently eating it. Her shearing plates were so strong and sharp that I didn't even feel it. Thankfully, fingers grow back pretty fast, but I embarrassingly had to explain to Candice why her playpen now had sap everywhere.

With the mention of Candice and Desert Dryads who leave the desert, I feel now is a good time to bring up something people often ask. With Desert Dryads living in such a harsh place, people wonder why they don't just move. They are resilient, hardy and resourceful, so why not go to a land that is more lush and wet? Some folk have even wondered why Desert Dryads haven't straight up replaced common dryads and other species. They can store water, survive droughts, are way hardier and better equipped at fighting and survival. So why have they not left their burning homes and taken over? The first thing I would say is that they are not some invading force, and we don't do super selective breeding in the sake of bettering dryad kind (well, maybe the Florals). Another point is that Desert Dryads don't much care for the outside world, or even think about it. Life in the desert is all they know, and all they really care about. Lastly is the fact that their adaptations to a desert lifestyle actually causes problems when dropped in a completely different environment. A big thing is that their bodies are adapted to a super dry world and are tuned to work with very small amounts of moisture. When exposed to constant dampness and frequent rains, their bodies are incapable of properly warding off the water and drying out. All other dryads have coatings and special parts of their bark that can run off excess water and keep dry, but Desert Dryads aren't used to ever having too much water. In short, they become soaked and cannot easily dry off, opening doors to fungal infections and rot. Desert Dryads like Candice must take upmost care to keep dry and regulate the amount of water they take in. In some cases, if a Desert Dryad absorbs or drinks too much water, the sacs on their backs may rupture. I don't think I need to tell you that that is quite painful. They also require more heat and sunlight, as their bodies are used to constant hot days. They get chilled a lot easier, and may get lethargic when the weather stays cloudy for several days. So while these desert adaptations seem super useful, they are only best used in the place they were built for.

Another thing that should be mentioned on why Desert Dryads don't leave their homelands that often is the fact that they aren't really...treated right. Due to their harsh nature and ways, people and other dryads see them as barbaric and untamed. When it comes to describing them, folks often use the word "feral" (which I was guilty of for some time), seeing them and treating them like wild animals. What helps further this belief is the fact that they walk on all fours, and they don't commonly talk or form villages. In the desert, there is no real place for a town or village, not when the need for water is constant. And when you roam the land in search of prey, words and writing aren't really a necessity. What results are nomadic dryads that often hiss, spit, bark and growl, making it appear that they are primitive and wild. In truth, Desert Dryads are capable of talking, they just never really see a need for it. When other dryads talk about them, they often unintentionally treat them like feral, dumb animals. I never really realized the full extent of this until I met Candice, and her story definitely opened my eyes. When her and her mother were rescued and brought back the village, they found themselves facing a lot of new challenges. One was that her mother had the hardest time getting a job, as many did not feel that her kind was a good look for their business. She couldn't work at any store or farm, as everyone had the assumption that she would scare off customers or steal food. Construction work didn't work out well, as her thorny body would damage materials and mar buildings. Any position that called for thinking, mathematics and education was seen to be out of her range, as a lot of folk didn't believe she was capable of such things. Candice ran into the same issue at school, were the teachers would unintentionally put focus on her and act like she was going to have a much harder time learning than the other students. Even when she excelled at a subject or did well at a test, the surprise and condescending praise was heartbreaking. One of the things that always infuriated her was the fact that the students and teachers often made subtle digs at her mother, which came when they would praise Candice for becoming "educated" and "civilized." In and out of school, no one would ever play with her, and she was often seen as scary by the other saplings. Candice mentioned once that she was never sure what was the worse: the bullies who made fun of her and her mom, or the others who were too scared to even approach or look at her. Even grown up, working and married, she still runs into these issues. You would be surprised at the amount of times she meets a stranger, starts to talk and the person is like "wow, you must be one of those educated Desert Dryads!" Let me tell you, no matter how much you try to word such a thing as a compliment, it never will be taken as one. It is a sad thing to see and hear, and I want to do my part to help bring an end to such a thing. Desert Dryads are just like us and our fellow sisters. Like the Conifers, Kelps, Pumpkins and Commons, they have different ways and lives, but in the end they are one of us. Never should we see them as something lesser, as I know we are all better than that.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

-----------------------------------------------------------------

More dryads! Of course there is more! There is always more!