Druids

"The Druids are a nomadic race who hail from the untamed lands of Scosglen. Rugged and beautiful, the home of the Druids is teeming with Werewolves and other abominations lurking within the encroaching wilderness. To survive and rule over these wilds, the Druids must forfeit their humanity to awaken the beast within."

The Druids are a race of nomadic warrior-poet-kings. Kin to the s, they make their home in Scosglen.

Lore
The Druids shun the use of traditional magic, or Dubhdroiacht, as they call it. Living by the Caoi Dúlra, a philosophy that exhorts oneness with the natural world, they instead practice a form of magic based in their close bond to nature. Through this intimate kinship with the world of Sanctuary, a Druid has the power to command fire, earth, and the winds. Druids are so tied to the natural world that they can call upon the aid of animals and even plants to help them in battle. Druids are friends to the animals of the wilds and can call upon them to aid in his struggle. They can also use their heightened rapport with the animals to change the shape of their own body, drawing on the strengths and abilities of their woodland companions to better serve their cause. The most astounding Druid ability is that of shapeshifting, allowing them to manipulate their flesh and form to take on the characteristics of the beasts they have sworn to protect. Their Barbarian kin (or at least the Henknoc Tribe believe(d) that their ability to form bonds with animals is an ability latent to the Druids' blood. However, throughout their history, the Druids have always fought back against an encroaching wilderness.

Druids do not value urban centers in the same way as the Kehjistani. They instead dwell in great stone towers (called 'Druid Colleges'), which are scattered across the land. However, Druid villages still exist, and agriculture is practiced. Furthermore, the Druids have a number of coastal settlements, where the people's culture revolves around fishing.

Druids generally maintain a calm and reflective demeanor, but the members of this order are not to be trifled with. Given their shared ancestry with the Barbarians, they possess great physical strength. By Deckard Cain's estimate, at least 500 high-ranking warriors watch over and guide much of Druidic culture. Druids are willing to do anything to protect their way of life, including risking their own humanity by awakening the beast within.

Training
At the Túr Dúlra, the greatest of the Druid Colleges, stands the magnificent oak Glór-an-Fháidha. This tree is the most revered source of the Druids guidance and teachings. Under its branches, for centuries, the Druids hone not only their powerful arsenal of natural magic, but also the martial skills they have retained from their Barbarian forefathers. From a young age, Druids study their arts and hone their union with nature in the colleges of their people, which are scattered throughout their homeland.

Early History
In the ancient tome of the Druids, the Scéal Fada, it is written that Bul-Kathos, the great and ancient king of the Barbarian tribes, had a mysterious but trusted confidant, who was only referred to as Fiacla-Géar. This man is sometimes described as Bul-Kathos's close friend, and at other times, he is referred to as his brother. Whatever the source of their relationship, their bond was strong, and together they shared the secrets of the ancients: of the mysteries below the peaks of Mt Arreat, of the venerated task put to their people to protect those mysteries, and of the prophecies regarding the dark times ahead. They both agreed that, in order to fulfill their sacred trust, their people must devote themselves to nothing save that charge. However, they disagreed on exactly how the people could best do this. Bul-Kathos believed that only by bringing the tribes together and training them in strict martial discipline could the tribes faithfully concentrate on their goal for generations to come. Fiacla-Géar, on the other hand, believed that only through obtaining a spiritual oneness with the land they had sworn to protect could the people truly appreciate the importance of their role. Both agreed the other's philosophy had merit, and so around the time Bul-Kathos united the tribes, Fiacla-Géar gathered together a small group consisting of the tribes' greatest warrior-poets and shamans and mysteriously retreated into the forests surrounding the area known as Scosglen. There he and his people created the first of the Druid Colleges, huge mortar-less stone towers, covered in vines and safely hidden beneath the leafy canopies of the dense forests. They have dwelt there ever since, forging a new way of life for themselves. They created a new culture and language, cutting themselves off from their Barbarian cousins and their ways, vowing not to return to the Steppes of Mt. Arreat until the time of the Uileloscadh Mór, the final battle between the men of the world and the demons of the Burning Hells.

Here, in preparation for the impending conflict, he taught his people the Caoi Dúlra, a way of thinking that holds harmony with the natural elements of the world, its plants and animals, as the heart of its most intrinsic beliefs, for they are the personification of the very world that the Druids have sworn to protect. Not only was Caoi Dúlra the basis for their system of values, but through its study and practice, the Druids learned to bond with the natural entities of Sanctuary. This bonding was so absolute that eventually they discovered how to talk to the plants and animals, and these beings taught them all the secrets of the natural world. They taught them methods to call animals from far away, how to summon sentient plants from the earth, ways to change their own forms to share the strengths of their animal cousins, even, to a limited extent, techniques to control the weather. The Druids continued to hone themselves to be the world's last line of defense when the time of the great conflict came.

Even at the height of their powers, the Sorcerers of the Mage Clans never dared enter Scosglen, for fear of the wild and the savage powers its inhabitants wielded. Yet there are a number of tales from the Druids' ancient days that speak of formidable Vizjerei Mages encroaching on Scosglen, only to be turned back or killed by the power of the Druids.

The Mage Clan Wars
The Druids apparently played a role in the Mage Clan Wars, one that soured their relationship with their Barbarian cousins. The Druids were thus banished from the Northern Steppes and their powers kept a secret in Barbarian lands.

Uileloscadh Mór
By the Darkening of Tristram, the Druids believed the final conflict be at hand. Lashing out in fury at the recent insurgence of denizens of the Burning Hells, and at the Leathdhiabhala (demonic corruptions of the very creatures they have vowed to defend), the Druids at last emerged from their forests, marching toward their final stand against the minions of Chaos. One of their number returned to the Northern Steppes to aid Harrogath in its defense against Baal, allying with a group of heroes. The Lord of Destruction was defeated, but at the cost of the Worldstone. Simultaneously, the Druids defended their own lands from Baal's forces.

Reign of Enmity
In the decades after Malthael's defeat, dark times descended upon the Druids. Khazra rampaged across Scosglen, slaughtering farmers mere feet from the torchlight of their towns. The people huddled together, hoping their numbers would keep them safe, but the moment they left the safety of civilization they found themselves lost and surrounded by these feral nightmares. Those on the coast fared no better, as the coastline was overrun by the Drowned. Despite the danger, the Druids of the coast continued to fish in the Frozen Sea.

Diablo II
The is a playable class in Diablo II, introduced in the game's expansion pack.

Diablo III
The Druid was considered for inclusion in Diablo III per the 'hero pack' concept, but the first hero was chosen to be the.

Diablo IV
The is one of the confirmed classes for Diablo IV. Druid culture as a whole is expected to be explored in the game, at least for those on the coast.

Heroes of the Storm
The Druid is under consideration for inclusion in Heroes of the Storm.

Notable Druids
Main article: List of Druids
 * Greenwalker Ciórdan (leader of the Druids)
 * Chieftain Edan Corse
 * Chieftain Nora Corse
 * Azgar, of Clan Skeld
 * Grey, of Clan Skeld
 * Hemlir
 * Vane, of Clan Skeld
 * "The Druid" (player character of Diablo II)
 * "The Druid" (player character of Diablo IV)

Trivia

 * Historically, Druids were an elite class of Celtic Europe. Although they are stereotypically knowns as priests and healers, they also fulfilled the roles of lawyer, judge, poet, and historian within Celtic societies.