Lone Druid/Lore

Alone stands Sylla the Lone Druid amongst the forgotten ruins of his prehistoric Bear Clan. Long ago, the forces of nature sought the most learned in nature's workings and Sylla stepped forth to answer. Given to him alone was the charge of protecting the Seed that it may fulfill one purpose: to sow it upon desolate land and sprout new life when the singularity of life bereft has come for the world. Hope for the planet's renewal after its utter desolation lies in this man, even when no one's around to root for him as he outlives us all.

Contention of the Onyx Grove
Many were the places that the exiled Lone Druid chanced upon as he waited out the terminus of life's path in the great wheel of this world. One of these was this shadowy Onyx Grove, a darkling woods found amongst an enigmatic, northern pine. The Grove was a nexus for both fierce and strange creatures who have come here to quarrel in disharmony. In time, Sylla adapted his own form to suit whatever needs he may have in there and soon he joined the chaos as a massive bipedal bear.

Calved Life of Xahryx
At some point in time in his long, self-imposed exile to keep his burden safe, a great evil named Xahryx fell upon the forest with malicious intent. Sylla battled this foul force, grappling them for long until he rent the evil asunder with his paw. Although Xahryx was slain, their dark power still remained in the world, ripe for the picking. Lest that another evil may exploit their wildest power once again, Sylla claimed their cauldron for himself to put the depths of its power to heroic purpose and wore their skull as a trophy of their battle.

Age and Wisdom

 * With his mission requiring him to wait for the end of all things, Sylla has vast patience, knowing that all things will have their time.
 * He is patient with rune usage, reserving these powerful magics for later crucial moments.
 * Patience is a virtue that Sylla possesses, and so he teaches others to be just like him. As such, he dislikes impatience.
 * Even with the vast amount of time that Sylla must wait out for the end, he still doesn't waste a single moment.
 * The Lone Druid is extremely dedicated to his mission, doing whatever it takes to see to its accomplishment and suffering no threats to his quest.
 * Although Sylla was an elder when he accepted the Seed, he has become far older with it, seeing through life as an immortal. All mortal lives are so short to him.
 * He brags to the that he is much older, scoffing at what Zharvakko calls the old ways.
 * He asserts to the that he will outlive his ill omens of doom.
 * Possessing wisdom gained from his long years and the Seed, Sylla is immensely wise. He humbles others for their lesser wisdom, but also humbles himself when he errs.
 * Aeons of existence that appear to have no end in sight have made him curious to know what the end of everything and the conclusion of his sacred mission is.
 * He believes the has the answer to what the end of his eternal life is. This may imply that he's tired of life or he's just curious on what eternity's end is like.
 * Also, he sounds quite eager when knowing about any progress to the end of the world, but not because he's evil.
 * While traversing the vastness of nature alone, Sylla has learned to be careful with what he does, knowing that hope for the next life after everything has died lies with him.

Natural Attunement

 * Sylla is a person who is at one with the untamed aspect of nature. He believes in the survival of the fittest, just like in nature.
 * Sylla is also at one with the tame and gentle side of nature. Just like the druids of the Bear Clan, he makes his home in nature and takes walks in the forest.
 * Sylla's true form is that of a bear, thus it's part of his nature to act as a bear, even in his humanoid form. In battle, he tends to let out a bear's roar.
 * Normally, he prefers to eat freshwater fish, but he may take the briny fish that lugs around.
 * In his bear form, he may refer to any handlike item as a paw, such as the ---> Paw of Midas.
 * For some nature-related reason, Sylla sometimes thinks of himself as a plant. He metaphorizes his return to the living as a regrowing plant or a plant taking root again.

Loneliness

 * Having spent millenia alone in exile, Sylla hasn't engaged in combat for a long time. As such, he finds fighting quite thrilling.
 * Despite finding thrill in fighting after a long hiatus, he sometimes prefers to not fight. He will intimidate, discourage,  or make his enemies reconsider their wisdom.
 * Sometimes, after killing others, he will share to his enemies the same oblivion that fell upon Bear Clan and the loneliness that he endured in his exile.
 * Having spent so much time in exile with only his bear at his side, he is unfamiliar with the experience of having people by his side, but welcomes it nonetheless.

Druidic Inheritance

 * Coming from a lost order that once practiced sacrifices solemnly, Sylla still honors the sacrifices of others, such as with creeps and the gold they leave behind when slain.
 * Gold has little to no use to Sylla who lives in poverty. He doesn't recognize any currency and debases any gold coins that he finds to just minerals in another shape.
 * When concluding a monetary transaction, Sylla may say that he prefers to barter for his items.
 * The visions of Serpent Clan's doom, portended to him by their haruspex, brought him a sense of destined calm. When they were destroyed, he became calm in spite of their end.

Druidic Clans
As clan judiciar, seer, and warrior of the forgotten Bear Clan, Sylla was like his fellows in focusing on their ways to seek an understanding of the natural order and restore the world. Sylla knows the mysterious Dragon Clan, thinking that is one of them, despite his knighthood with the Scaled Knights of Uthorian. Perhaps Sylla mistook his knighthood for this clan, with Sir Davion's similar transformative power to his own possibly being the reason. Nevertheless, he is always pleased to see someone from Dragon Clan, but as an enemy, he will assert that not even they can oppose him. The Serpent Clan was one of the clans known to be related to Sylla's Bear Clan. It was they who foresaw the ruin and war that would come to the ancient clans with their traditions of haruspex where they read the future by slashing snakes open with a sickle and interpreting their entrails for omens. Knowing this doom, they spread word of their pending demise and gave Sylla their honored vestments that he may remember their words.
 * Sylla honors the memory of his clan by clinging on to the remains of their traditions and the memories of his fellow druids. The ways he does this are listed below:
 * Like his clan, Sylla still practices simplicity. He is poor and an outcast to society; wearing simple clothing, having little to no use for money and dwelling in forests of nature.
 * The crescent sickle is a symbol and ritualistic tool of Bear Clan, possibly for grisly augury rites involving disembowelment. He bears a sickle like this as his weapon of choice.
 * Sylla still keeps the Cloak of the Dawn appointed to him in accordance with the teaching that each rising sun is a gift that is to be greeted.
 * As a warrior of the Bear Clan, Sylla still has the armor he earned after completing the rite of carrying a newborn on a satchel on his shoulder for 11 days to prove his strength.
 * Lost and lonely during times of doubt, Sylla reacts to the tribulations he faces by praying to the memory of Nuranu's advice, the most honored of his Bear Clan ancestors.
 * The arts of the lost Bear Clan remain only in the mind of Sylla, who continues to study and master them to enhance his attunement with the wild.
 * Sylla still remembers the high clan lords who ruled with a majestic scepter in their hands.

Spirit Bear
Alone without his kin, and his precious and coveted burden forcing him to seek further solitude for its safety, Sylla's mighty is now his only true companion and friend that shall follow him to the end. It is a projection of his will and hence it is an extension of his own being. Like an extra, distant, complex limb that he can control remotely. Hence, it's a male bear that's symbiotic with his spirit and heart. As a product of his own mind, his Spirit Bear's form is unconstrained as it depends entirely on Sylla's mood. By default, his bear is a projection and manifestation of his ferocity, but he can also be a projection and a manifestation of his calmness, making its body appear less intimidating as a panda. It can even be a projection of his inner strength. Soul and mind are somewhat one in Dota 2 lore, so sometimes he simply refers to his manifest will as his spirit or spiritual projection. When it isn't manifested, Sylla can still see what it looks like via meditation. His bear carries his luggage and thus his inventory for him, but he dislikes debasing him into a courier, asserting that his spirit bear isn't one. Capable of feeling hunger, Sylla lets his bear feast on the corpses of the fallen in their wake. Sylla has an affection for his bear akin to a man and his pet dog, praising him if he does well. He will feel very sad when his bear dies and dissipates. Since his bear is a manifestation of his will, it has garnered the confusion and surprise of many who realize that his bear isn't real. isn't sure if the bear is dead or just unreal, so she persistently asks Sylla to confirm it for her. He has yet to answer her question, but he did manage to explain his Spirit Bear to Pudge, leaving him enlightened about the whole shebang. thinks the bear is cute and only she already knows that he is insubstantial without even guessing it.

Spirit Bear's Relationships
mistakenly thought that the bear is the primary between it and Sylla since she finds it more interesting than him.

According to, the Spirit Bear fights for the earth itself. Already burdened with the sought-after Seed, his trusty Spirit Bear is coveted by some people. had plans to keep his bear after killing his owner, but the bear vanishing upon death ruined his plan. Same goes for the who is disappointed that he doesn't get to claim the bear for his animal collection and  who hoped to skin him for a bearskin blanket. After slaying Sylla, promises to inherit and take care of his bear. He also sounds enthusiastic in taking his bear back to Dragon Hold for unknown reasons. The Spirit Bear itself is allies with, requesting his aid as a fellow bear. The feeling is mutual with Ursa, who is saddened and not pleased with killing the Spirit Bear, blaming its death on Sylla.

The Wilderness
In accordance to the laws of nature, such as the great wheel, the fallen in Sylla's wake must return to the earth from whence they came.

The mighty bear is the king of the forest, possessing the throne through its raw power. The disagrees with this, asserting that only he shall rule over nature. In Sylla's biography, there are mentions of a group of deities who are the arch-forces of nature that entrusted him with the Seed. It's possible that one of them is a female, since he refers to nature (who chose him as its guardian, like how he was chosen as the Seed's keeper) as a her. Both and Sylla are nature's protectors, making them allies. However, their dominions over the woods are dissonant, making them compete for power. The form of the seems to be an issue for some Heroes, such as Sylla. He will inquire her on what happened to her form, asking if she has forgotten her true form. Regardless, he relies on her good cheer to brighten their woodsy home. He is aware of Aiushtha's kindness and her disinclination to violence. They are both allies, which makes him confused when she is opposing him. seems to have a mysterious interaction with Sylla. After killing him, he says that she didn't face him to explain what went wrong, but rather says that something obvious did go wrong. She continues to say what could've happened otherwise, but stops herself there. It's unknown what this misfortune between the two of them is. On another note, he thinks that his is a "cutie" and knows that the bear isn't real. Although he is aware of 's power, he believes that even he must respect his mission and thus he will not tolerate him impeding it. Many are the implications of their friendship, including Sylla's confusion when the Prophet opposes or kills him, his disbelief when he murders the Prophet, and feeling betrayed when the Prophet slays him. Sad stuff aside, he relies on the Prophet's foresight to see what the future has in store for them. had some friendly history with Sylla in the past. Likely when he was still a cub, he bit one of Sylla's fingers, a memory that the latter cherished. It was Sylla who taught him how to fight, so he feels disappointed when he bests Ursa in battle. That being said, he believes that his mission from the gods is more important than Ursa protecting his cubs, so he doesn't suffer their missions opposing each other. On the other hand, Ursa admits that he was fooled by something about Sylla but saw through it in the end, likely his as a bear, which may have stopped him from killing Sylla as he doesn't condone killing other bears. Speaking of kindred killing, he is saddened when he is forced to slay the whom he considers his kin, blaming his death on Sylla and calling him a disgrace for it. Although 's parents warned her about crazy old men in the woods, she doesn't consider Sylla as one. Should she kill Sylla and end the Bear Clan for the greater good, she will tell him that it wasn't out of malice but necessity.

With civilization
A nature dweller himself, Sylla feels alien in cities. As such, he dislikes life in cities. He claims to have been in a city hundreds of years ago and remembers what he saw about it before, noting that modern civilization has been through some changes since then.

Acquaintances
Upon meeting Sylla, will tell him that he's sure that he has met another druid besides him before. It's unknown who this druid is or what clan do they belong to.

Sylla is familiar with, remarking that it hasn't aged much since he last saw it. It has heard of him through rumors of the "ancient" Lone Druid, and yet it sees otherwise.

Sylla knows the 's dad and the fact that he's dead, telling the former to rejoin him. It's unknown if Sylla is referring to his biological father or his master.

Allies
In battle, beckons Sylla to his side, saying that he's no longer alone with him as an ally. If Sylla dies by his hand, he honors him by spreading ashes on his grave. Although spends his existence mostly alone and usually goes rogue, he finds a kindred spirit in Sylla and considers it an honor to fight alongside this fellow loner.
 * It's interesting to note that, besides cosmic beings like the Fundamentals, Elder Titan is allied with nature heroes (Lone Druid and Treant Protector) and earthy heroes (Earthshaker and Tiny) for some unknown reason.
 * Both the Elder Titan and Sylla have similarities between them. Although the scope of their missions are different, they both strive to mend the world. They also have similar beliefs on returning creations to their origin, such as the former returning all souls to the ultimate order that once was and returning material things to the earth from whence they came, and the latter having the same thing with returning stuff to the earth.

Rivalry
and Sylla have a rivalry between them. It doesn't stem from any history between them, but rather from their dissonant identities. Banehallow believes wolves are superior to bears, while Sylla just hates wolves. Thus there is mutual hatred and contempt between the two              and Sylla feels ashamed and embarrassed when he dies to Banehallow whom he deemed inferior.
 * Despite this, they may be friends just on the basis that they are both animal-aligned shapeshifters.  Sylla may also like Banehallow's wolves for once.
 * Banehallow seems to be curious about whether Sylla was originally a bear before he became a man or a man before he became a bear.

Enemies
Sylla dislikes the Nothl Realm's powers of darkness and criticizes for wielding it.

Despite his similar agelessness and arcana, Sylla disdains the. He humiliates the arch-mage by calling him an ignorant child. Even with the magician's depthless magery knowledge accumulated throughout the aeons, Sylla thinks that Carl hasn't gained any wisdom at all. As such, he believes that eternity will be better off without him.

's crimes against nature with his harmful science is acknowledged by Sylla, who believes that it has done too much damage to nature.

Like other forces of nature, Sylla rejects the blight of and his unnatural  Plague Wards' presence in the wilderness.

The evil Xahryx was once slain by Sylla who defended the woods from their malice. The latter took their wild cauldron for more heroic purposes and wore their skull as a trophy.

Trappings and equipment
The sickle is the Lone Druid's weapon of choice, because it is a symbol and a ritualistic tool of the Bear Clan. Some of the relics of the Bear Clan that he still wears is the shoulder armor that he earned when he completed one of their customs where he must carry “his newborn” on a satchel for eleven full days to prove his strength. He was given the armor on the twelfth day as a testimony to his strength. He also kept the Cloak of the Dawn that was appointed to the clan's members as part of their belief that every rising sun was a gift that must be greeted each day. When the Serpent Clan spread word of the ancient clans' doom through ruin and war, they also left a set of their clan's honored vestments to the Lone Druid so that he may remember their words, including a cloak and a clawed bracer. He also received a piece of shoulder armor where a coiled snake that's wrought in gold sits on top of it. Plus, he inherited their sacrificial sickle which they once used to eviscerate beasts for their ominous entrails. After he slew Xahryx in a battle to defend the forest from their malice, Sylla kept their still brewing cauldron for himself to keep it from the hands of evil and put its wildest power to heroic use and wore their jawless skull on top of his hood, likely as a trophy.

The Seed
Entrusted to him by the arch forces of nature, the Seed is not only his divine responsibility but also the source of all of his powers. It has given him vast knowledge of nature and it has revitalized him. Additionally, he was able to project his will into reality in the form of his and alter his physical form into that of a bear among all the animals in nature. His mission with the Seed is to restart the cycle of life when death and desolation has taken over the planet. The Seed, once planted on desolate soil, will sprout and beget new life for the next cycle.

Powers
Besides his Seed, Sylla draws his power from the wild within him. The gentleness of the otherwise savage wilderness is his source of healing, as he recognizes its cool touch in Regeneration runes that tap into their consumer's power source.

Summon Spirit Bear
is his most crucial ability. Projecting his will into reality, Sylla can manifest his ferocity as a mighty. It is a product and extension of his mind, therefore it is linked to his soul, hence its spirit name—although sometimes he simply refers to it as his spirit. As a product of his mind, the bear can be altered by his current mood, its appearance reflecting his nature. By default, it is a manifestation of his ferocity, but if he is serene, it can be a manifestation of his calmness. It can also be a projection of his inner strength. Since it's from his mind, the Spirit Bear seems to be insubstantial, probably because it dissipates upon death. Its strange existence may be explained by the fact that it comes from another plane, possibly from an ethereal plane existing on a mental or spiritual level.
 * If the time calls for it, Sylla can his Spirit Bear back to his side via teleportation.
 * His bear's can cause roots to burst from the ground and enwrap victims to restrain them.
 * With the wildest power of Xahryx's cauldron, it also summons antlers to entrap his targets for some reason.
 * has no lore to it.

Spirit Link
With the Spirit Bear's symbiotic connection to Sylla's spirit and heart, a lies between him and his bear. Through this link, his bear's presence emboldens him, and Sylla is healed by every swipe of his trusty Spirit Bear's claws.

Savage Roar
Studying and mastering the arts of his lost Bear Clan, Sylla and his Spirit Bear can let out a terrifying as a product of his attunement with the wild.

True Form
The of Sylla is a mighty bear, although it wasn't his original or typical form before the Seed unlocked it for him because he calls his  as his old self. Nevertheless, his true form is like his spirit bear since it can change its appearance and adapt to what he needs to adapt to.

Rabid
Both Sylla and his Spirit Bear can fly into a rage and go utterly as they maul their opponents with speed, a trait not often associated with bears.

Synergy
As he studies and masters the arts of the lost Bear Clan, Sylla further enhances his and attunement with the wild, including his Spirit Bear.

Battle Cry
With the greater voice of his True Form, Sylla can unleash a that's loud enough to reverberate across far distances, rallying his allies to conflict.

Friendships and rivalries
Allies meeting Lone Druid
 * vo_dark_willow_sylph_ally_97.mp3  Can I pet your bear?
 * vo_dark_willow_sylph_ally_98.mp3  So does your pet have a name? Spirit Bear is rather impersonal.
 * vo_dawnbreaker_valora_ally_105.mp3  You must forgive me for thinking of the bear as primary. But he is far more interesting than you.
 * vo_earth_spirit_earthspi_ally_22.mp3  Your spirit bear fights for these lands.
 * vo_elder_titan_elder_ally_09.mp3  Come, Druid, you are alone no more.
 * vo_grimstroke_grimstroke_ally_47.mp3  I'm fairly certain I've met another druid before.
 * vo_hoodwink_hoodwink_ally_101.mp3  Oh, what a cutie. I wouldn't even guess he's not real.
 * vo_legion_commander_legcom_ally_11.mp3 vo_legion_commander_legcom_dem_ally_11.mp3   Nice mustache.
 * vo_lycan_lycan_ally_02.mp3  Ah, Lone Druid, a kindred spirit.
 * vo_monkey_king_monkey_ally_95.mp3 vo_monkey_king_monkey_crown_ally_95.mp3   So are you 'Lone Druid' because you're the last druid? Or because you hate hanging out with other Druids?
 * vo_monkey_king_monkey_ally_96.mp3 vo_monkey_king_monkey_crown_ally_96.mp3   Sylla; you, me, and that bear of yours are gonna win this battle.
 * vo_pangolin_pangolin_ally_101.mp3  I cannot claim such divine charge as yours, druid. My purpose is always my own...and not carefully kept!
 * vo_pangolin_pangolin_ally_102.mp3  How does the bear know what you want him to do?
 * vo_puck_puck_ally_03.mp3  Rumor speaks of the Lone Druid as an ancient one, yet here I see barely a sprat.
 * vo_snapfire_snapfire_ally_104.mp3  Just answer the question. Is the bear dead or ain't he?
 * vo_sven_sven_rivals_general_04.mp3  It is an honor to fight beside you.
 * vo_ursa_ursa_ally_03.mp3  Ah, the Lone Druid. You are among allies, and alone no longer.
 * vo_windrunner_wind_ally_04.mp3  My parents warned me about crazy old men in the forest, but you seem all right, Sylla.

Enemies killing Lone Druid
 * vo_dark_willow_sylph_rival_97.mp3  You should have kept to yourself.
 * vo_dark_willow_sylph_rival_98.mp3  At least you didn't die alone.
 * vo_drowranger_drow_rival_21.mp3 No bear can stand to my bow.
 * vo_elder_titan_elder_rival_03.mp3 I spread ashes on the Lone Druid's grave.
 * vo_grimstroke_grimstroke_rival_61.mp3  You're never alone in death.
 * vo_hoodwink_hoodwink_rival_101.mp3  I'm not here to explain what went wrong. It's just obvious that something did. I mean, otherwise...
 * vo_legion_commander_legcom_rival_35.mp3 vo_legion_commander_legcom_dem_rival_35.mp3  Never trust a… Bear!
 * vo_lycan_lycan_rival_01.mp3 Shapeshift your way out of that!
 * vo_lycan_lycan_rival_02.mp3 You shift into death.
 * vo_lycan_lycan_rival_03.mp3 Even shapeshifting can't help you now.
 * vo_lycan_lycan_rival_04.mp3 Were you bear conjured into man, or man conjured into bear?
 * vo_lycan_lycan_rival_05.mp3 Ha, bears are no match for the cunning of wolves.
 * vo_lycan_lycan_rival_07.mp3  I'm glad it was you, Lone Druid.
 * vo_monkey_king_monkey_rival_95.mp3 vo_monkey_king_monkey_crown_rival_95.mp3   Wish you had friends now, hun Druid?
 * vo_monkey_king_monkey_rival_96.mp3 vo_monkey_king_monkey_crown_rival_96.mp3   No one rules nature, but me!
 * vo_nyx_assassin_nyx_rival_04.mp3 Your metamorphosis was impressive, I will admit.
 * vo_pangolin_pangolin_rival_99.mp3  You should've left the bear at home.
 * vo_pangolin_pangolin_rival_100.mp3  Hopefully no one was depending on you…
 * vo_snapfire_snapfire_rival_104.mp3  Darn. I was hoping for a bearskin blanket.
 * vo_snapfire_snapfire_rival_105.mp3  I was thinking of just shootin' out the other eye. This seemed less cruel.
 * vo_ursa_ursa_rival_16.mp3 Oh Lone Druid, you almost had me fooled.
 * vo_void_spirit_voidspir_rival_59.mp3  Your timeless history is a footnote in the scheme of the universe.

Enemies dying to Lone Druid
 * vo_lycan_lycan_rival_08.mp3 You always were a shifty bastard.

Others
 * vo_oracle_orac_prophecies_052.mp3  What fortune can prevent a meeting with your own true form today?
 * vo_legion_commander_legcom_duelhero_22.mp3 vo_legion_commander_legcom_dem_duelhero_22.mp3  Defend your beard!

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