Dryads are a rare, supernatural species thought not to exist that made her debut on the fifth episode of Template:Legacies. The unnamed dryad was killed by Dorian Williams while protecting the supernatural knife. While it remains inconclusive, the unnamed dryad stated that there were many of them that populated a grove until something attacked her and her kin and only she awoke in an endless darkness. Alaric believes that whatever happened to her and the other creatures, it erased all memory of them from the world.
History
Very little is known about the history of dryads. The only known dryad claimed a great many of her kind lived in a grove. This particular dryad fell in love with a man named Oliver. After turning himself into a vampire, so he and the dryad could live together forever, the two made plans to meet in the clearing where they fell in love. Through circumstances not entirely known, this dryad was attacked and found herself in an endless darkness. Calling this dark place Malivore, the dryad claimed that she could feel the presence of others. It has been theorized by Alaric Saltzman, this was part of an event which erased all memory of several different types of supernatural creature, dryads included.
Throughout Legacies Series
Season One
In Malivore, the unnamed dryad was lured to a cabin and captured by Dorian Williams and subsequently questioned by Alaric Saltzman about why she and other 'new' supernatural creatures were coming after a supernatural knife. Due to her lack of trust towards humans, she would only speak to Oliver.
After the dryad's vampire lover was retrieved, as per her request, he claimed to not know of her. Alaric theorized something must have erased all memory of dryads, and other supernaturals, from the world.
With her deal having been honored, the dryad spoke of what she knew about the knife. The night she was to leave with Oliver, she was attacked and, when she woke up, was in an endless darkness. She states that she was there for so long and then she wasn't, that she found herself not far from the cabin with the urge to possess the supernatural knife. Something was controlling her, something wanting her to take the knife to a dark pit beneath the earth. She assures Alaric that should she do it, she will find peace and be free. Unable to fight back the urge to possess the knife, and the boundary that contained her broken by a mysterious force, she attacks Dorian and Alaric, attempting to take the knife. Forced to fight back, Dorian fatally wounds her with an arrow. As she lay dying, she pleaded with Dorian to return her to the field of daffodils. Dorian honors her dying request and she tells him the name to the endless darkness, the black pit -it's Malivore. Upon her death, she grew into a fully-matured willow tree.
Psychological Characteristics
According to one of Alaric's books, lore states that dryads are gentle creatures who lived among humans. The only known dryad reinforced this by saying that dryads do not lie and choose not to harm. Despite the lore, the unnamed dryad had a strong distrust of humans in general.
Physiology
Dryads are humanoid in appearance, although they have an earthy, green tinted skin and various plant-like attributes, such as flowers and vines, incorporated into their person.
Powers and Abilities
- Chlorokinesis: Dryads are living tree spirits that possess the ability to control plant life and vegetation in a manner similar to witches, albeit to a far greater extent. The unnamed dryad could accelerate the growth of vines which acted as extensions of her own person as well as to use them as weapons to attack and ensnare her prey. Additionally, upon her death, her body essentially sprouted and grew into an enormous willow tree within seconds.
- Limited Empathy: Dryads can feel the emotions of humans, albeit to an unknown degree, as she could only pinpoint emotions and nothing further. This ability is elaborated upon when she told Alaric and that she could feel Oliver's happiness when he would lean against the trees within the forest where they eventually fell in love. Furthermore, she could feel Alaric Saltzman's pain from losing a great love, as well as others.
- Longevity: It is implied that dryads seemingly have some form of an extended lifespan. The unnamed dryad states that Oliver made a great sacrifice to become a vampire so that they "might be together forever". It remains unclear if this is associated with being a "living spirit" or other, unexplored abilities.
Weaknesses
- Witchcraft: Dryads are still susceptible to the powers of witchcraft. The unnamed dryad was contained within a circle of a mixture of unknown herbs that functioned like that of a boundary spell and she was unable to pass through or escape without outside influence.
- Mortality: Despite their mystical attributes as a "living spirit of a tree", they share similar weaknesses as human and supernatural beings. The Unnamed dryad was shot in the chest with an arrow, which ultimately resulted in her death.
Known Dryads
| Dryad | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|
 |
The unnamed dryad once lived in a clearing and fell in love with a human. The night she was to leave with Oliver, she was attacked and awoke in an endless darkness. She was there for so long until she wasn't. She found herself with an urge to seek out and take the supernatural knife that was in Dorian Williams' possession. She was killed by Dorian in her attempt to take the knife and return it to a dark pit beneath the Earth. Upon her dying breath in a daffodil field, she grew into the soil and up into a mighty willow tree. | Deceased |
Trivia
- Hope misidentified the creature that Dorian captured as a "tree nymph", although Alaric corrected her as the creature was a dryad.
- Out of the newly introduce supernatural creatures in Legacies, the dryad is the first that is capable to communicate through speech.
- In Greek mythology, a dryad is a tree nymph or tree spirit. They were normally considered to be shy creatures except around the goddess Artemis. There are at least four different types of dryads, which are the daphnaie, epimelides, hamadryad and meliai.[1]
- This is the only supernatural creature not personally encountered by Hope or her friends, although she knew about the dryad being held.
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