* Restricted Information: Squirrel Cultist Druids only
1.1 The Squirrel Cults are Followers of RATATOSKR, the Unbeatable God of Squirrels. There is little organisation amongst Squirrel Cults, which tend to be based around Temples or Temple-Trees of RATATOSKR in towns or forests with Followers forming ad hoc groups to fulfil Nutty Quests. Some of these groups are:
1.2 Druidism is a popular speciality amongst Squirrel Cultists, as RATATOSKR is particularly Unbeatable in forests and woods where His Squirrels dwell.
1.3 The Squirrel Cults have their own unique Nutty Cycle of Druidic Spells.
2.1.1 The Squirrel Cults are Beastmaster Cults sponsored by RATATOSKR. The Totem Animal of Squirrel Cultists is always the Squirrel.
The type of Squirrel that is the Druid's Totem Animal will depend upon the Druid's home Forest:
2.1.2 Beastmaster Cults are Totemic, in that they worship Totems of their chosen Animals, which represent their Sponsors. The Totems are important symbols for their Cults, and may be used for a variety of mystical purposes. For the Cult to kill or eat the Totem Animal is taboo. Carved Totems may be used to contact the Totem Animal or Sponsor, as a gateway to its Dream Kingdom, or as Spell Materials or Media storage items.
2.1.3 Squirrel Cultist Druids often have pet Squirrels as companions and Spirit Guides. If they are also Binders, these may be Demon Familiars.
2.2.1 The following Nuts may be used as Druidic Media by Squirrel Cultist Druids:
| Nut | Alternative Nut | Spell Cycle | Max +s |
| Beechnut | none | Sered | Mid-Spring Caeriad |
| Chestnut | none | Yribt | Midwinter Caeriad |
| Acorn | Pine Cone | Nutty | Mid-Autumn Caeriad |
| Hazelnut | Brazil Nut | Ranian | Mid-Autumn Caeriad |
| Mallorn Nut | Sequoia Cone | Druid | Midssummer Caeriad |
2.2.2 Amongst the many uses of Nuts are that:
2.2.3 The Alternative Nut (where specified) may be substituted freely, dependent on what grows in the Druid's local Forest and/or what is in season.
2.2.4 Squirrel Cultists Druids may harvest Nuts when they are in season (usually in the Autumn) and bury or hide them for future use (as their Totem Animals do).
2.2.5 Mallorn Nuts or Sequoia Cones may be diificult to acquire outside the Forests in which they grow, but Mistletoe is always available as an alternative Medium for Spells of the Druid Cycle. Mallorn Nuts are the main ingredient of Lembas, the Waybread of the Elves, and are therefore a valuable commodity.
2.2.6 Because Nuts are so tasty, when attempting to use a Nut with a Druidic Media Plus of +M the Druid must make a successful Wp Check against having previously eaten the Nut (or its having been scavenged by Squirrels) by rolling <= to their (Wp + M) on d20 RUD. If the Wp check is failed, the Nut has been eaten or otherwise disappeared. Another Nut may then be used (if a successful Wp Check is made for it), but each failed check takes 1 sec. for Initiative purposes (additional seconds may be expended in cursing as desired).
2.31 Instead of harvesting a specimen from a Plant (other than a Nut) to be used as a Medium, a Squirel Cultist Druid may touch a carved Squirrel Totem (a small portable one is recommended) to the Plant, incanting in Old Speech to the effect that he foregoes taking the specimen, and expending SP equal to the plus on Spells the specimen would have given (depending on the means the Druid had available to harvest it, and which he demonstrates and refers to in the incantation: e.g "I forego taking a specimen from you with this golden sickle, into this golden bowl, on this Mid-Autumn Day"). The plus is then stored in the Totem, to be expended later. No more specimens may be foregone during any Caeriad than could properly have been harvested from the Plant.
2.3.2 The total pluses that may be stored in a Totem (aggregating their values) equal the maximum number of instress points the Druid has instressed from Squirrels whilst also meditating upon the Totem during a single Caeriad in the past period of one year. It is therefore necessary periodically to spend a day instressing from Squirrels, as the Totem Animal and meditating upon the Totem.
2.3.3 Pluses must be expended in amounts equal to the pluses that would have been given by the specimen Plants that were used to store them. Each stored plus decreases in value by one on each New Moon, in the usual way. Already harvested specimens may be stored in Totems for half effect (FRD), but at full SP cost. Pluses expended from Totems are not cumulative with any other media plus.
2.3.4 Nuts are treated differently from other Plant Media, as no self-respecting Squirrel Cultist would ever forego harvesting a Nut. All Nuts intended for use as Media must be harvested (by the usual methods for harvesting Media) but some may be cached as Squirrels do, by burying them or hiding them in holes in trees. Any Nuts so cached may then be stored in a Nutty Squirrel Totem (see 2.3.5 below) as for Plants above, and subject to the above limitations. Nuts that have been cached and stored in a Nutty Squirrel Totem revert to being +1 Media, as if obtained from another. The Pluses stored in the Totem are not lost if the cached Nuts are eaten or otherwsie disappear.
2.3.5 The same Totem may not be used to store both Plants and Nuts, so a separate Nutty Squirrel Totem (usually depicted eating a Nut) is required to store Nutty Media Pluses. Multiple types of Nuts may be stored in a Nutty Squirrel Totem, just as multiple types of Plants may be stored in an ordinary Totem. If a Totem with Plants stored is used to store Nuts, all the stored Plants are lost, and vice-versa.
2.3.6 All carved Squirrel Totems or Nutty Squirrel Totems should be Consecrated to RATATOSKR. If not Consecrated, halve the value of any Pluses expended from them (FRD).
3.1 Beastmaster Druids are typically Shamen of their tribes, functioning as spiritual leaders and seers. However the Cult of RATATOSKR is an easygoing G/C Creed that makes little demand on His Followers and mostly focuses on climbing trees and buildings and stealing Nuts and other trinkets. Most Squirrel Cultist Druids therefore tend to be roving adventurers pursuing Nutty Quests rather than tribal leaders. The exceptions are those that have founded Temples of RATATOSKR and become a High Priest(ess) and/or Shaman(ess) of that Temple, and therefore a leader and/or spiritual guide of the Squirrel Cultists who worship at their Temple and/or come to them to be given Nutty Quests. RATATOSKR does not seem too bothered whether His Priests are Clerics or Druids, and many are both in any case. There is no formal hierarchy, and Priests of RATATOSKR usually make up their own grandiose titles.
3.2 Beastmaster Druids also act as protectors of their Totem Animals and their habitat, and RATATOSKR does seem more concerned about this role, with Nutty Quests often being related to it.
3.3 The Followers of specific Animal Cults are also dedicated to advancing the interests of their Sponsor(s). RATATOSKR in particular seeks Godhead and Clericism, and requires the Faith of His non-Clerical Cultists, including Druids.
4.1 Squirrels do not have their own Dream Kingdom, but go to the Tree Kingdoms of the Trees in which they sleep or hibernate - especially the Oak or Pine Kingdoms. They may also access the Tree Kingdoms when awake, as the shared consciousness of their ancestors with the Trees is the source of instinct for Squirrels.
4.2 Because of Squirrels' affinity with Trees, Squirrel Cultist Druids share a number of Tree-related Druidic Spells with Tree Cultist Druids, some of which are instead of therir Beastmaster equivalents.
4.3 Squirrel Shamen may scamper with Squirrels through the Tree Kingdoms , either in spiritual or real form (see the Dreamer System). On reaching DrL 8 they are granted the Power physically to enter the relevant Dream Kingdom. Other interlopers in the Tree Kingdoms are likely to fall victim to the Trance of the Trees.
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© P.R. Wild, 18 June 2025