Soilkin

According to their own teachings, everyone has the potential to become a Soilkin but few do. There is no inborn trait that allows one to become one. You do not need great strength, speed, or intelligence. What is needed is a love of the land and the dedication to learn about it. Prospective soilkin are observed for several years before being offered a position as an apprentice to ensure they have the qualities needed.

Soilkin start as apprentices, with their first period being spent in a different settlement to their home one. During this time they are taught the basic knowledge they will need and support their teacher as needed. The work is made deliberately hard, and there are frequent tests of knowledge to make sure that the apprentice is showing the appropriate dedication. There is no fixed term for an apprenticeship and no final test or assessment. If the teacher believes their apprentice is ready they will be sent to a location far from any settlements where they will taught to truly become one with the land.   At the end of this training a soilkin is free to do as they please. Some wander the lands, solving problems as they come across them. Others take up residence in a settlement and spend their time helping and advising there. For the most part there is no fixed hierarchy to the soilkin though though they do typically defer to those who have a greater connection to the land. Though they have no title, there are those who have such wisdom and power that they are considered leaders and consulted over matters affecting multiple regions or soilkin.

The main role of the soilkin is to protect the land from harm, though this is rarely understood by the communities they work with. To those communities the soilkin are there to advise on harvests, what trees can be felled, and to call on the powers of the land when the situation demands it. The soilkin do help with those things but their true focus is more on ensuring the land is protected and they won't help when a community causes problems for itself by ignoring their advice.   Soilkin are capable of healing magic and are generally happy to deal with injuries, though they sometimes refuse to help with outbreaks of illnesses.