Druid Shrine

"The Druids built shrines to bring rest to tormented souls."

- Gaius to Merlin

Druid Shrines are shrines built to bring rest to tormented souls who are unable to find peace in the Spirit World. The Druids use ancient rituals to heal the ground so these souls can find rest.

The magic used to bind the earth is delicate and easily undone. As such, shrines are known to be cursed and ribbons and flags are hung to warn people away. Disturbing one risks releasing the spirits from their rest.

History
When Arthur was a young and inexperienced knight, he led an attack on a Druid camp in the Darkling Woods. He ordered his men to spare the women and children, but many of the knights ignored him and the raid turned into a slaughter. Because of the unjust nature of their deaths, the people of this camp became restless spirits and a shrine was built to appease them.

Several years later, Arthur, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table came across the shrine while on patrol. Though Merlin warned them not to touch anything, Elyan drank from a nearby well and accidentally released the spirit of a young Druid boy. The boy possessed Elyan and forced him to try to kill Arthur.

After several failed attempts, Elyan escaped into the woods and Merlin and Arthur tracked him to the shrine. There, Arthur confessed to having led the attack on the camp and promised to make amends by treating the Druid people with the respect they deserved. His actions allowed the Druid boy to find peace and he released Elyan from his possession (A Herald of the New Age).