I've been thinking of the social role of the "Druid" class in #DnD , #Pathfinder , and so forth. Historically, "druids" were the priest class of the ancient Celtic tribes - but modern #ttrpg have transformed them into "champions of nature", often in opposition to "civilization" (whatever that means).
But D&D also generally assumes the existence of large tracks of "wilderness", where the druids reside and which they protect. But what is seemingly missing is a population that supports them and where they draw their number from.
Which got me thinking further: In late medieval/Renaissance Europe, peasants who wished to escape their overlords had few options. They could join the vagabonds and other traveling folks who were basically outcasts. And in some times and places, they could flee to the cities where they could become free after "a year and a day". But they would have had difficult to build up a new existence outside of the reach of nobles.
But in #DnD -type world, that might have been an option!
Now I want to consider the maroon settlements in the Americas, where slaves fled from the plantations into the hinterlands and intermingled with the native population - sometimes even fighting back against their oppressors. The colonialists destroyed them wherever they could, but many in remote regions survived to the modern day!
Perhaps something similar is possible in D&D settings. Perhaps serfs would hear the promise of the wild, and flee to remote hidden villages protected by druids who would teach them how to live in harmony with nature. It would not be an easy life, but it would be a free one, and with magical assistance their living standards could certainly be better than what it used to be.
The nobles might sent expedition into the wilds to destroy these "wildling" settlements, but there is always more wilderness to hide in...
