Author notes

Chapter 8 - Page 08

DAJB

on July 6, 2008

This ritual is (loosely!) based on the writings of the Roman historian Pliny. He wrote that a "Druid's egg" was the "badge" of a Druid. It was a serpent's egg and, as explained here, it was supposedly suspended in the air by the hissing of seven intertwined serpents. A would-be Druid had to snatch the egg from the serpents without being bitten.

The reference to the "demon realms" and describing the serpents as "spirits" were the first of my embellishments.