Dryads Quote by Terry Pratchett
““But why were there dryads at all? As far as he could recall, the tree people had died out centuries before. They had been out-evolved by humans, like most of the other Twilight Peoples. Only elves and trolls had survived the coming of Man to the discworld; the elves because they were altogether too clever by half, and the trollen folk because they were at least as good as humans at being nasty, spiteful and greedy. Dryads were supposed to have died out, along with gnomes and pixies.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Discworld series, "The Wee Free Men", 1998
Dryads, thought extinct, persist due to narrative necessity, highlighting how world‑building can bend ecological logic for storytelling.
In simple terms: Dryads survive despite being supposedly extinct.
Key Takeaway
Accept creative liberties in fantasy world‑building.
Themes
fantasy
world‑building
mythology
creature ecology
humor
Mood
playful
thoughtful
humorous
Type
literary
creative
analytical
When to use this quote
- role‑playing games
- creative writing
- world design
Key Concepts
narrative design
ecological plausibility
genre conventions
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do authors keep extinct species alive in stories?
- What does this say about myth versus reality?
A Different Perspective
Readers may find inconsistencies jarring if not framed humorously.
![“Oh Trees, Trees, Trees...wake. Don't you remember it? Don't you remember me? Dryads and hamadryads, come out, come [out] to me.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/949/anonymous-1_remember_oh-trees-trees-trees-wake-don-t-you-reme_1956673.jpg)
