When the Romans broke the ring of trees on the isle of Mona with fire and iron, those Druids who survived the massacre scattered to the winds, but not randomly, for they had a final purpose.
The great circle contained all species of tree the Celts revered in their lands stretching from the Emerald Isle to the grass seas of the Asiatic steppes. No normal trees were they, Hawthorn the size of Oak, Oaks whose span could hide a village, these were the fathers and mothers of their species and in desecrating this locus the Romans hoped to poison the web of life.
Even modern biblical scholars have attributed the 666 in revelations to Nero and ever since the disappearance of his body (see Jesus), the anti-christ label has stuck. In Celtic eyes there is no distinction between the two, for the Abrahamic religions are worshipers of the dead, their subjugation of women a signifier of their hostility to natural order.
Jesus was the harbinger, the risen parody of life born from the dead wood cross with man as the focus. Nero the necromancer fanned the flames, lip serving the old beliefs at home and persecuting Christians, he hastened its miasmic spread by contaminating the well-head with iron and creating martyrs, more corpses to venerate.
As for the few remaining Druids they were contrite, centuries ago when the oracles had foretold the coming of the God who ate all and his demon children. The followers of the Matriarch had counselled for guile, seduction and feigned assimilation as the only way to survive, as was her way.
The other side considered this approach weak; a warrior priesthood was the answer who would cast back the invaders. Now their folly revealed they would use what time they had to sever the heart from the body to limit the spread of toxicity and grow a new heart. They were not successful the contamination running down the lay-lines before them.
It is rumoured the priestesses never stopped their planning, working down through the ages to thwart the death god and its planned ruination of the earth, its rapture. Let us hope so.
See Tal, I mean I know you are just kicking your heels until your ban is lifted but put some effort into it.