Svith

Strange little sprite-beasts of magical origins, no one knows where the Svith come from. Neither do they, yet they persist in the world all the same. They resemble a chimeric cross between cats, lizards, and birds. Rarely found in the wilds, they have been known through ages as companions for the wizard, the thief, and noteworthy individuals.

## Habitat

Svith are inclined for more temperate forested regions, where they use the trees as shelter and rodents are plentiful. They are often seen around ruins in any region, and are oft attracted to areas of high magical concentration. Svith can adapt to most environments, except those that are hot, dry, and humid.

The beasts are territorial around their home nests. Save for those that they deem trustworthy, they will do what they can to deter a looter or a predator looking for their defenseless young. They obscure their nests to blend into the environment, while harassing and misleading predators until they give up the search.

## Biology

The species can range in size, often from that of a small cat to an adult fox. Some specimens have been reported to grow as large as dogs or massive wildcats. Such large sizes are not commonly seen by men, as these are “older” Svith who retreat away from human civilizations to be in solitude.

Svith have smooth heads covered in fine scales, which transition into fine strands of fur at the top of the head. They possess tapered ears, which are lightly tufted. They have soft fur, which tingles softly to the touch.  Fur covers their bodies and their long tails that stretch to roughly four times their body length. While Svith living in the wilds may not be able to tame all the debris and leaf litter that tangles in their fur, Svith living in domestic environments keep themselves immaculately groomed. They dislike bathing or getting wet, but may be coaxed to tolerate a soapy scrub to get clean. Their fur runs in shades of white, black, brown, and grey, with shades of mottling in between.

Svith eyes are dark and beady, rarely blinking. They have been known to squint, but the only time they fully close is for sleep. A thin inner membrane closes around their eyes in presence of bright light, wind, or to clear the eye of dust.

While passive creatures, Svith are not beyond defending themselves with tooth and nail. They possess small, razor-sharp teeth. Their mouths are slightly venomous, making bites easily infected and the weakest constitutions ill. The tips of their dextrous pads possess sharp claws as well, which are used more for climbing and manipulation than maiming.

Their vocal chords are capable of mimicking various sounds. They have been caught echoing musical melodies or bird calls. Svith appear to converse to humans in a variety of whistles, chirps, and trills, along with body language and ear positioning. However, Svith are incapable of human speech, and any mimicked sounds of language are garbled and pitched, at best.

## Sociology

Svith are cunning. Too cunning, in fact. Some compare Svith intelligence to that of crows, but the little beasts understand more than a beast would. They are intensely curious about every aspect of the world, especially the human one. They covet small objects from human pockets, and will swipe magical trinkets if left unattended for a moment. A Svith’s nest is a treasure trove of trinkets and junk, strewn along like decor. Scholars have not been able to pin down the reason for this behavior, only coax their companions to give them back their rings and pipes they’ve smuggled away.

Most Svith understand human speech, save for the youngest kits who have no worldly experience. Unlike dogs who understand the correlation to “sit” and “come”, Svith will flick their ears at the one issuing the command until a “please” follows after. Their cleverness requires one to negotiate if one wants a Svith to complete a task, and they understand “bartering”. They enjoy puzzles, but prefer to watch humans fumble about them.

Such is their intelligence that a Svith cannot be tamed or domesticated. The beasts have been known to enter into “partnerships” with humans… their willingness be damned. Some Svith find a certain human intriguing enough to follow them about. This often leads to trouble, as Svith find amusement in mischief and the reactions of humans towards it. Coming into a partnership with a Svith leads to a lifelong, headstrong friend that does not stray unless harmed by their companion in some manner. Incredibly cruel actions towards a Svith will drive it away permanently from someone’s presence.

It is worthy to note that Svith are not attracted to purehearted kindness that is seen in the tales of sprites and knights. Svith have been companions to particularly cruel and insensitive individuals, simply in fascination of their personalities. As long as their human partner does not show them hostility, Svith will linger.

With their intelligence comes the flaw of emotion. Svith are sharp enough to understand concepts, such as death. They have been observed to mourn the passing of their human companions, as well as the death of one of their own. Their incredible lifespans make them outlive nearly three generations of humans, and some families have been known to have a Svith that is passed from individual to individual before the beast inevitably disappears for all eternity. It is unsure if these Svith feel beholden to their partner’s young, or curious to see how the progression moves forward.

Nearly all Svith seen by humans are young kits, and rarely are ever seen their litters or assumedly “adult” stages. As they mature, their rampant curiosity and antics mellow down. Eventually, they leave to live lives of solitude, but no scholars have determined what causes this. An adult Svith is believed to be large in size and has only been spoken about in tall tales from lumberjacks and grizzled hunters.

Regardless of age, Svith are prized for their fur. While most may see killing and skinning such an intelligent creature abhorrent, their pelts are believed to react to magical energies and fluff considerably. Their teeth and scales are also rumored to have some property to them, and paws are considered a charm for the pockets of some rogues. However, wearing any such objects makes that human a target of ire for a Svith that happens to cross them. They seem to go blind with rage and attempt to hassle the owner of such an object until it is ruined or it becomes too dangerous to meddle with said human. This, unfortunately, causes the death of many more kits easily baited by their emotions, and some hunters sport pelts simply for this purpose.

There is far more to learn of the elusive beasts than what is let on. The beasts themselves guard their secrets, with a wry twitch of their mouth and a swish of their tails.

## Trivia

* A rare tale mentions a white-furred beast that peddles charms for coin, or other interesting trinkets.
* Svith are omnivores, despite primarily eating meats. They are known to forage and eat some human foods with no ill effects… save for sweets. Foods heavy in added sugars make them sickly and whine forlornly. They prefer berries or less-ripe fruit.
* While it may be funny to get a Svith drunk, it’s less funny when it knocks things over or shreds the draperies.