Teez, the Dire Beetle

A sweet voiced tempter of children, Teez promises sweets and other treats to those who unwisely wander the jungle paths alone. He is said to steal the souls of those who he tempts from the path, but he cannot touch those who do not wander. He is associated with darkness and is always accompanied by a limitless army of beetles. Those who he catches can escape with their lives by offering one of their own feet, which Teez considers to be a delicacy.

## Appearance

Teez is a shapeshifter, able to wear any guise with ease. He likes to take the form of old women in need of assistance, or lost children. The disguise is perfect, but the tell is that he is never far from his beetle swarm - a clever traveller will always be on the lookout for his insect brethren. In his true form, Teez is a corpulent blend of beetle and man, a black and ivory carapace bending under the weight of excess fat that bulges out at the seams between armour plates. Each of his insectoid legs ends in a flabby white hand, and his face is a grotesque mix of man and bug with deep black eye sockets pooled with viscous darkness that oozes over his nose and lips.

## Personality

Teez can affect any personality he wishes while disguised, and will use any trick he can think of to lure travellers off the path. He can be sweet, or scared, or commanding. His true voice is high and wheedling - he seeks to placate with cloying flattery and honeyed words. He is also a coward at heart, and will run from any confrontation that he isn’t 100% sure of winning. He is at the very bottom of the totem pole among the Fae gentry, and any other member of the gentry may command him if they choose. Because of this he is always plotting ways to climb the ladder and ingratiate himself with his betters, as he believes he has the personal power to be a regent, he just lacks the support of his fellow fae.

Teez is also one the the only fae able to lie, as he steals the voices of those he captures. As long as he speaks in their voice, he can say whatever he likes. If he's speaking in his true voice however he is bound by the same rules as other fae and cannot knowingly state a falsehood. For this reason Teez is revered by the Kenku as they see him as a kindred spirit, forced to use the voices of others by unfair magic.

## Worship

Few mortals voluntarily or openly worship Teez as he has a reputation for trickery and a complete lack of loyalty. Travellers are more likely to court the favour of stronger fae to try and ward him off, as it’s believed Teez will think twice before targeting someone carrying the antler of the Great Stag or the golden eye of Degato. While Teez is technically accessible through the Fae Court, offering prayers to Teez through the court is likely to attract the negative attention of other fae regents. Potential worshippers instead leave offerings in the shadowy places of the Selva, off the beaten path. Teez appreciates sweet or rotting food, as well as beautiful things that are inevitably spoiled by his very touch. His favourite offering is severed feet - so much so that anyone in the Selva who loses or severely damages a foot should be seriously watchful lest he comes to claim it. Covert worshippers of Teez identify each other with a tattooed line on their ankles, similar to a tattooed anklet. Of all the races, Kenku are the most likely to seek power from Teez, as they see his plight as similar to their own.

## Tenets

Teez does not formally make clerics, and has no tenets beyond a hunger for souls and a burning desire for the respect of his betters. He has a small cult of warlocks he gives power to, usually those he thinks it will help him, but he gives them no tenets to follow beyond achieving the tasks he sets to them.