Sylph

The semi-corporeal pixies of the primordial realm of Air (Aeris), sylphs are manifestations of the Air element itself. While native to their elemental plane, they also can be found in Alfheim as well as our home realm of Gaia, being quite at home in both.

## Sylphs

### **Appearance**

Sylphs are fairy-like, spritely creatures with translucent, colorful wings. Some are tiny, while others are taller than even most humans, but all have a thin, wispy build and seem to be made more of air than flesh. They can easily turn fully invisible, vanishing into the winds.

### **Personality**

Shy but insatiably curious, Sylphs are intelligent, strategic, and often philosophical. They tend to observe rather than interact with people. They are deep thinkers, ever hungry for knowledge, which can lead them to spy on "interesting people" for a while until they grow bored or distracted by something else. Restless and constantly on the go, they are prone to be impractical and flighty, and love a good mystery or puzzle to solve. Very few care for material items and physical things, preferring spoken lore and committing things to memory: books may baffle a Sylph as taking too long to read and too heavy to carry around.

### **Food**

As air manifestations, they do not need to eat nor breath, though do not cope well with being buried or submerged under water. They have trouble moving through such substrates and it frustrates them immensely. It is unknown if they can drown from lack of air, since all sylphs seem capable of conjuring a breath bubble for themselves.

### **Interactions with Magical Society**

They are usually treated the same as pixies and garden-variety, harmless fairies. As Sylphs are very secretive and shy, they rarely cause any sort of problem, and will usually flee and vanish if asked to testify to something they witnessed. Thus, most mages view them as unreliable.

Occasionally, there are mages who befriend the sylphs who frequent their gardens, often drawing them in with interesting art, board games, trinkets, puzzles, and toys; these sylphs may vanish the moment someone else comes around, but can make fun companions, and can be helpful to strategize or brainstorm with. Due to their flighty, distractible nature, however, any long-term plans or promises they make are unreliable.

### **Abilities**

In addition to innate wind power and a resistance to electricity, Sylphs can turn fully invisible. They can also see in the dark and through most clouds and fog, being very attuned to sounds, thermals, and vibrations in the air. All can fly and hover with ease, are immune to breath effects like Spore Cloud or poisonous gases, and have remarkable speed.

#### **Suggested Combat Spells**

* Wind-related attacks: Gust (1), Wind Blade (2), Knockback (2), Skyshards (3), Wind Blast (4), Hurricane (5), Tornado (5)
* Fog (3), Cyclone (level 4 control)
* Minor Haste (2), Greater Haste
* Battle Pet (air elemental)
* Blur (level 2 defense), Sanctuary (level 4 defense)
* Clear-Sight (3), Tracking Vision (5)
* Shapeshift (air elemental: flight, air element, +AC for incorporeal form)

## Part-Sylphs

The children and descendants of a Sylph share many traits and powers with Vila. Many display a few physical manifestations of their air-elemental heritage, some possible examples of which include:

* blue or pale-white skin, hair, or eyes
* mottled cloudiness to their skin
* chilly skin temperature
* stormcloud eyes
* a constant, just-perceptible breeze surrounds them, rustling through their hair and clothing and sometimes blowing their own paper off their desk
* airy voices, or the faint rumbles of a storm in their vocal timber
* thin but nimble body, usually having less muscle mass

Some of these traits may be subtle enough for them to pass as fully human.

### **In the Magical World**

Their own individual traits and temperament can impact how they are treated among magekind. Many (though not all) are innately shy of strangers, but will open up with enthusiasm among friends, while and some will also display a stormy temperament that is quick to anger (but can just as quickly be appeased, passing as though a departing stormcloud). Part-Sylphs are often accused of having short attention spans. If their blood heritage is known, it is sometimes a source of discrimination, or is used as an excuse for their flighty, restless behavior that makes them less willing to try to focus in school or at work. Most need an unrestrictive career, and find that research, journalism, and travel appeal to their wanderlust.

### **Abilities**

While their powers can be as varied as any other human mage, most part-Vila have an affinity for air and storm magics, as well as magical flight. Some can sense when a storm is coming and are greatly in tune with the weather, learning different pressures and patterns so quickly that they can predict rain even when the horizon is clear. They are naturally speedy, and while some may have less stamina than others, they can be amazingly fast sprinters.

#### **Suggested Combat Spells**

* Wind-related attacks: Gust (1), Wind Blade (2), Knockback (2), Skyshards (3), Wind Blast (4), Hurricane (5), Tornado (5)
* Fog (3), Cyclone (level 4 control)
* Minor Haste (2)
* Battle Pet (air elemental)
* Blur (level 2 defense), Sanctuary (level 4 defense)
* Clear-Sight (3)
* Shapeshift (air elemental: flight, air element, +AC for incorporeal form), or use utility spells for flight when available