Dryads & Pixies

## Dryads

Dryads are the manifested spirits of trees. They possess a physical body capable of moving independently from their "mother tree." Their mother tree is the tree from which their spirit is sourced and connected. Their mother tree possesses a strong or unique aura, typically located in an area aligned strongly with nature or which has plentiful mana available.

Mother trees are the source of their power, so Dryads must remain within a few kilometers from their mother tree. The range they can explore depends primarily on their age, and to some degree their natural aura strength. Children may be capable of moving up to a kilometer from their mother tree, while adults may be capable of upwards of five kilometers. As a Dryad ages, they are therefore more capable of interacting with others in their colony.

Dryad colonies may conceal themselves from outsiders, particularly when their colony is young. However, if their colony is known to the area or they have become comfortable with the idea, they love to seek knowledge and news from outsiders. The opportunity to acquire information about the outside world fascinates them. It is their form of exploration. Potions, Stormwater, and alchemy foods (particularly any aligned with nature magic) also strongly interest them. These are treated like how humans would feel about delicacies and exquisite meals prepared by professionals.

### Characteristics

Dryads have leafy-scaly earth and green-toned skin, often accented with flowers, vines, and buds. These characteristics allow other Dryads to easily identify their mother tree, but outsiders are generally completely incapable of noticing any meaningful comparisons. They are often considered attractive, sometimes even beautiful by human standards.

Personalities will grow and develop much like humans. They are much more childlike and playful in their young age, and often quite knowledgeable and wise in their older years. They have excellent memory, allowing them to act as keepers of history. Most have a wide selection of interesting stories that they pass down.

Dryads can sense their territory and the presence of life within it, particularly stronger forms of life. Their experience of their environment is also emotional. If their territory is filled with lush vegetation, they feel a great sense of ease and comfort. Conversely, if their environment has been harmed or corrupted, emotional turmoil will follow. Dryads also have a deep connection to other Dryads. Killing a mother tree would be a traumatic experience for their colony.

### Combat

Dryads are generally very peaceful, but will kill monsters or aggressive races that threaten to damage their territory or inhabitants. They can regenerate at their mother tree, even after "death," as long as their mother tree is alive and healthy. Since Dryads are just a manifested form they embody, all that is lost in their death is mana. This takes a toll on them, and can be fatiguing or painful, but allows them to fight their enemy without immediate fear for their life.

While they're often unskilled at combat due to it not serving their primary interests, Dryads fight communally. They channel their intentions empathically without notifying their enemies, nearly synchronizing their movements and objectives, making them a formidable force.

### Language

All Dryads have a strong connection to their territory through the earth, granting communication across meaningful distances through what some might believe is telepathy. This effect is mostly empathic, with less emphasis on concrete words. They convey general concepts, but rely less on language when speaking with their colony. However, Dryads love to learn the languages of outsiders. An established colony of Dryads almost certainly knows many different languages and can almost always act as a universal translator.

### Dryad Colonies

Dryads typically live in colonies. If a Dryad is alone, their work is often sufficient to raise a colony of others like them. Much of their time is spent creating beautiful gardens and lush environments, and caretaking for wildlife. The manner in which they affect the environment often encourages the growth of mother trees that awaken more Dryads.

Dryads are either considered to be "of age" or not. Coming of age is not a fixed time, it is a feeling that is shared by the colony. Often it is initiated when the child feels they are ready and those of age agree.

Governments are a strange concept to Dryads. Most Dryads of age tend to agree unanimously or near-unanimously on decisions. Consensus is extremely easy to achieve, and there are effectively no instances of social conflict between them, so hierarchies and laws are unnecessary.

## Pixies

Pixies are a rare species of Dryads, born from mother trees, that manifest bodies of tiny flying fairies. Unlike Dryads, they can travel much further distances from their mother tree, although the exact distance is unknown.

Pixies can glow, but spend most of their time unlit. Glowing usually symbolizes an emotional state such as heightened curiosity or joy. Pixies' personalities are quite varied. Some are known for being overbearingly playful and exuberant, while others are known for being conniving tricksters. Some of this may stem from their observations of other races. They may be deeply offended by human behaviors and enact their toll by misleading travelers when the opportunity presents itself.

Pixies often possess a surprising amount of information since they essentially spend all of their time exploring the world for new and novel things. When they grow bored of something, they'll switch to a new curiosity. Like Druids, Pixies cannot permanently die unless their mother tree has been killed - they are able to regenerate their bodies at the source of their mother tree.