Leshies are immortal spirits of nature temporarily granted physical forms. As guardians and emissaries of the environment, leshies are “born” when a skilled druid or other master of primal magic conducts a ritual to create a suitable vessel, and then a spirit chooses that vessel to be their temporary home. Leshies are self-sufficient from the moment the ritual ends, though it isn’t uncommon for leshies to maintain lifelong bonds with their creators. Many leshies relish the opportunity to interact with the physical world. While most leshy spirits are ancient, they rarely recall past lifetimes and see their new life as a chance to experience the wonders of the world once more.
If you want to play a character who is curious and connected to nature, you should play a leshy.
You might…
Act as a traveling agent for natural guardians who are unable to leave their territories.
Encourage civilizations to cooperate with nature and build their cities in ecologically friendly ways.
Others probably…
Think you are a curiosity due to your spiritual origins.
Assume you know only about nature and are unfamiliar with civilization and society.
Physical description
Leshies are as varied as the material used to create their vessels, usually appearing as a bizarre mishmash of various plants or fungi. Their bodies are vaguely animalistic in shape, with numerous characteristics of the plant or fungus from which they were made. A typical leshy is about 3 feet tall. Leshies begin their lives as adults and don’t age.
Society
To most leshies, the concept of family is not a matter of birth, but rather determined by bonds of loyalty and friendship. Leshies are dedicated allies, but they have little tolerance for those who would despoil nature. As much as they are happy to accept someone who earns their trust into their family, they expect family members to look out for them and their natural wards in return.
Leshies are grouped into categories akin to ethnicities, but these are not connected to physical features; rather, they represent broad categories of characteristics of their spirits. Certain spirits are more likely to gravitate toward particular physical bodies, though this predisposition is far from absolute. Leshies’ genders are determined by the spirits that inhabit their bodies. Some leshies are exclusively male or female, while many consider themselves both. Others, particularly fungus leshies, tend toward far more complex expressions of gender, or eschew the concept entirely.
Leshies choose and change their names multiple times throughout their lives.
Example names: Scarlet in Summer, Lurking Hunter, Snowy Pine Branch.
Beliefs
Leshies’ beliefs generally focus on the natural world. Those with a traveling knack lean toward Kaelen, and Verdanwyth is the most popular deity among faithful leshies. Some leshies also venerate green men, powerful spirits of nature.
Popular Edicts
Experience the physical world.
Form a family through loyalty and trust.
Protect parts of nature you embody.
Popular Anathema
Embrace unnatural magic or influences.
Take parts of living creatures or plants as trophies or souvenirs.
Stats
Remaster.
