Leshii (S&W Player Race)

Leshii (Forest Hunters)

The leshii are a race of humanoid nature spirits seemingly hewn from wood.  Male leshii are six to seven feet tall, with nut-brown skin looped and whorled like the rings of a tree.  They are lean and muscular, with rough, craggy features and a crown of branch-like horns.  Leshii women are smaller, and their skin is pale and smooth, reminiscent of birch bark.  They have long gold or ebony tresses and delicate features.

In the Shadowend Setting, leshii are more common in the northern woodlands, notably the Gonenfall, Driathorn, Jarnwold, and the northern reaches of the Shadowend Forest.  They inhabit the deepest forests and woodlands, and are both predator and protector to the other creatures that live there.

Leshii society is attenuated at best; they live solitary, nomadic lives and avoid other leshii when possible.  Their lairs often center on a human or humanoid settlement, or follow the route of a nomadic tribe, who honor and propitiate their guardian spirit. Nature spirits like the leshii are similar to but distinct from fey, who are ultimately other-worldly creatures. The most powerful male leshii in a forest takes the title Druhtinaz, or warlord-king, but this is a title with little real power.

 Leshii are, first and foremost, primal spirits of the forest and the hunt.  Of the nonhuman races, they are the least human in manner, being guided solely by deep instinctual urges and their own whims.  They only faintly understand the concepts of empathy, laws, and civilized society in general.  Leshii are curious and inquisitive, but well-tempered with a predator’s caution and cunning.  They are patient and prefer contests of skill and wit to games of chance, and are adept at feigning weakness or passivity to lure an opponent in.  They are territorial and protective of anything they consider theirs, including adventuring companions.

Adventuring leshii are rare but not unknown.  Young leshii go abroad to find new forests or gain experience, while older leshii become bored, or simply never settle down.  They seek out companions to protect and watch over, and live itinerant, mercenary lives for as long as it amuses them.

Leshii do not use names among themselves, but adopt names given to them by other beings.  As such, their names vary.

RACIAL ABILITIES

Leshii have the following racial abilities:
Knacks: All leshii have a knack for tracking and forest survival.
Nightvision: They can see at night without penalty, but not underground.
Defenses: The tough, bark-like skin of leshii men gives them a +1 bonus to their Armor Class.
Advantages: Leshii women have advantage (a +2 bonus) whenever they need to make a check to influence another person; they can also create a fascination effect similar to a charm person spell.  The leshii must be visible and focused on the target, and the compulsion only lasts a minute.  They cannot fascinate the same person twice in a day, and any obvious threat to the target breaks the fascination.

(The terms advantage, knack, and skilled are defined on the Game Design page above.  The license for this entry is located in the Legal page above.)