Kercpa

Kercpas are shy, clever squirrel-folk of deep forest, 12 to 18 inches tall, resembling large red squirrels with balancing bushy tails and bright green, hazel or occasionally blue eyes. They wear earthy elven-style clothes but leave hands and feet bare for climbing, and move through the branches with true squirrel grace. Besides their chattering tongue, many speak woodland languages like sylvan elvish, pixie or treant, one in ten knows some common, and a whistle-and-birdcall code carries 100 yards.

Though peaceful, kercpas are dangerous defenders of home and elven allies. A still kercpa in woodland goes unseen 90% of the time; they impose -5 on others' surprise rolls and are surprised only on a 1. Size and agility give AC 3 unarmored. They save as 7-HD creatures with a -4 adjustment for 19 Dexterity, and twice per round may avoid a missile they saw launched by saving vs. death magic (Dexterity-adjusted), regardless of the attack roll.

Their little swords and spears deal 1d3, so they favor toy-sized bows with half a short bow's range and damage (25/50/75 yards, 1d3), shot three times a round at +4. A band scatters through the canopy and flits between hiding spots, peppering foes from every side until intruders who will not press the fight give up; raiders often believe scores are attacking when a dozen are. Larger forces are jeered into a chase, split up and lost, then destroyed piecemeal, sometimes steered into hidden pits and deadfalls, while runners summon elves. Hidden arrow caches keep them supplied, and in home woods they track like rangers unless quarry flies or uses dimension door or pass without trace. Casters favor ventriloquism, mirror image, taunt and wall of fog.

Tribes number 100-300 adults, both sexes equally martial, plus noncombatant young equal to a fifth of the adults. One in 20 is a 2-HD defender, and one per 100 a leader of 3-4 HD, improving attacks and saves with Hit Dice (a 3-HD defender has THAC0 17 and saves as 9 HD). Defenders guard, patrol, lead battles and evacuations, and will die for the tribe. A quarter carry 1d4 pixie-made sleep arrows (save vs. poison or slumber 1d6 hours), spent only when needed.

A shaman of level 4-5 leads, with 1d2 lesser shamans of levels 1-3 per 50 kercpas. Shamans gain 1d4 hit points per level past first, fight as one extra Hit Die per two levels, and use the weather, sun, plant, healing, divination, creation, animal and all spheres. Their herbal potions heal 1d4+1, and 75% of far-ranging kercpas carry one. Up to 5% dabble as wizards, at most 4th level, avoiding attack spells and never using fire. Defenders tend to be male and shamans female, but the sexes are equal and hard to tell apart. Kercpas mate for life, and feuds are unknown.

Treetop villages linked by vine bridges are hard to spot (5%, or 10% if searching; 15% and 50% in bare winter woods), and scouts notice anyone within a mile. Kercpas forage within 10 miles from spring to fall, never hunt, sleep long through winter without hibernating while a third stay alert, and split off new villages when crowded. Tribes gather each summer solstice for feasting, games, trade, matchmaking and blackberry wine.

They revere an earth goddess pictured as a vast oak and learn morals from fables of their forefather Chitterbrisk the Clever. Harmless strangers, even orcs, are watched and let pass. Elves, sprites and treants are close friends; kercpas carry elven messages and news, and elves mentor their young. Rare rangers, druids and good adventurers, especially elves, have won their friendship.

Woods home to kercpas for twenty generations still look virgin. Moneyless and owning little of value, they are still hunted by evil creatures out of malice, and giant spiders, ettercaps, stirges and big raptors such as giant owls menace them. Usually born one at a time, though multiple births are more frequent than in humans, they come of age at 15, marry young and live about 60 years.