Nature Spirit

A nature spirit is the outward face of a natural object or place, from which it draws its life. Lesser spirits, the most common, belong to bamboo groves, rocks, flowers and trees, and usually polymorph into a handsome youth or lovely maiden. Least spirits, of twigs, pebbles and streams, often look like small children. Greater spirits belong to mountains, boulders, ancient trees and small islands. All speak the local languages and the tongues of other nature spirits.

Each has a kind side and a cruel side, and 75% are met with the kind side ruling. A cruel one attacks trespassers and anyone threatening its source. Least spirits are shyer, weaker and dimmer, and vent their cruelty as pranks. Spirits fight with hands or other limbs but never with weapons. At will, once a round, they can use invisibility, polymorph self, detect magic, detect harmony, and detect evil or good. Harming the source harms the spirit; fell a lesser spirit's tree and it dies.

Greater spirits also shapechange five times daily, use aura and know history at will, and use ancient curse and reward once weekly each. Once a day apiece they can cast every eastern sorcerer spell of their element save conjure elemental, so a mountain spirit wields earth and an island spirit water. Only +4 or better weapons hit them, and their own element's magic cannot harm them.

Spirits rarely stray from their source, usually living within it, and shun mortals except in times of danger. Each knows its surroundings completely and can find lost or hidden things with ease. Greater spirits are haughty and touchy, and one may try to evict a village built on its slopes, so people bring offerings and consult eastern priests before risking their anger.

Lesser spirits sometimes marry mortals, inspiring many of the eastern lands' best-loved legends.