Post by Deleted on Sept 10, 2015 16:32:14 GMT -8
A Dryad is a fey born from a magically enchanted tree. They are all feminine and humanoid in appearance, but have more in common with fairies and plants than they do with humans. The appearance seems to be a natural defense against hunters, as an attractive woman is less likely to be attacked. A dryad lives as long most trees, assuming nothing happens to the tree of their birth. They are very in tune with nature and because of their deep connection with their birth tree they cannot travel more than 500 yards from their tree of birth. If they do, whether by choice or forcefully, they begin to wither and die.
Dryads tend to be born from oak trees, but it's possible to be born from any kind of tree. Generally, the tree is part of a forest magically enchanted by fey. Each time they flower or grow fruit, there is a chance a dryad is born from those. All dryads have leafy hair as well as leaves on their arms and waist. Some dryads do not have leaves on their waist, while others have different types of leaves on their heads. They sometimes grow fruit or flowers on their head as well, but the type of fruit or flowers vary greatly with no real correlation between the tree they were born from and the type of fruit or flower on their heads. Some dryads are born directly from the bark of the tree, leaving massive knotholes where they were formed. These dryads have a much more wooden skin texture than normal.
Not all dryad are bound to trees. A rare mutation causes a very select few to be born unbound to their birthtree. These unbound dryads are less in tune with nature, but also able to leave their birthtree with no ill effects. Even if their birthtree were to die, an unbound dryad will live on. Because of this, they are ostracized from normal dryad society as freaks and generally left to wander the planet. It is unknown how long an unbound dryad can live, as they are no longer bound to a tree and no longer wither when the birthtree dies, but some speculate they are immortal.
Although they have a feminine appearance, dryads are asexual and cannot reproduce. Dryads do express affection for people, creatures, or flora they're fond of however. A common practice of dryads is to cook a meal for someone they like with their leaves or fruit. As their fruit is generally guarded aggressively by the dryad, this is a sign of trust. They're a playful species that rarely plays tricks on others despite their fey roots. They can be friendly towards travelers that pass through but are also shy. Mistreating either plantlife or a dryad will incur their wrath, however, and is an easy way of getting turned into a tree. A good way of telling how hostile dryads are in a particular forest is to look for small human-shaped trees growing haphazardly or in small groups. These were people at one point that infuriated the dryads of the area to the point of hostility. Unbound dryad are incapable of this, but because of their long lives they are not to be trifled with regardless.
Dryads come in all sizes. Just as there have been sightings of dryads as tall as redwoods, there are dryads that are only a few inches in height. It is possible to grow a dryad larger through overfeeding. Dryads have a one-way digestive tract, thus all food eaten is absorbed as nutrients. Dryads do not gain weight, however, and any excess food will instead cause the dryad to grow in height. This growth is permanent, but the dryad would require proportionally more food or risk starving. A dryad's diet can be as simple as water and roots, but they are omnivores by default and can digest any organic food. Dryads shy away from eating fruit or leaves similar to their own, as to them it would be like eating your own ear.
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More to be added later.