This module adds the Leshy entity and creature, a malicious and forlorn forest spirit that steals children and raises them as their own wild childs.

Warning: no graphics. Proceed at your own peril.

Description

The leshy are a god-forsaken wood-folk. Having lost the protection of the nature forces they sought to once preserve, they have been forced from their homes and now reside in swampy homes in willows and cypress. Ever vigilant and stoic however, the leshy persist, and do whatever it takes to sustain their lives and communities.

Leshy could easily be confused for elves were it not for the pair of twisting antlers sprouting from their foreheads. They possess the same graceful frame, if marginally stockier, and silvery locks flow from their heads. Their typically raggedy appearance betrays these attributes though, with unkempt hair and rawhide clothing.

Gameplay

Leshy are intended to be a tougher thief opponent than goblins or kobolds. With their elf-like delicacy they can avoid traps and penetrate further into your undefended entrances than goblins can. As item thieves they can also appear with advanced equipment including steel weapons, though they eschew armour for mobility.

Inspiration

Leshy are a conglomerate of the child-stealing forest spirit trope that pervades cultures all across Europe. Most influential to Crucible’s leshys is the portrayal of the dryads of Brokilon from The Witcher - A group of stubborn forest defenders that take in orphaned children as recruits, eventually becoming more human than dryad in composition. I combined this with an earlier idea for Vulpine Elves, hyper-egotist elves who consider themselves apex predators who, despite breaking their green pact, carry on anyway out of spite.