Dryad

Dryads are intelligent woodland beings closely bound to trees and other living growth. Their bodies resemble human forms shaped from wood, bark, leaves and blossom, though their appearance varies with the vegetation to which they belong.

Most dryads remain within established woodland territories. They are highly protective of these areas and generally regard human interference with suspicion. Cutting, burning or taking from protected land without permission can provoke a response from the dryads themselves or from the surrounding vegetation.

Guardian dryads are among the most formidable. Rather than attacking immediately, they can turn the landscape against intruders: paths close, roots and branches restrain movement, and familiar routes become difficult to follow. In Grevorn, they form part of the forest’s natural defence against unwanted visitors.

Not all dryads are hostile to people. Those living near Liret maintain long-standing agreements with the settlement, particularly around the Half-Given Gardens. These arrangements allow limited harvesting and passage while leaving parts of the gardens under dryad protection.

Dryads can leave their trees or woodland for a time, though separation from their native environment is unusual. Their behaviour tends to follow older rules of territory, permission and exchange rather than human law or ownership.