Kodama
Kodama,1 also known as tree kami, are a type of kami who protect wild trees of the forest.2
Appearance
A kodama in its physical form resembles a barely humanoid creature with no face, save for two hollow eyes, on its hemispherical head. It is three feet tall and weighs 60 pounds. If a tree is particularly ancient or immense, the kodama associated with it is much larger.2
Ecology
A kodama takes a single tree as its ward; typically, all of the trees in a forest that are protected by kodama are clustered together in one particular area. Some kodama become druids; a rare few with unusually ordered minds become monks. When a kodama must fight, it is quick to move and enlist allies.2
Kodama are more curious than most kami, and often manifest physical bodies simply to watch visitors, usually in the shadows so that it can slowly step out into visibility. The gaze of the kodama's empty eyes can be particularly unnerving. Different individuals might react differently to the gaze (ashamed, frightened, curious, amused, and nervous being the most common), yet the end result is essentially the same: few can avoid being distracted.2
References
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- ↑ Kodama serves as both singular and plural forms.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 . “Monsters A to Z” in Bestiary 3, 162. Paizo Inc., 2011