Leshy

From PathfinderWiki
Leshy
A vine leshy.
(Creature)

A leshy1 is a plant or fungus inhabited by vitae,2 sometimes erroneously called a nature spirit,34 a relationship that makes the plant a sentient creature capable of taking on an independently mobile form.56 Such creatures' life forces lack quintessence, making them unusual among mortal forms of life.7

Appearance

A leshy's appearance depends entirely on the materials used to create them, and can include combinations of otherwise unrelated plants or fungi.6 This makes leshy forms as diverse as the natural order itself, with a range that includes cacti, fruit, fungi, gourds, leaves, lotuses, roots, seaweed, and vines.89 Their forms generally resemble a humanoid standing about three feet tall.6

The design of a leshy's body also influences the vitae that chooses to inhabit it, and a leshy's gender is a matter of self-identification, with fungal leshies more commonly expressing complex forms of gender or none at all. Leshies are mature upon creation and do not age, though their vitae might choose to leave their given form.6

Ecology

Leshies are nourished in the same manner as their component materials, such as through photosynthesis, root absorption, or decay. Leshies who rely on sunlight but must travel to places without it must often resort to using bottled sunlight.6

Adventurers

Leshies often become druids (especially of leaf order) and rangers due to their exceptional connection to nature. Bard is also a good fit for leshies with a love of storytelling; such leshies often inhabit vine leshy bodies.10

History

Druids and primal spellcasters created the first leshies by summoning primal spirits into physical bodies they crafted from natural materials. Leshies originally served as guardians of natural places who rarely strayed away from their place of creation. As time went by, leshies began leaving their birthplaces in growing numbers to explore the world.11

Society

Leshy society is one of found families composed of faithful companions and trusted friends. They hold such family members responsible for protecting them and the natural world from which the leshy was created.6

Religion

Leshies gravitate to powers who influence nature, particularly the Green Faith and Gozreh. For some leshies, the nature spirits known as green men attract their veneration.6

References

  1. The plural of leshy is confirmed as "leshies" as of April 2023. Prior to this, Paizo had used "leshys" as the plural form in many of its publications.
  2. "Vitae" is used for both the singular and plural forms of the word in Secrets of Magic.
  3. Logan Bonner, et al. “1: Essentials of Magic” in Secrets of Magic, 18. Paizo Inc., 2020
  4. Logan Bonner, et al. “1: Essentials of Magic” in Secrets of Magic, 19. Paizo Inc., 2020
  5. Julian Neale, et al. “Bestiary” in Blood for Blood, 86. Paizo Inc., 2010
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Logan Bonner, et al. Ancestries & Backgrounds” in Player Core, 66. Paizo Inc., 2023
  7. Linda Zayas-Palmer. Leshy” in Ancestry Guide, 43. Paizo Inc., 2021
  8. Logan Bonner, et al. “Monsters A-Z” in Bestiary, 218–219. Paizo Inc., 2019
  9. Logan Bonner, et al. Ancestries & Backgrounds” in Player Core, 67. Paizo Inc., 2023
  10. Paizo Inc., et al. “New Ancestries” in Character Guide, 52. Paizo Inc., 2019
  11. Linda Zayas-Palmer. Leshy” in Ancestry Guide, 40. Paizo Inc., 2021