Half-Dryad
PC Statistics
Base Race: Half-Elf
Abililty Score Modifiers: -1 Int
Feats:
Special Abilities: Spell Resistance 10
Favored Class: Druid
Overview
Half-dryads are the offspring of an elven or human parent with an O'Ma dryad. They are not tied to any specific tree as their dryad parent is, however, they do harbor a tremendous love of nature. Many are torn between their non-dryad parent's tendencies towards city life and their dryad parent's natural existence, but they find it tough to adapt to dryad society because of its dependence on oak trees for shelter and survival.
Personality
Half-dryads are of varying temperament and motivation on Avlis. Many take after their dryad parent and only wish to remain close to the area where they were born, becoming in tune with nature in that area and acting as its protector. Others will feel the need to wander, and undertake a quest to figure out their identity and place in existence. They possess an inner sadness because they are unable to commune as closely with the trees as their dryad parent, and will often leave the parent's grove because of this inner turmoil. For those that attempt to integrate with their humanoid society, they sometimes meet with success in one form or another, but are always pulled towards the wilderness, which they can never be as close to as they desire.
Physical Description
Like most combinations between fairy and elf, it is almost impossible to tell the difference between a half-dryad with an elven parent and a full-blooded elf. They meet the same size, clothing, and eye-color standards in this case. Human-dryad combinations are often notable because they are stockier than elves and full dryads, often reaching 5 1/2 feet tall. Their eye colors can run the range of both human and fairy norms, ranging from black, blue, and green, to yellow, violet, and red. For human and elven hybrids, hair color is a distinguishing feature from their humanoid parents. Half-dryad hair color changes with the seasons, adopting light colors like blonde and white in the winter, dark colors like brown and black in the summer, shades of green in the spring, and shades of red and orange in the fall. Skin tones usually stay within the norms for humans and elves, but also vary greatly with the season, going from stark white in the winter to a deep tans in the summer.
Relations
Half-dryads are tolerated well, and some say even pitied, among full-blooded O'Ma fairies. These races have nothing against their parentage and usually do not blame them for it. On the other hand, the Titanian varieties of fairies shun them sometimes to the point of trying to wipe them out. They see half-dryads as abominations, violating the plant and animal kingdoms. Some half-dryads take offense at this and work rigorously against the Titanians. Others give in to it and run away from the conflict whenever it arises, even though it never seems to go away. Half-dryads get along very well with other hybrids like half-nymphs because of their common bonds, and can often be found associating together for both business and social purposes.
Alignment
Most half-dryads tend to follow the ways of goodness. Their humanoid parentage will often influence how they go about expressing it. Often, those with an elven parent are chaotic, and those with human parents are neutral. On average, half-dryads are neutral and good.
Half-Dryad Lands
Though they are commonly born in and around the forests of T'Nanshi, half-dryads rarely call the land of the elves their home. Some will live in elven cities for a while before moving on to other places, but until the time of the founding of the city of Elysia, there was nowhere for them to really go. Elysia was a keep founded by another hybrid, Vanoviel Niltaurwen, who was the child of an elven mother and a nymph father. Her city became a safe haven for hybrids, and many half-dryads live and work there.
Religion
Most half-dryads give homage to their creator, O'Ma, who is said to accept their heritage as part of his overall plan for goodness. They see O'Ma as lending a lot of support to their predicament, though he is often unable to help them physically. Much loyalty exists. Half-dryads will often worship a secondary god, depending on their needs and experience. Dre'Ana, goddess of warrior maidens, is a common goddess for female half-dryad adventurers to worship.
Language
Most half-dryads speak common as their main tongue, and dryad as their secondary tongue if they spent enough time with their fairy parent. The vast majority of them know fairy common, which is the language common to all fairy races (both O'Ma and Titanian), and many know sylvan, which is the common language for all sentient woodland creatures. Those with an elven parent will know how to speak Nanshilae (elven).
Names
A lot of half-dryads do not have last names because they do not know who their father was, for one reason or another. If their father was an O'Ma dryad, they will not have a last name at all, because dryads do not have last names. If they grew up and were accepted into a human or elven household, they may take on the name of that family. First names depend on who named them. If raised by their fairy parent, they will often have a dryad name. Otherwise, their name will be that of an average human or elf.
Male Names
Alanon, Berath, Bertrom, Breneran, Derik, Eversun, Kurk, Sam, Terin, Windsong
Female Names
Alana, Amelia, Breeze, Demetria, Fara, Harmony, Lorena, Rhea, Sheeranen, Toova
Last Names
Fenmare, Derrington, Ju'Eir, Saunton, Rinthon
Adventurers
Half-dryad adventurers are numerous because so many of them are searching for inner peace. These quests can take many forms, from finding a lost parent, to fitting into society.