Defenders of the Forest - Liber Fanatica

• Luminescents: These odd Spites normally appear as gently
bouncing, multi-coloured will o’ wisps. Wherever Luminescents
come in contact with the ground, they leave small puddles
of phosphorescent residue. Their excretions are poisonous to
magical creatures; those coming into contact with it must pass a
Will Power Test or suffer 1d10 Wounds. Other spirits therefore
prefer to leave Luminescents alone. Weapons coated in the
substance count as Magical but the residue evaporates within 5+
1d10 minutes.
• Despairs: The most feared of all Spites are the Despairs. These
spirits always appear as a trio but can take on different forms:
old crones, red-eyed ravens, or a triad consisting of a hag, a
Chapter X: Friends of
the Forest
woman and a girl. A trio of Despairs may cast a powerful Hex as
a Full Action. The target of the Hex must pass a Fellowship Test
or suffer a severe heart attack causing 2d10+4 Wounds, ignoring
Toughness and armour.
• Radiants: These shy Spites appear as blurry, floating will o’
wisps, but can also take the shape of small, winged elflings.
Radiants absorb excess magical energy from the surrounding
forest. A cluster of Radiants will reduce the Magic score of any
spellcaster within 20 yards by 1, and temporarily bestows the
Resistance to Magic trait on any character within that radius.
Radiants never join Elves or other mortals as Companions.
Tr e e Kin
Source: WFRP Companion, pg. 119 and 126.
The Spirits Within
All forests are inhabited by spirits born of pure magic. These
beings can take the form of dancing Spites, or inhabit trees and
animals. Virtually every tree is a spirit host in magical forests
like the Loren, but Forest spirits are less common in civilised
areas. Forest spirits can dwell within living trees for a full season,
causing them to bear magical fruit or even relocate (albeit very
slowly) to another part of the forest.
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Dead trees can only serve as spirit hosts for short periods of
time. However, their old, rotted husks are less firmly rooted, enabling
spirits to animate them like wooden golems (called “Tree
Kin” by the Elves). Whilst living trees are usually inhabited by
benign spirits, Tree Kin are animated by vindictive entities seeking
vengeance against the forest’s intruders.
Forest spirits often manifest as reflections of emotions expressed
by those who’ve perished in the forest. In peaceful forests like
the mystical Avelorn, Tree Kin rarely manifest and those that do
are proud and noble creatures. Embattled forests like Athel Loren
produce Tree Kin with more violent and vindictive temperaments,
while those stalking the Empire’s forests are nightmarish
creatures with glowing eyes and gaping maws.