Dryad

Dryads are beautiful, intelligent tree sprites. They are as elusive as they are alluring, however, and dryads are rarely seen unless taken by surprise -- or they wish to be spotted.

The dryad's exquisite features, delicate and finely chiseled, are much like an Elf maiden's. Dryads have high cheek bones and amber, violet, or dark green eyes. A dryad's complexion and hair color changes with the seasons, presenting the sprite with natural camouflage. During the fall, a dryad's hair turns golden or red, and her skin subtly darkens from its usual light tan to more closely match her hair color. This enables her to blend with the falling leaves of autumn. In winter, both the dryad's hair and skin are white, like the snows that cover the oak groves. When encountered in a forest during fall or winter, a dryad is often mistaken for an attractive maid, probably of elvish descent. No one would mistake a dryad for an elf maid during the spring and summer, however. At these times of year, a dryad's skin is lightly tanned and her hair is green like the oak leaves around her.

Dryads often appear clothed in a loose, simple garment. The clothing they wear is the color of the oak grove in the season they appear. They speak their own tongue, as well as the languages of elves, pixies, and sprites. Dryads can also speak with plants.

Note: Dryads originally appeared in this form in the 2nd Edition Monstrous Manual for the AD&D game from TSR. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.