Nixie

Nixies are a lake-dwelling variety of sprite. They have webbed fingers and toes, pointed ears, and wide silver eyes. Most are slim and comely, and they have lightly scaled, pale green skin and dark green hair. Females are attractive, often twining shells and pearl strings in their thick hair, and they modestly dress in tight-fitting wraps woven from colorful seaweeds. Males wear loincloths of the same materials. Nixies can breathe both water and air; travel on land is possible, but they prefer not to leave their lakes. Nixies fear fire and very bright lights.

If one or more Humans approach within 30 feet of a group of nixies, the nixies pool their magic to create a powerful charm spell. Nixies keep each charmed slave for one full year, under the influence of a water breathing spell, forcing him to do all their heavy labor, but thereafter the charm wears off and the victim is set free.

Nixie dwellings are woven from living seaweed and difficult to detect. Nixies keep giant fish as guards, either gar or pike; these are taught to obey simple commands. Small bright, ornamental fish are kept as pets and trained to perform elaborate tricks. Trout, bass, and catfish are herded as food. Nixies can also summon small fish.

Nixie tribes typically have 20-80 members, broken into 10-15 families of 4-8 members, all related through common ancestors. A nixie tribe controls an area with a radius of 3-5 miles; when a tribe gets too large, 2-3 families split off to form a new tribe. Nixies live for several centuries.

Nixie tribes are ruled by the Acquar (water mother), a hereditary position held by a direct descendant of the original founding ancestor. She decides major disputes and chooses the most apt warrior to be the S'oquar, the warlord responsible for hunting and defense. The Acquar is advised by a council of elders, whose spokesperson is called the L'uquar, the keeper of the tribe's oral history. Treasures, whether the spoils of war or the results of work or luck, are divided equally by the Acquar. Intertribal rivalries are often fierce, and females are sometimes kidnapped as brides, for nixies are polygamists, keeping 2-3 wives. Nixies worship water and nature powers.

Lakes with nixie tribes are kept clean and well stocked; often, Human slaves work to improve the environment through the removal of trash and obstructions. Nixie artifacts include jewelry of shells, pearls and opals, silk from giant water spiders, and potions of water breathing.

Note: Nixies 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.