Ashira |
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Medium Fey
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| Hit Dice: 5d6+3 (17 hp) |
| Initiative: +4 |
| Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) |
| Armor Class: 17 (+4 Dex, +3 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 13 |
| Base Attack/Grapple: +2/+2 |
| Attack: Claw +6 melee (1d6) |
Full Attack: 2 claws +6 melee (1d6)
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| Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. |
| Special Attacks: Orchard-defending frenzy, spell-like abilities |
| Special Qualities: Damage reduction 5/cold iron, tree dependent, wild empathy |
| Saves: Fort +1,
Ref +8, Will +6
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| Abilities: Str 10,
Dex 19, Con 11,
Int 10, Wis 15,
Cha 18 |
| Skills: Diplomacy +14, Heal +10, Knowledge (nature) +8, Perform (dance) +12, Perform (song) +12, Sense Motive +4, Survival +2 (+4 in aboveground natural environments) |
Feats: Negotiator, Weapon Finesse
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| Environment: Warm forests |
| Organization: Solitary or orchard (2–12) |
| Challenge Rating: 3 |
| Treasure: Standard |
| Alignment: Usually chaotic good |
| Advancement: By character class |
| Level Adjustment: — |
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A roughly humanoid creature emerges from a nearby tree. A wild mane of curly black hair curls and twists, despite the lack of wind. Its limbs are unnaturally thin, and its arms end in throrny claws. The creature sways constantly, as a tree in a breeze.
Ashira are wild, tree-dwelling fey similar to dryads. Unlike dryads, ashira are bound to an entire orchard, rather than an individual tree, and are usually bound in groups. These orchards tend to be comprised of and banana, orange, lemon, plum, fig, and pomegranate trees, as well as date and coconut palms.
Ashira form friendly relationships with humanoids who tend their orchards. They form particularly close attachments to horticulturists, entertaining them with song and dance and performing favors, such as protecting children and livestock. Ashira also form friendships with the animals and vermin that dwell in their orchards, particularly birds, insects, hive insects, and winged serpents. Ashira enjoy keeping pets within the branches of their trees and caring for them as a group. Although they can charm people and mammals with their magical abilities, they prefer to rely on diplomacy, trust, and friendship.
Ashira become morose and moody if left alone, preferring constant companionship from others of their kind. They are very close to one another, generally holding hands, braiding each others' hair, massaging away aches and pains, or singing and dancing. All ashira within an orchard make decisions as a group, arguing and voting until a majority is reached.
Ashira draw sustenance from the sap and fruit of their orchard, but can subsist solely on photosynthesis. Ashira supernaturally store sunlight, then convert it to food at night, giving their orchards a faint, eerie glow. On moonless nights, the light can be dimly seen by others, leading to tales that their orchards are haunted.
An ashira is roughly the size of an elf. During the day, an ashira is constantly fidgeting and swaying, unable to stand still. By night, they sway slowly with listless eyes. Their clothing matches the season, changing from rags and scraps of cloth during the late fall and winter to complicated garments wove from leaves, flowers and vines as their trees blossoming and bear fruit
Ashira speak Common, Elven, and Sylvan.
COMBAT
Ashira have no love for combat, but if trapped or if their orchards are threatened, they can strike with a furious frenzy of thorny hands. Even while in a frenzy, an ashira always tries to avoid delivering a killing blow, and they often nurse wounded enemies back to health and release them far from the orchard.
Orchard-Defending Frenzy (Ex): An ashira that witnesses a tree in its orchard being damaged flies into a berserk frenzy on its next turn, attacking madly until either it or the creature that violated the orchard is dead. It gains +4 Strength and –2 AC. In addition, the ashira gains an extra attack at its full base attack bonus in a full attack action. The ashira cannot end its frenzy voluntarily.
Orchard Dependent (Su): Each ashira is mystically bound to an orchard of stand of trees and must never stray more than 300 yards from it. Any who do become ill and die within 4d6 hours. The trees of an ashira orchard do not radiate magic.
Spell-Like Abilities: At will—charm animal (DC 15), charm person (DC 15); 3/day—tree stride (within bound orchard only). Caster level 8th. The save DCs are Wisdom-based.
Wild Empathy (Ex): This power works like the druid’s wild empathy class feature, except that the ashira has a +6 racial bonus on the check. |
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1992 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
Originally found in Monstrous Compendium Al-Qadim Appendix |
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