Stone maiden

Stone maidens were beautiful damsels who dwelt in standing stones, rock formations, and secluded cavern walls in Zakhara.

Description
These women appeared to be elven or human and wore simple, loose-fitting clothing. The kind of stone these creatures lived in was reflected in the coloring of their clothing.

Combat
Stone maidens were shy creatures and they fled from most confrontational situations. They would attack if angered or provoked, using weapons or magic. Their special powers over stone provided interesting ways of trapping or attacking hostiles. Stone maidens could cast animate rock, meld into stone, spike stones, stone shape, stone tell, and suggestion.

Stone maidens preferred attacking with magic while they remained safely enclosed within stone. All stone maidens were immune to earth-affecting magic.

Habitat/Society
Stone maidens were mystically bonded with the rock where they lived, never straying more than a quarter mile (0.4 km) from the rock. If removed from this area by force, a stone maiden suffered physical pain until they died or were returned.

Some stone maidens had lairs near gold or gem deposits and used their magical powers to craft valuable items. These items were hidden behind solid rock shaped by the stone maiden’s magic.

Legend stated that stone maidens were ancestors of a desert priestess who stole from her tribe and was imprisoned by an evil dao. It was believed that they sought a way to remove their curse and return to a nomadic existence. Removing the curse involved acquiring a personal item from a stone maiden from a dao or genie and returning it to her. At this point she would return to a normal woman. The credibility of this legend was questionable since many stone maidens appeared content with their existence.

Ecology
On rare occasions, stone maidens were known to act as guardians for the land surrounding their lair.