Hybsil

Hybsils were small fey creatures native to numerous forests in Faerûn.

Description
Hybsils appeared as a cross between a small antelope and a pixie, like a centaur but with the bodies of small deer instead of horses. The color of a hybsil's body varied from dark grays and browns to beige and copper. Like normal antelopes, hybsils also often had spots or stripes.

Hybsils had pointed, elegant ears with a small tuft of hair at the tips. Male hybsils had large forking antlers and females had smaller antlers that were sometimes spiraled. The male's antlers would molt in the middle of winter and grow back in spring.

Due to being hunted for their antlers, hybsils developed a knack for finding traps and snares. They were also skilled at moving silently in forests. Their fey origin gave hybsils complete immunity to poisons.

Behavior
A typical hybsil diet consisted of fruits, berries, roots, and small mammals. Hybsils commonly lived up to 50 years but hybsils with arcane abilities were known to live to 70 and well beyond.

Combat
Hybsils fought with daggers, short swords, and short bows. Hybsils were known to coat their weapons and arrows with a potent sleeping poison created from rare plant juice blend. It was possible that this poison was acquired from pixies.

Many hybsils were also able to perform a number of mage and druid spells. Despite being related to sprites, hybsils were unable to turn invisible. They could however see invisibility at will.

A common tactic employed by hybsils was to attack in groups, often using a mirror image spell to give the impression of greater numbers. Hybsils preferred to fight from a distance, using their speed and agility to stay out of range. Although they were known to perform hit and run attacks with small blades, hybils would generally avoid hand-to-hand combat unless trying to prove themselves.

Society
Hybsils lived in small tribes that rarely exceeded fifty individuals. Due to their being hunted, hybsils tended to be xenophobic, preferring to isolate themselves from other sentient species. Although hybsils disliked bugbears and ogres, they especially hated gnolls. Despite their xenophobia, some tribes did have distant but friendly relationships with neighboring groups of humans, gnomes, and other sentient creatures.

Hybsils could be found in many woodlands, plains, and forests across Faerûn. They were known to live in the Border Forest, the Reaching Woods, the Trollbark Forest, the High Forest, the Misty Forest, and the Nunwood.

The roles in hybsil society were mostly split between males and females, although females would take up arms if needed. Males focused on hunting, gathering, and protecting the tribe. The females took care of young, educated, preserved traditions, maintained the tribe's oral-history, and cared for the injured and sick. As a result, females were rarely encountered beyond the tribe's camp.

Threats
Due to the magical properties of their antlers, hybsils were often hunted by other sentient races. Although molted antlers were just as useful as scalped antlers, the Zhents of Zhentil Keep were known to only buy antlers that were attached to scalps. Some wizards paid as much as 100 gp for high-quality hybsil antlers.

Notable hybsils

 * Five Point
 * Around 1372 DR, a hybsil named Five Point had become the leader of the second-largest druid circle in the northlands. Five Point was accompanied by three dire wolverines and an owl and paid 13 gp for Zhentil scalps.


 * Marcabruk
 * Marcabruk was the leader of the Autnak Tribe of hybsils who lived around Chondath. Around 1358 DR, Marcabruk and his tribe were part of an alliance who attacked a priest named Theodoric and his army of undead.