Bisan

Bisan were a race of lesser spirits native to Kara-Tur.

Description
Like other lesser spirits found in Kara-Tur, the bisan had two forms. Their most commonly encountered form was that of an insect, often as a fruit fly or honey bee. In their other form, a bisan appears as a beautiful woman. Her appearance was based on what species and age of tree she lived in. Their hair color varied from black to white and their eye color was green. Bisan were able to cast polymorph self at anytime to change form.

Combat
Bisan only engaged in combat when their tree was in danger. They avoided direct confrontations, preferring to use their magic and guile to defend themselves and their tree. A bisan would attack in their insect form, since they retained the ability to cast their innate magic in this form. If cornered a bisan will cast curse on their attackers. Unless they are defending their tree, a bisan would retreat instead of engaging in direct combat.

Abilities
Bisan were powerful spell casters. Bisan were able to cast polymorph self at anytime to change form. They were also able to cast, at will, become ethereal and turn invisible. Other spells a bisan could cast were animate wood, bane, bless, castigate, cause paralysis, elemental turning, elemental ward, ethereal jaunt, hold monster, ironwood, pacify, plant growth, quickgrowth and wood shape. A bisan was able to use the bark of her tree as the main component in a potion of healing.

Society
Bisan are found in forests and jungles. They live in a tree and will defend it fiercely. They would also defend other trees of the same species as their home tree. For example, a bisan living in a apple tree would defend other apple trees in their area. They lived solitary lives, and were aggressively territorial. Their territory usually covered a single square mile (2.5 square kilometers).

In exchange for an offering, humans were able to harvest material from trees in a bisan's territory, such a sap or fruit. A bisan would even allow humans to cut down a dying tree. Any human caught harvesting from a bisan's territory without making an offer did so at their own risk.

Ecology
Like bajangs or dryads, a bisan was connected to it's tree, their life-force drawn from it. If their tree was damaged or died they would experience pain. If their tree was destroyed, the bisan would vanish. Their essence was then taken in by a nearby sapling. Their essence can split into as many as four individual essences, making homes in separate trees. A bisan's diet was sunlight and the nutrients absorbed by their tree. Bisan were always female.