Chwinga

Chwingas were small, shy elemental spirits that are native to Chult.

Description
Chwingas stood tall, resembling small animated dolls with masks for faces. They can hide in the rocks, rivers, and plants of their environments.

No chwinga masks are alike, and they often take the form of animal faces. Their hair is wild and unkempt while their limbs are slender and lean. The presence of chwingas is foreshadowed by mild natural phenomena, such as the presence of harmless insects or pleasant flowery scents. Further indication can be found in cool breezes, and a lusher surrounding scenery.

Personality
Incredibly shy in most aspects of their lives, chwingas were naturally curious and fascinated by humanoids, whose signs of civilization were alien to chwingas. Beings that wore armor, carried weapons, cooked food, and used tools were of great interest to them. Those that piqued a chwinga's interest enough could find themselves tailed by the diminutive elementals, and given minor magical boons. The features that drew chwinga to individuals seemed completely arbitrary, ranging from height and hairstyle to artistic talent or other strange abilities.

Abilities
Chwinga had the power to bestow various supernatural aids on those who caught their curiosity and compassion. They were agile and hard to pin down, primarily due to their hiding skills. They possessed the ability to take shelter and hide inside their natural surroundings, like in rocks or trees, becoming totally impervious to danger. Like most elementals, chwingas did not eat, drink, or breathe, but unusually they did sleep. Dead chwingas became petals, pollen, a puddle, or a stone.

Society
Chwinga lived and slept within natural objects like rivers and trees. They were incapable of speech and didn't have names.

Though they often dwelt in warm climates such as Chult, they could also have been found living in other climates, as they were sometimes brought there by travelers. For example, there was a community of chwingas in Icewind Dale, brought there by Chultan immigrants. They often inhabited the rocks, plants, and rivers of their environments.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Tomb of Annihilation • Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden