Volodni

The volodni, or pine folk, were sentient plant creatures native to the cold forests of Northeast Faerûn, particularly the Forest of Lethyr.

Description
The volodni were generally tall and slender but with broad shoulders and long arms. Their eyes were a solid, shiny black, and their skin was dark green like fresh pine needles. Their hair grew in long strands that had bark-like scales. They wore armor made of leather and wood.

Behavior
The volodni were stern defenders of the forests they considered their homelands and sought revenge on any who encroached on their territory or cut down trees. They had long memories and the relentless patience of nature. Some volodni bargained with settlers for limited use of forest resources, but they were in the minority.

Combat
Volodni fought with grim determination and gave no mercy. They used weapons made of wood, leather, or stone, and favored flails for melee and javelins for ranged combat. Veterans usually had armor and weapons made from bluewood. Piercing weapons were not very effective against their tough skin and their woody flesh made them immune to paralysis and being stunned. Their sap-like blood made them immune to poison and their plant-based physiology was proof against sleep effects and mind-affecting spells. They required little in the way of sleep (two hours a day, unless preparing spells) or food and water, as they were able to draw sustenance from their surroundings. Volodni could hold perfectly still and blend into most wooded environments.

Society
Organized in tribes, usually with a druid of Silvanus as a leader, the volodni lived in small groups in groves that were cultivated to their liking, with few material possessions. A skilled ranger typically led any military excursions, backed up by warriors and fighters. They respected druids, even those of the "warm folk", and often formed alliances to prevent forest depredations. They honored treants and were friendly with most other forest dwellers, including centaurs, satyrs, and elves, although elves generally did not approve of the volodni tendency toward cold, ruthless killing of their perceived enemies. The more moderate volodni acknowledged the difference between using resources and impacting the environment out of necessity (most humans and dwarves) rather than maliciousness (most orcs and goblins), but the more militant ones did not. One faction of volodni thought they should retreat into the forest and avoid contact with outsiders, while most of the others sought to expand their territory with visions of covering the land in one vast forest.

The volodni did not build many enclosed structures, but stone circles and hearths open to the sky were common.

History
Circa the Year of Recompense, −150 DR, a group of Nar refugees fled from the effects of the Great Conflagration into a nearby ancient forest. Inside they were met by a powerful entity associated with that forest—an elder treant or perhaps, Silvanus himself—who gave them an ultimatum. They would forever have to give up their demon-binding ways and accept the blood of the forest as their own or they would be ejected from the wood. The Nar lord leading those men and women agreed immediately, fearing what would happen should they be forced back into the open and so he and his followers were transformed into the first volodni.