Buckawns were a kind of fey closely related to brownies, but far less friendly and helpful; they were distrustful isolationists that dwelt in deep woodlands and resented any stranger's intrusion into their territory.[2][1]
Description[]
Buckawns were small humanoid fey, standing around 2 feet (0.61 meters) tall. They appeared similar to brownies, and were indeed related, but had dark tan to brown skin and light brown or blond hair. They tended to dress in russets and greens to better blend in with the wild lands they inhabited.[1][3]
Behavior[]
Buckawns were isolationists verging on xenophobia: extremely distrustful of any and all strangers, resentful of intruders and inclined to drive them away, by force at first and by trickery if that failed. This distrust extended to members of other buckawn clans as well, and a strange buckawn would only be barely tolerated until their motivations and abilities were known.[2][1]
Abilities[]
As with many other fey creatures, buckawns possessed an innate magical ability that they freely employed in their own defense and that of their territory and clan. The powers they possessed revolved around causing confusion and frustration in their opponents, being able to audible glamer, change self, dancing lights, and turn invisible all at will, and entangle, pass without trace, summon insects, and trip once each day.[2][1]
Buckawns very keen senses of hearing and smell, with the latter comparable to that of a bloodhound. Moreover, their vision extended into the infrared and ultraviolet spectra, they had the low-light vision common to faerie-folk, and they could innately see through invisibility. Combined, all of this meant buckawns were never surprised by attackers, and with their small size and natural dexterity made them exceptionally stealthy in their native forests.[2]
Combat[]
All buckawns were armed with small daggers and very often carried quivers of darts which would be poisoned with whatever drugs the clan could create from nature around its lair. Buckawn poisons were said to be among the most potent ones known to man, created only from natural flora and fungi.[1]
So potent were buckawn poisons that they were very valuable and, while they were very hard to come by, they were worth twice as much as normal poisons.[1]
Society[]
Buckawn clans inhabited temperate forests, and inhabited a single home carved into a massive tree, often the largest in the forest. Within the clan, a third of the adults would be charged with hunting small animals, and the other two-thirds would be split between foraging and domestic upkeep. Rarely, buckawn clans were observed to keep a herd of squirrels or chipmunks as livestock, thus eliminating the need for hunters. As a species, buckawns were habitually diurnal.[1]
So long as their woodlands were green and growing, the buckawns would be likewise be healthy and lively; if rot and decay began to overtake the forest, they would sicken and eventually die.[1]
Diet[]
Being omnivores, they ate the small animals they could hunt and the nuts, berries, and other woodland edibles they could forage.[1]
Homelands[]
Beyond the Material plane, solitary buckawns were ocassionally encountered in the realm of Asgard.[4]
Languages[]
Buckawns spoke the same language as brownies, although they found the brownie accents to be quite horrid. Most buckawns also spoke one or more of the languages of pixies, sprites, nymphs, or satyrs.[2]
History[]
According to some stories, long ago, many faeries offered gifts to a faerie queen. Among these were two groups of brownies. One group offered her gifts from the woodlands- fruits and nuts, a garland of holly, and a magical oaken ring. The second group offered her only the love they had for her. At that, the first group jeered at them. But the queen had been pleased, and turned to the jeering brownies with displeasure, and thus they withered and became buckawns.[5]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 Grant Boucher, William W. Connors, Steve Gilbert, Bruce Nesmith, Christopher Mortika, Skip Williams (April 1990). Monstrous Compendium Greyhawk Adventures Appendix. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 10. ISBN 0-88038-836-6.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 21. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ James Wyatt (August 1999). “Half-Pint Heroes”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #262 (TSR, Inc.), pp. 28–30.
- ↑ Rod Stevenson (September 1985). “The Norse Planes of Gladsheim”. In Keith Thomson ed. Imagine #30 (TSR UK Ltd.) (30)., p. 37.
- ↑ Vince Garcia (March 1990). “The Folk of the Faerie Kingdom”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #155 (TSR, Inc.), p. 32.