Oreads were fey creatures intrinsically linked to mountains,[2][1] much like how dryads were to trees and fossergrim were to waterfalls.[1]
Description[]
Much like dryads, all oreads had the appearance of lithe,[2] strong and stern humanoid women.[1] Their skin tone and builds reflected the rocks upon whatever the mountain they protected. For example, some were more soft and curvaceous with tawny skin, reflecting limestone or sandstone. Some had a more grainy complexion of red, white, or black that reflected granite. And some had more angular, harsh bodies.[2]
A lone oread in the mountains during the winter season.
The eyes of an oread resembled clear gemstones[2] and their hair resembled strands of stringy lichen,[2][1] being shades of pale gray, whitish green, or a dark yellow-brown.[2] During the winter season an oread's hair and shoulders always turned white, reflecting how their mountain's peaks became capped with snow.[2][1]
Oreads typically wore loose gowns that were black, gray, or gold.[2] These were often woven from the metals of their mountain.[1] They were fond of ornaments, such as ribbons that resembled plunging waterfalls, jeweled crowns of gold, and glowing shawls that bended light into rainbows. They were also fond of metal jewelry,[2] jewelry of uncut stones, and jewelry of precious stones.[1]
Personality[]
Oreads were highly intelligent creatures,[2] with great knowledge of stone and skill with engineering.[1] They could be quite brash about their desires and were not ashamed to bluntly ask someone for a gem that they admired. They would gladly accept gifts of gemstones from admirers and visitors.[2]
They disliked engaging in combat, though they were quite troublesome towards any builders, miners, quarrymen, or woodcutters that threatened their territory.[2]
Abilities[]
Any deforestation, mining, or magical erosions that occurred on their mountain territory would cause an oread pain.[2]
Oreads were capable of singing the song of stone once per day, a unique charm ability. Its melody was like that of nature, reminding one of wind rushing through trees, a fast mountain brook, and the clatter of stones during a rockslide. All those who heard it and were unable to resist it would be charmed to serve the oread as a devoted servant for an entire year, willing to lay down their life for her. No form of dispel magic or remove curse could lift this charm, only the spells holy word and limited wish would work.[2]
In addition to that unique ability, oreads had an innate spellcasting ability that allowed them to cast once per day the spells stoneskin,[2] earthquake, and move earth.[1] Three times per day they could cast charm monster, soften earth and stone, transmute mud to rock, transmute rock to mud,[1] and dimension door to anywhere on their mountain.[2] Other oreads were innately capable of teleporting to anywhere on their mountains[1] They were also cast stone tell and stone shape, either both once a day[2] or thrice and innately respectively.[1]
Oreads could meld into stone at will, their bodies being at one with stone.[2]
Combat[]
In close quarters combat, oreads fought by pummeling foes with their rock hard fists. They preferred to ambush their foes, often launching assaults on mountain footpaths. They would meld into stone prior to their victims arrival, then leap out as they passed by.[2]
Oreads also used their great knowledge of stone and skill with engineering to cause strategic avalanches or construct deadfalls.[1]
Society[]
Oreads were largely solitary creatures whose lives revolved around protecting their mountain territory.[2][1] They had little other company than whatever pets they kept. Occasionally groups of up to four were seen together, usually in mountain valleys that were surrounded by many peaks.[2]
Reproduction[]
Once a century, oreads would seek out a korred or satyr to conceive a daughter; the father would then have no involvement in their child's life. Oread children largely resembled korreds until they reached puberty at the age of nineteen, during which time they lost their mountain goat-like hooves and much of their excessive hair. If a male was ever born from such unions, he would grow up to be a member of his father's race.[2]
Diet[]
Oreads were petrivorous creatures, meaning they devoured certain minerals. Primarily clear gemstones like emeralds, diamonds, quartzes, sapphires, and topazes. They did not eat metals of any kind.[2]
Homelands[]
By their nature, oreads were only known to be found on mountains and never travelled more than 500 yards (460 meters) from their foot.[2]
Outside of the Prime Material plane, they could be found on the planes of Arborea, the Beastlands, and Ysgard.[2] In Arborea, oreads were sometimes encountered within the caverns of Mount Olympus.[3]
Languages[]
Oreads primarily spoke a dialect of the Dryad language. In addition they typically were capable of conversing in Dwarvish, the language of mountain giants and stone giants — the Jotunhaug and Jotunstein dialects of the Giant language[2][note 1] — Terran, and Sylvan,[1] as well as the unique languages of Korreds and Satyrs.[2]
Relationships[]
Oreads were often teased and harassed by Sylphs. They considered themselves to be sworn enemies of races that mined, such as dwarves, gnomes, goblins, pechs, and xorns.[2]
Due to being fierce defenders the mountains they inhabited tended to gained a reputation for being cursed or evil, sometimes attracting the attention of giants and evil humanoid tribes seeking a refuge. They often would strike bargains of mutual protection with such groups.[1]
These creatures were sometimes known to befriend and keep mountainous animals as pets, such as mountain goats, mountain tigers, and snow leopards. These animals came and went as they pleased. Oreads fought fiercely to defend these pets, sometimes to the death.[2]
Oreads sometimes engaged in the revelries of the bacchae.[4]
Oreads were a favored monster of the Seldarine deities Corellon, Erevan Ilesere, Hanali Celanil, Rillifane Rallathil, and Solonor Thelandira.[5] They were also a favored monster of the halfling deity Urogalan.[6]
Trivia[]
- An oread could be summoned by the spell summon nature's ally VI.[1]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The sourced book stated that oreads spoke the languages of stone giants and mountain giants. The Giantish dialects from Giantcraft were chosen as the closest approximation of this, as beyond that giants were not written as having their own unique language.
See Also[]
Other fey spirits that were tied to specific parts of nature include the following:
Appearances[]
- Card Games
- Blood Wars
External Links[]
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 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 Eric Cagle, Jesse Decker, James Jacobs, Erik Mona, Matthew Sernett, Chris Thomasson, and James Wyatt (April 2003). Fiend Folio. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 134–135. ISBN 0-7869-2780-1.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “Monstrous Supplement”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 20. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ Colin McComb, Dale Donovan (December 1995). “Adventures in Conflict”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Conflict (TSR, Inc.), p. 5. ISBN 0-7869-0309-0.
- ↑ Wolfgang Baur and Lester Smith (1994-07-01). “Monstrous Supplement”. In Michele Carter ed. Planes of Chaos (TSR, Inc), p. 7. ISBN 1560768746.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 101, 109, 115, 122, 133. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (November 1998). Demihuman Deities. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 176. ISBN 0-7869-1239-1.