Reproduction
Wood Maidens sprout from seedpods fallen from their Stilled parent tree that had their blooms pollinated. If they have part-Maiden children, they will be born similar to the mortal partner's species, though the process appears to use magic.
Part-Maidens
The children of a Guardian and their partner are generally considered the partner's species and share more features with that parent. However, the part-Maiden will inherit various traits - such as eye color, skin markings, a magic-like tendency towards having plants in their hair. These traits can be passed down in further generations, though the descendants inherit fewer traits.
Diet
While a sprout, a young Wood Maiden is sustained by the soil, air, and rains. Once the Walking Guardian begins to Walk, they continue to subsist from contact with soil, air, and rain. However, they can eat the same food as the mortals, even seem to keep healthy when doing so, until they Still and live out the rest of their lives as immobile trees.
Magical Abilities
Misdirection - Usually done as a form of protection, a Guardian can shift the walking paths and trails to entrap or redirect those who wander into their forest. Tales tell of a tree-woman protecting children when they fled into the forest during wartime before walking out unharmed. Woodcutters, who have disregarded or ignored the directive on which trees they may harvest, have found themselves wandering in circles for the day, before walking out and discovering they've only gone within a half-hour's walking distance deep when they wake up and walk out the following morning.
Most methods to prevent this misdirection include following the directives, being kind and courteous to anyone, and carrying a ball of yarn to mark the path back. It has been suggested the yarn method is not a guarantee, only a way to detect if one is under the misdirection ability.
Tree Walking - An ability inherited from the Maiden to the part-Maiden children and descendants, Maidens can travel by touching a tree to any tree they have touched before. The part-Maiden children have a more limited range, but Maidens have not recorded or shared the furthest distance they can cross through their Tree Walking.
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Forest Tending - This is one aspect of magic kept secret from anyone outside the forests when performed on a large scale. The result has small saplings grown into adult trees, a small bush towards full size, and a general explosion of plant life in the region the Maiden had been.
Stories have described attempts at "sneaking a peek" as leaving the observer in a shaken state, muttering about "hissing grass" or "stretching trees" though said observers also tended to find themselves developing plant-like growths on their bodies.
Forest Movement - In times of extreme danger, a Guardian can move an entire forest. This has occurred twice in over two thousand years since the Adrakian Empire's fall in recorded history. In both times, the relocated forests fell into a sharp decline for decades before an explosion of new growth, while the nearby forests would shift into late fall or winter stages regardless of the season.
Soul Trapping - This particular ability is considered one of the most dangerous a Maiden has. In times of extreme anger, the tree-bark over their back will grow and "rot out" into a hollow. Anyone who peers at the hollowed back will find themselves unable to look away as the hollow void eventually looks back with their own eyes. The trapped individual then sees their body collapse.
This also uses the other abilities to help the Guardian track, follow, and ensure their targets cannot escape at all or for long.
The more often this ability is used, the more hollowed out the Maiden becomes until there is nothing left but the rotting front-facing facade. Maidens who reach this stage will rot apart instead of Stilling.
I don't know how she knew it was us or where exactly we were - but when she spoke, she wasn't speaking to us and the trees grabbed for us too. Hal was caught. We kept running, and when we thought we were on the paths again, he was running with us - his eyes were gone.
The Order can find others, I'm never stepping foot in the woods again.
— Woodcutter's report
Skeleton Roots - The body of one who has been trapped can be manipulated via detachable roots under the control of the Maiden who had trapped the body's soul within their hollowed back. This body can be animated for as long as the Guardian lives regardless Stilling or Walking, and lends to stories of haunted forests where ancient dead pace without rest.
Society
Most city-dwellers often see Maidens as over-reactive tree monsters who lure or seduce men or children away from the cities. These views are reinforced from the stories and warnings about a Guardian's abilities, and from the natural corruption of sharing stories or ideas through word-of-mouth.
To those who live closer to the forested regions within a Wood Maiden's territory, a Maiden is either a Skeleton-Tree's shepherd and the one who protects others from their trees, or as a guardian protecting the forest from over-harvest by redirecting the woodcutter or hunter.
Most Maidens rarely leave their forests and generally interact with mortals who enter their domain. The actual number of Wood Maides is uncertain and believed to be far higher than those who interact with mortals.
Stories from the more rural towns and villages describe how a Walking Guardian has sheltered individuals or small groups from bandits or enemies. Though these stories are often couched with warnings not to count on such possible protection - one must catch the Maiden in a forgiving mood, or else they could wander and become lost or led into more dangerous situations.
Among Other Maidens, Spirits, or Monsters
Few Guardians tend to a forest and herd Skeleton-Trees simultaneously, so usually one will tend or herd. When two or more meet up, there is often an exchange of information and a small gathering of neighboring Maidens if there is at least one who hasn't been in the region recently.
Herding Maidens are more likely to travel and are often the cause for gatherings of their less migratory kin wherever they go.
"Did you have, I don't know, tea parties or something, Grandmother?"
"Ha, sometimes we would have tea. One time I was dragged into going on a hunt for a boar - I broke my arm in that, and it never mended right. I met your grandfather because of a similar gathering, though it was more because I had to call off my herd from him when they mistook him for another."
— Young Nada Ellascas and Linea Ellascas
History of the Species
My mother would tell me stories of their mother before them. I write them down now for you to pass down to yours...
- letter from Linea Ellascas
Most Wood Maidens' history records describe more mundane tasks tending to the forests and their parent tree. Often, they're blamed for introverted men preferring not to be in the cities or festivals or for children getting lost for days or weeks at a time. However, most who lay the accusations are people who live in cities.
In Theydim, there have been growing cities, creating a divide between the city-people and the more rural inhabitants of the regions. The Order of Speared Light, in the last century, began taking a more focused interest in reports of Maiden sightings and their locations tends to lead in the deaths of forests. Unfortunately, the people who make a living from the Maiden's domain are often the unintended casualties when the Walking Guardian is trying to protect the forest and themselves.
One of the primary reasons for this cultural division is the distance between the forests and cities. Towns and villages tend to be much closer to the forests, and as a result, much closer to the Boundary Guardian's domains, whose teachings include manners towards the children of Nature. A woodcutter learns which trees may be felled, while a city-dweller is less likely to have been taught the forests' first rule.
When walking the forest, leave kind water and a meal for the Walking Guardian as payment for your safe passage.
— The first rule of the forest
When a Maiden dies, their forest will begin to wither and decline; the once harvestable trees will hollow out with rot. If a herd of Skeleton-Trees Walk within then the skeleton-trees will turn on every living being that bleeds. These forests have led to the ruination of several mills and logging towns. As a result, the Order drew the locals' ire towards city-dwellers who seem to ignore most of the rules of living next to Nature's entities, particularly the Maidens.
Usually, a Walking Guardian would have to temporarily take on the region as part of their forest if a Maiden was killed. They will cultivate saplings from the previous Maiden's parent tree - if the parent tree survived. There are cases where the region declined or turned into rotting woods.
Unfortunately for the Maidens, the Order has begun a clear-cutting campaign to hunt them down. While the logging and milling industry benefit from the forests being cleared, the Guardians have withdrawn more of their polite mannerisms. Woodcutters report seeing signs of Skeletons Roots formed from their friends and peers chasing them out.
Beauty Ideals
Most Maidens find themselves partnering with individuals who can maintain gardens or work in forests because of a fondness for plants.
Despite being called Maidens and having a feminine form, their mortal partner is not always a man.
Children of any species are generally seen as a delight. Depending on their disposition, a lost child will either be indirectly or directly guided back to safety, whether that safety is with them or in the nearby town.
Taboos
It is abhorrent for a Maiden themselves to cut trees that are still in their prime.
Cutting down a Guardian's living parent tree is an offense most mortals will not survive.
Disrespecting Nature's forces is a surefire way to encourage a Wood Maiden to work her magic towards misdirecting the individual or group who was disrespectful.
What a wonderful article. I can see the bittersweet fate of falling in love with a Wood Maiden - a love doomed and judged by society. Darn those city-dwellers!
I'll be going into detail, but yeah, they are sort of doomed when the Maiden outlives their partner, but most of the romances are on the quiet side. (And city-folk generally don't see the appeal of generally preferring being out in the wilderness instead of being in the city where survival is much easier. The Order of Forged Light is a force who basically reinforces the views of the city people to everyone else)