Leafbound Fey
Leafbound Fey are subtle and elusive creatures of The Feywild, with a deep and abiding connection to the trees and foliage that shape their environment. Short in stature and nimble, they possess an uncanny ability to blend seamlessly into natural surroundings, their forms shifting like leaves caught in the wind. Their skin is often the color of bark or fresh leaves, ranging from earthy browns and mossy greens to vibrant autumn hues. Patterns of veins, akin to the delicate structure of a leaf, trace across their bodies, glowing faintly when they channel the magic of the forest. Their hair often resembles vines, moss, or tangled ivy, and their eyes gleam with the wisdom of ancient groves, reflecting the deep knowledge of the natural world.
Leafbound Fey are masters of concealment and subtlety, able to vanish effortlessly into the foliage of forests, groves, and gardens. When still, they are almost indistinguishable from their surroundings, and even the keenest eyes can miss their presence as they meld with tree trunks, weave through underbrush, and slip between branches like a rustling breeze. This innate ability to hide in plain sight makes them ideal spies, scouts, and messengers, often serving as unseen observers for the Fey Courts. In times of danger, Leafbound Fey can vanish into the natural world, becoming one with the leaves and bark that surround them, only to reemerge where least expected.
Though they are considered lesser fey, the Leafbound Fey are highly valued within the various Fey Courts, where they often serve as attendants, messengers, and caretakers of sacred groves and enchanted gardens. They are particularly favored by the Court of Leaves and Whispers, where their talents for stealth and silent observation make them indispensable in maintaining the delicate balance of nature. In the Court of Rampant Green, they tend to the ever-growing wilderness, ensuring that the vibrant chaos of untamed nature thrives. Even in the darker corners of the Feywild, Leafbound Fey find their place—within the twisted domains of the Court of Thorns and Brambles, they act as watchful sentinels, ensuring that none trespass without the Barbed Countess’s knowledge.
Despite their loyalty to their courts, Leafbound Fey maintain a quiet independence, guided by their primal connection to the land. They are fiercely protective of the natural world, and while they may serve powerful fey, they will not stand idly by while the balance of nature is threatened. Their voices are the rustling of leaves in the wind, and their whispers carry warnings to those who would harm the wilds. When called upon, Leafbound Fey can awaken the slumbering power of the forest, summoning vines, roots, and leaves to entangle and hinder those who seek to disrupt the natural order.
Though often overlooked by more powerful fey, the Leafbound Fey are ever-present, watching from the shadows and weaving the silent threads that bind the Feywild together. Their loyalty is to the land itself, and those who underestimate them soon learn that the smallest leaf can conceal the deadliest thorn.
