Sprites
Neither benevolent nor malevolent, sprites are playful and sometimes mischievous creatures. They can be found all across the known world. They inhabit thick forests, the frozen north, wide plains, arid deserts, lazy rivers and deep jungles.
Appearance
Sprites are small humanoid creatures with glistening membranous wings. Their size is that of large insects for whom toadstools would make comfortable chairs. Their appearance varies greatly depending on which environment they inhabit.
Sprites living in sunny meadows and riverlands are bright coloured with long pointy ears and have hair reminiscent of dandelion fuzz. In the dark, their bodies give off a faint glow, and during warm summer nights they are often mistaken for fireflies.
In cold snowy regions, sprites are translucent and glisten in the sun, not much unlike icicles. They are extremely fast and their laughter sounds like tinkling ice. Similarly, sprites living near large bodies of water are misty in appearance and from a distance may seem like small specks of a rainbow.
Deep in the forests and jungles, the colour of sprites is often similar to the foliage. Browns and greens, and moss for hair, they blend well with their surroundings. They make clothes from leaves and petals and are sometimes mistaken for exotic flowers.
Sprites living in sunny meadows and riverlands are bright coloured with long pointy ears and have hair reminiscent of dandelion fuzz. In the dark, their bodies give off a faint glow, and during warm summer nights they are often mistaken for fireflies.
In cold snowy regions, sprites are translucent and glisten in the sun, not much unlike icicles. They are extremely fast and their laughter sounds like tinkling ice. Similarly, sprites living near large bodies of water are misty in appearance and from a distance may seem like small specks of a rainbow.
Deep in the forests and jungles, the colour of sprites is often similar to the foliage. Browns and greens, and moss for hair, they blend well with their surroundings. They make clothes from leaves and petals and are sometimes mistaken for exotic flowers.
Good Fortune or Bad Luck
Sprites are known for their playful and impish behaviour. They may happily aid humans when lost in the wild, but they can also be two-faced little creatures with a complete lack of human ethics leading a lost traveller accidentally to their death. This duality has given sprites a contrasting reputation across the known world.
In Garyiala, specifically in the Kysan religion, sprites are seen as a symbol of natural balance. They often inhabit regions of spiritual significance, and it is believed that if they make themselves visible to humans in these regions the Nelin, or spirits, are of good humour.
In northern regions such as Imcri and the Frozen Isles, people believe that ice sprites can prolong the cold season. Many cultures present offerings to the ice sprites to persuade them to travel even further north, to take winter with them and encourage the onset of the warm season. For example, Pallarians celebrate this with the Fest of the Thaw, during which they coax the sprites with wine and stuff and other delicacies. For a time, before Red Snow was discovered to be an algae, the red colour of the snow was believed to be caused by the revelling sprites spilling wine on their journey north.
In Garyiala, specifically in the Kysan religion, sprites are seen as a symbol of natural balance. They often inhabit regions of spiritual significance, and it is believed that if they make themselves visible to humans in these regions the Nelin, or spirits, are of good humour.
In northern regions such as Imcri and the Frozen Isles, people believe that ice sprites can prolong the cold season. Many cultures present offerings to the ice sprites to persuade them to travel even further north, to take winter with them and encourage the onset of the warm season. For example, Pallarians celebrate this with the Fest of the Thaw, during which they coax the sprites with wine and stuff and other delicacies. For a time, before Red Snow was discovered to be an algae, the red colour of the snow was believed to be caused by the revelling sprites spilling wine on their journey north.
Mystical Affinity
Sprites often inhabit locations with a naturally occurring mystical phenomenon. Multiple theories exist to explain this. Some believe sprites are mystical themselves, while others believe they might be able to sense magic in one way or another.
An example of mystical place inhabited by sprites is Ivory Cove on the southern coast of the Garyialan Empire, where a risingfall rises up against the clif, defying gravity and the natural laws of physics.
An example of mystical place inhabited by sprites is Ivory Cove on the southern coast of the Garyialan Empire, where a risingfall rises up against the clif, defying gravity and the natural laws of physics.
Wonderful depiction of sprites. It was fun to read and shows how in different places a thing can have completely different meanings.