Dryads

Dryads, also known as forest nymphs are by one oldest and most obscure race in the eighth realm, rivaled only by creatures such as the devils and dragons. Dryads have their legacy in greater spirits formed from The Perfection, and so are the opposite of the devils. Due to their status as greater spirits the dryads could not be controlled by the gods of the seven realms, who treated them exceedingly poorly. Most of these greater spirits were forced to hide within deep woods and over time they became connected to their homelands, growing into creatures recognizable as dryads. Dryads mostly formed small tribes and used magical barriers to block the view of the gods and ensure peace, walling off what would later become known as pocket realms. There are still some primal dryads living this way in the other seven realms, but the vast majority have migrated to the eighth realm. This is because when the eighth realm was created the deity Nephraen took pity on the dryads and allowed them to take refuge in the eighth realm. The dryads who migrated became some of nephraen's most favored servants and often worked as a liason between her and other mortals. Dryads also became caretakers of the forests, though they shared this responsibility with earth elementia once they were created. During the early stages of the formation of the eighth realm, the dryads nurtured the forests and animals using the magic they gained from their long isolation and from Nephraen's gift.
The dryads served as healers during the War of the Realms, and provided yet more assistance to the gods of the eighth realm. For this, they were promised greater powers and responsibilities by Nephraen, and plans were in place by the beginning of the divine war. During the divine war, dryads formed the main counter to the forces of the Devils and Demons, actually fighting on the front lines this time as opposed to remaining as support. The demons' and devils' blatant disregard for order and their threatening of the cycle of nature itself roused the dryads and instilled them with fury. They used their abilities to fend off the demons and devils to great success while the gods fought against kyvos, especially in the beginning stages of the war. By the end, however, the devils utlized dark magic to animate the corpses of fallen dryads and form the creaures known today as Feykin. The feykin, though not a major issue during the war, would prove a lasting threat and indeed far more dangerous than direct devil attacks.
Following the Divine War, the gods were not heard from again and the dryads' abilties began to fade, as many of them were gifts from Nephraen and tied to her life force. During the initial stages, some dryads posed as gods or acted as stewards of the gods, but being mortal they would eventually die off and the new generation was in no place to claim divinity. Without the gods to guide them, their creations no longer trusted the drayds, who were clearly set apart from them, and so the dryads were once more driven deep into forests. Since they were unable to destroy the Feykin completely, they would follow, placing the dryads under siege ever since this date, their numbers swelling each time they corrupt a dryad. Though the dryadic golden age has long since ended and their tale is a sad one they are still beings of immense power and magic, though limited by their nature. Their comparison to the abilties other races is unknown, and their powers remain mysterious as dryads are extremely isolationist in the current age.