Leshy

Editors Note: For the first time since our team went from Nemanja on his lonesome to the four of us, we have a guest! Orfane AKA @TTRPGHomebrew AKA Matt has lent his leshy expertise to Beastfider. Thanks to his design (and Sita's wonderful illustrations!) we depart from the usual Beastfinder approach and discuss the leshy as a whole. If you haven't had enough leshy from the bestiaries that are already out, make sure to check out The Botanical Bestiary pre-order here!

Leshy are one of the most beloved creatures in the Pathfinder Bestiary; so much so that some crazy person went ahead and wrote a whole supplement of 65+ leshy variants. This, on top of the eight leshy already present across three bestiaries! So what are leshy anyway, and what makes them so special?

Leshy descend from a slavic myth of The Leshy, a deity that defends the forest. In Pathfinder, however, leshy are no longer a singular entity, but instead are primal spirits called to plant bodies crafted by skilled druids. The type of body and the plants used in its making attract different types of spirits, resulting in a plethora of leshy types to choose from. Typically, leshy are low-level creatures, though they may still pose a threat to parties just starting out, or to higher-level parties when a number of leshy clump together. Leshy are often found in natural settings, such as untamed forests or swamps, or as companions to powerful druids. Wherever they are, their varied nature can make for fun and varied encounters, making them a great tool for GMs looking to keep combat fresh.

- M. Cavanaugh

Hook 1 (Reece) - The Tale of the Dead Man's Fingers

"Have ye heard the story of the dead man's fingers?" Deepdecker Dan knew he was known for fanciful tales, though the crowd at the Haberdasher's Hankerchief was already enrapt with his tales of faraway lands. Lot'sa travelin' to tell about, least for a good meal and a warm bed.

"When I was a young lad, the first ship I 'er sailed upon was The Shieldmaiden's Spear. Fast she was, an arrow through the water like none before or none since. Bad luck struck us that day and we were cast into a store that nearly lifted the ship into the air. That day me eyes saw things upon the winds, strange things like plants dancing on the winds and sea critters nay worried 'bout the storm.

"When it was all said and done, The Spear was cast against the rocks of some island none of the remaining crew recognized. With the captain, first mate, and most of the elder crew dead, only me and the boys were left to wander the shore, hoping for salvation.

"After days in the forest with nary a sight of freshwater or food, the boys began gettin' desperate. They searched the ground for bugs and strange plants to eat. Me, bein' the thinkin' man I is, I struck inward, toward the center of the isle where the others were too frightened to go.

"The strange lights, the shadowy horrors, all them I faced valiantly. The strangest thing was the center. A pool of the deepest blue, freshwater sitting and ready to slake me thirst—at least if not for the dead man's fingers guardin' the place.

"Blackened and narrow like a thousand men buried 'neath the ground, I knew those things would have me eyes were I to tread there. They waved at me, as if beckonin' me fore, ya see? Well, me bein' the thinkin' man I is, I thought I'd ask all nice-like for some-of-the-water from these here dead men, seein' how the sea has spat out a lotta stranger stories.

"Well, when I leaned down to shake that first man's dead fingers, askin' nicely as I would, it grabbed me and pulled me wrist into the mud!"

The crowd gasped. Perfect.

"So, thinkin' this here dead sailor thought he had me, I pulled back right out the ground and came not with a dead man, but a wee bony plant man gripped tight 'round me hand!"

"What'd you do Danny?" One of the children had inched close and was looking up with wide eyes. Good lad, that one.

"Why, I said 'ello o' course!"

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Heart of the City

In the core of the economic powerhouse that is the Thallasian empire lies the city of Everbloom. In the city's core lies the Wind District, the demesne of the continent-spanning trade conglomerates and obscenely rich near-immortals.

Within the depths of the Wind district, lies the Stock Exchange, the first of its kind. Destinies are forged and broken in those gilded halls; within, there is but one rule everyone seems to abide by—no True Magick allowed.

Of course, grey areas exist. Those grey areas mostly get abused to get information, as that is the one commodity no one seems to be able to get enough of.

The Botanist Batallion have recently upped their game and have become a major player by enlisting the aid of Coffee leshies, whose hastening abilities mean that Botanist couriers can zoom from one part of the city to the other in a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, this has had the side-effect of inspiring other guilds to start importing other, less wholesome botanical aids, and the city may or may not be developing an illegal drug problem...

Hook 3 (Max) - The Secret Ingredient

The Green Leaf Inn is famed far and wide for its peculiar cuisine, chief among it the Emerald Fresh Avocado Paste. The secret to this tasty spread has been guarded for generations of the tavern's owners.

Many have tried and failed to unveil the mystery behind it, kings and princes offering considerable amounts of treasure, some have even hired mercenaries to steal the recipe. Somehow, it remains hidden.

Some speculate that a very potent subspecies of avocado tree grows on the land of the innkeeper, or that they are using an extremely potent spice from a far-off land. Truth, however, is far more disturbing. Many years ago, the original owner found a very special avocado tree indeed. One that could talk, walk, think, and feel...

Hook 4 (TJ) - Fear The Floatilla!

Traders taking sea routes around the southern edge of Uthen know to hire extra pushers for the shallower routes. The build-up of driftwood around the Crone's Head Peninsula is enough of a headache to deal with just from a logistics standpoint. When you consider the presence of leshy driftwood pirates, the extra help is well worth it.

Calling themselves the Floatilla, these leshies bob up and down in the waters around the peninsula, waiting for any vessel to come close enough to board. When they feel the impact of a boat, they give up their innocuous driftwood form to swarm passersby and take any valuables. The merchants hope that with sufficient pushers moving the driftwood out of the way, the Floatilla will be deterred from attacking—but this doesn't always work. The only saving grace in these attacks is the disinterest leshies have in food, given their ability to photosynthesize. This comfort does little to soothe the pains the merchants feel at the volume of lost goods.