Uaika Dryads

Appearance
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Eco Dryads vary in size, there's no definite average size. They don't look very different from other Dryads. Their distinguishing feature is their vines that grow from one part of their body. It can be any part of their body. They vary greatly in appearance depending to their location.

(Plant) Anatomy
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The roots of Eco Dryads have the particularity of activating, and channeling the properties of the Felaryan soil. Their vines can directly channel the energy into living creatures. By wrapping an injured creature with their vine, they can accelerate their recovery faster than merely standing on the soil. However, the Eco Dryad must sacrifice its own energy to the soil after healing someone. At most, they can resurrect someone still in one piece, but this will kill the Dryad though. They are living Intensive Care Units, and most of them are benevolent.

Their cells possess strong adaptation abilities. They uproot themselves much more often than other Dryads. When they change location, they take on the form of Dryads living there, as well as copy their abilities. In the Jungle of Perils, they would become Bramble Dryads; in Chidokai Forest, they would become Swamp Dryads; in Evernight Forest, they would become Shadow Dryads, and so on. The process isn't instantaneous; it takes them a whole day to change form, plus the time taken to install their roots. Furthermore, they differentiate themselves from others by their vines. If they stay rooted for one spot for many years, they will permanently stay that specie of Dryad, plus all the abilities of Eco Dryads.

Some of them bear fruits, but it depends on the individual. By changing location, they can bear more than one type of fruits. Some bear berries, others citrus, others tropical fruits, and such.

Their vines are quite strong and stretchy. Depending on the location, they can bear some features, such as thorns or flowers (sometime carnivorous). In addition, they possess good control over their roots and can use them to catch or block preys, but they aren't as stretchy as their vines.

Their throat is slightly stretchier than normal Dryads, but not my much. Their stomach are very strong, to protect against Gut Worms. They are, however, very vulnerable to Gut Worms, as they tend to devour them from the inside. Unlike other Dryads, their throat CAN become a two-way road, but only through vigorous training and if the Dryad feels like doing so. Naturally, almost no Eco Dryad possesses that skill. They can also illuminate their inside via fluorescence, and they possess a good control over their stomach acid.

Behavior
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Eco Dryads are usually benevolent toward other creatures. Some nicknamed them Mother Nature's incarnations. They do, however, feed on humans that fail to get out of the "food category." Wounded humans have nothing to fear of Eco Dryads, but the next time they will encounter the one who saved them, they will be on the menu. They share a bond with every other Dryad, and are full of good advices. They also learn some interesting points on humans, like recipes. They can become fierce fighters if wanted to. While they aren't agile uprooted, their vines and roots makes them a threat to hostile creatures.

Hunting Habits
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Eco Dryads hunt just like other Dryads, by staying completely still and snatching their preys before they know it. They can use their own vines, which makes them even more dangerous. Also, they tend to use their bearings as bait, usually hiding behind it, and catch their prey with the tongue when they come picking a fruit. Their diet is usually diverse; they also feed on fruits, and sometimes on insects.

Society
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Eco Dryads like any other Dryads shares a bond with all other Dryads, which allows them to share their thoughts with everyone. Most Eco Dryads act like advisors, even though no Dryads can be the leader. Eco Dryads are normally nomadic, and enjoy telling stories to other dryads.

Predators
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Only parasites can pose a threat to them, but they are usually minor annoyance than anything else. Dryad Gut Worms however are their bane. If not taken care of quickly, they will devour the Dryad from the inside. They sometime ask humans to get rid of them, in exchange of no longer preying on him/her. If the human succeed, she will spit him/her up, or at least train to spit people up. If not, then she merely gained a few hours before her demise. Fire is bad for them too.

Reproduction
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Eco Dryads reproduce through seeds. They let Miaxi and Gyspas pollinate them, which allows them to bear their own seed. They are carried by the wind, where they will start growing at the spot where they landed.


Like the other races I made, I brought back Eco Dryads here to see what does everyone think of them and if there would be any ways to make them more originals. So, brainstorm here.

Deadly, yet safe. I can see many being caught off-guard at the second meeting.

Maybe a new name could help.

Schalter (German for switch) because they can be benevolent at first, then switch to predator.

Hmmm...I'm not sure...maybe a few more name ideas would help me make up my mind.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Hmmm...I'm not sure...maybe a few more name ideas would help me make up my mind.

Hm. Okay... if you had to pick just a single trait that defined them above all others, something that makes them "unique", what would that one thing be?

Maybe it'll spark off some ideas for names.

Their ability to "change" Dryad types according to where they root themselves. Also, I'm looking for ideas to see if there are any ways to make them better, and give them a theme linked to their abilities.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Their ability to "change" Dryad types according to where they root themselves. Also, I'm looking for ideas to see if there are any ways to make them better, and give them a theme linked to their abilities.

*nod* Okay, I'll give it some thought.

Although, I do have a slight concern... are you okay with possibly redefining/slimming back on the concept?

These Dryads seem to have a lot of different abilities, well outside the usual range of what is possible for a Dryad.

If you don't mind a suggestion, I would focus on doing a couple of things that most Dryads can't do, rather than having a whole bunch of abilities that Dryads don't usually have. It might improve the concept.

Well, the two things I wanna keep about them are the "type changing" ability and the healing ability.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Well, the two things I wanna keep about them are the "type changing" ability and the healing ability.

*nod* Okay, we can definitely focus on that.

The "being able to spit prey back out"... just doesn't really sound as important to the concept as those two abilities, though. How much do you want to keep that?

Edit: For clarification, it just feels like it got tacked on to add an extra difference between them and normal dryads, rather than being a central part of the concept.

I think we should scrap the spitting preys out actually.

*nod* Okay, then. Good choice.

Still working up a few ideas for names for you to choose from, or come up with your own variant based on.

Oh, the creating fruits or berries should be semi-scrapped. Instead of being able to creat fruits at will, they are simply able to bear fruits.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Oh, the creating fruits or berries should be semi-scrapped. Instead of being able to creat fruits at will, they are simply able to bear fruits.

Really? I did kind of like that bit, but modifying it instead of throwing it out completely works.

You still want to keep it along the lines of "They bear the fruits of trees and plants in their surrounding environment"?

Yeah. But if you like creating, it can still work, as long as it's still in the lines of according to their surroundings. The fruit idea just makes for the perfect bait to catch preys.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Yeah. But if you like creating, it can still work, as long as it's still in the lines of according to their surroundings. The fruit idea just makes for the perfect bait to catch preys.

Either one will work fine for that, so it's up to you. Having them actually grow rather than being spontaneously created could lead to some interesting situations and maybe be more 'balanced'.

For a possible name, how's about Laga Dryad or Uaika Dryad? Neither word means anything in particular, although I did derive both of them out of words meaning "attune" or "adapt". What do you think? Okay, or a bit too weird?

Uaika Dryad sounds nice. Maybe growing the fruits would be more balanced and interesting.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Uaika Dryad sounds nice.

Glad you like it.

Sean Okotami wrote:

Maybe growing the fruits would be more balanced and interesting.

Maybe it will. One of the interesting possibilities I see arising are villages who establish a good relationship with an Uaika Dryad trading with her. Fruit for services, or particular items the Dryad is interested in. It could lead to a sort of local interspecies economy.

I would also suggest removing the part about them becoming permanently rooted and keeping all of their powers...

Or at least, change it so that if they do become permanently rooted, they actually become that other species of Dryad and lose their Uaika abilities.

It just seems a bit imbalanced for them to keep both powersets, and removing it gives them a good reason to keep roaming around Felarya. Leading to possibly more encounters, and more humans/nekos/etc. saved.

It also opens up still more possibilities; one of those villages that has a good relationship with such a Dryad might actually follow her around, living a nomad/Gypsy-like lifestyle. When it's time for the Uaika Dryad to uproot and move somewhere else, the whole village packs up and travels with her by caravan.

You could develop an entire culture for such people, based around the Dryad.

Okay.

I think these are an interesting species.

I especially like their abilities to channel the force of the soil. I am just personnaly not big on the fact they can resurrect someone or that they copy the other species of dryads..

Yeah, maybe the ressurection was a little far fetched. But, I still kind of want them to be able to adapt to various surroundings. Maybe there's a way for them to do so, without technically copying other Dryads.

Karbo wrote:

I especially like their abilities to channel the force of the soil. I am just personnaly not big on the fact they can resurrect someone or that they copy the other species of dryads..

Really, Karbo? That's one of the few kinds of resurrection magic that I would have thought would work on Felarya...

Since it's not just a matter of "Poof, you're alive!", but instead the Dryad more or less trading her life for the other person; she can bring someone back to life, but doing it kills her. That seems to be a much more natural, Felarya-ish type of resurrection instead of completely reversing the natural order and violating the "Laws" of nature.

If you say it's impossible, then it is impossible, but I thought the Felarya "ban" on Necromancy, Ressurection, Reincarnation, and such things didn't mean that it was totally impossible... just impossible under anything less than exceptional circumstances?

A species of Dryad able to "trade" its much "larger" life force for a "smaller" life seems to fit the mold of Felarya much better than say, a Necromancer ressurrecting someone who has been dead for a while.

Could you provide some clarification on this for me? One of my on-going projects is sort of oriented around such things, so it would be very helpful to know how you envision it.

If Dryads are really as loyal as they say, I can image them doing something like that. Though, I know everything is recycled from something else, but isn't that a tad overused?

vegeta002 wrote:

If Dryads are really as loyal as they say, I can image them doing something like that.

Not all Dryads are like that, just this particular subspecies has that tendency. Also, not even all of them are like that; the possibility that they'll change their mind or simply get hungry when you're the only thing within grabbing distance always exists. Better hope your friendship means more to her than a full belly, in that case.

vegeta002 wrote:

Though, I know everything is recycled from something else, but isn't that a tad overused?

Could you elaborate? I'm not entirely certain what you mean.