Lesídhe

Appearance

Sometimes colloquially referred to as greenfolk due to their plant-like appearance, The Lesídhe are otherworldly, androgynous, and resplendent, striking awe into those who are lucky enough to meet one.
The typical appearance of a Lesídhe largely depends on their subrace--Sprigent the barkskinned, Bheudico the blooming, and Mycos the capped, each subrace dawning the characteristics of trees, flowers, or mushrooms, respectively. Sprigents are the tallest of the three, with branch and twig like protrusions from their body akin to spikes or horns, bark as skin, and leafy growths that dot their features or look like hair. Bheudico are much daintier with the height equivalent to Tarans, and much more varied body structures to compliment the many sort of booming plants; some have cacti needles and a blossoming bud in place of a crown of hair, while others look stranger yet. Mycos are the smallest and stoutest of the bunch who compensate for what they lack in stature with spunk befitting a fungal mimic--a defining cap, noodling form, and all.
One bit of their appearance which transcends their subraces is their movement, steady and flowing. They will be unmoving against the wind as though rooted in place, slow and graceful when moving about, and altogether pleasant. No Lesídhe has ever been known to look intimidating, but instead perhaps ancient, formidable, and welcoming.

Personality

It is a point of pride that each caste of the Lesídhe--Sprigent, Bheudico, and Mycos--represents both a virtue, a flaw, and a part of the cycle of life; it is akin to a true name they bear in secret, as they make it their life mission to learn and develop both from their virtue, flaw, and part of life.

• The Sprigents are valued for their virtue of love; they are seen are both protectors and providers to those around them with a heart receiving and vulnerable. in the same step, a Sprigents flaw is how they use and treat sacrifice--some sacrifice all in the name of love (which is seen as a negative concept, as this is still a loss of life), some sacrifice none at all even to those they love, and more still expect others to sacrifice for them because of their bonds; compromise and doing kindnesses for another is not equivalent to sacrifice in the mind of a Sprigent, no matter if the kindness costs the Sprigent something, as this is simply what giving is; what warps sacrifice is ego, and the flaw warns the Sprigent against their ego. In this way, a Sprigent is seen most in a state of growth, but with the station of adulthood showing that this kind of personal enlightenment never ceases.
• The Bheudico represent the virtue of fairness, and are most often seen in a station that promotes guidance and example; A Bheudico encourages reflection and meditation through thought and forethought. In the same breath, a Bheudico must guard themselves against how they interact with the thought of who deserves what; a Bheudico might become conceited in thinking that due to their virtue they deserve greater authority, and worse yet, they might encourage others toward conceit and spark bigotry and a sense of entitlement. Fairness does not take the place of justice to a Bheudico, and instead asks a Bheudico to show and teach what we can give of ourselves without overextending, and what we can assume is owed to us that we can reasonably control--how we ask to be respected. As Bheudico are often engaged in these pushes and pulls of their nature, most tend to view them in a state of youth and learning.
• Mycos carry a natural thirst for knowledge, which lends itself to their virtue of curiosity. This virtue encourages pursuit as much as it does remembrance, and thus most Mycos travel far and wide just for what adventure might bring. In the same light, the flaw of the Mycos is how they handle the concept of purpose. One can obsess with purpose and lose themselves in one thing (which is seen as a nagative concept), or be too loose about their commitments and become aimless (without purpose). The idea is to balance what a Mycos describes as their purpose and to challenge others to find what gives their life fulfillment through how they define themselves through their purpose. Mycos are often portrayed as representing the cycle of death, though most of the Lesídhe would call this cycle one of change, metamorphosis, or even rebirth. For this reason, Mycos teeter between an appearance of elderhood and childhood in the eyes of many.

For this philosophy of personality, the Lesídhe remain the most hospitable of the races that have graced Tara. As such, when Tarans tell their children of fairy folk, of the creatures that guide the purehearted and kind through the woods or shelter lost children, they speak of the Lesídhe.

Civilization & Geography

The Lesídhe are not necessarily solitary creatures, but they are so rare that they rarely find company of their own ilk. Still, they draw toward larger crowds and defer to the governing system there so long as it is a peaceful civilazation with a focus on kindness towards its citizens. As a side note, there is a Taran saying that notes "I will not live where the Lesídhe avoid," noting the fact that an area of political corruption, war, and even general strife are avoided by the Lesídhe.
Traditionally however,  the Lesídhe live in climates with access to fresh water and ample sun, and operate in a gerontocracy, where the eldest and therefore the most experienced rule--in theory. The Lesídhe attempt to cultivate a society that revolves around this, one that asks for their kin to go out on their own as part of a pilgrimage in order to come back with something to contribute--experience fighting monsters, a new piece of knowledge, new fertile and safer lands--anything so long as it benefits the group of Lesídhe. As a note here, the Lesídhe often don't bring back gifts from their pilgrimage as material goods have little value. For this reason, they are no Lesídhe blacksmiths, tailors, or general laborers; why would these be needed in all that is required is water and sunlight on any other regular day?

Common Names

Lesídhe only take on a given name. The one who has the honor of naming the Lesídhe child is not usually the parents, but instead who the parents choose; this individual is greatly respected or admired by the Lesídhe child's parents as they have exhibited quality character, have been kind to the parents, or even have simply made a very striking impression. For this reason, Lesídhe names vary wildly, especially after their integration into the spheres of other races. Even so, some old names of the Lesídhe persist:
Old Lesídhe Names: Hyzelei, Melanuin, Lydas, Ada, Elighlah, Threidra
It is important to note that the Lesídhe do not recognize gender, a good deal of Lesídhe have both male and female aspects. For this reason, a single parents Lesídhe is not unusual to see.

Heroic Calling

When a Lesídhe decides to become a hero, they are often driven to preserve a way of life they hold dear or something they see as beautiful; it could be as simple as shielding one's own community from hardship; or a Lesídhe might see the ease of tranquil life as beautiful thus swearing their life to defend this virtue. While not all Lesídhe are built for fighting, this has never deterred them. Glad-hearted, they are merry and eager adventurers.

Magic & Technology

Most would think that the Lesídhe have a very deep connection to magic, but it actually rare to find a Lesídhe spellcaster. The Lesídhe have a deep respect for the natural forces of their world and often demonstrate this by taking care of these areas rather than asserting their will over it. Magic is simply one of these natural forces that they seek to care for. Even so, most Lesídhe who become spellcasters have an inclination toward Cornerwitchery and Druidry. Those who take this mantle upon themselves are said to speak for these natural forces and use their magic to deepen this same connection.
As expected, due to the harmony the Lesídhe seek with the forces around them as well as their ability to self-sustain, the Lesídhe don't have a need for technology. they are a self-sustaining people that only require water. This makes them, however, a very sustainable people with an ability to help others sustain themselves. The best technology they have to offer is their ability to communicate with the world around them.

Religion

Lesídhe do not prescribe to any religion in particular. Instead, they carry a general idea that all items have a soul and spirit in them. There are degrees this is taken to but this typically just a part of the Lesídhe's philosophy of respecting nature and all life associated. And indeed, Lesídhe even have rituals that center on the care of these spirits, their temporal nature, and their emotional health being stuck in one vessel.
More urban Lesídhe have expanded this toward all things that anyone interacts with. These Lesídhe that the imprints they leave on an item give it a spirit all its own. For this reason, some Lesídhe created the a ritual of cleaning in the spring in order to dust off all they have owned and touched, to cleanse it and put it in place or give it away to another more deserving.