Oread
As the most airy of the nymphs, in demeanor and their
chosen domains, oreads are reclusive creatures associated with mountains, skies, and clouds. They are
mischievous and selfish, even by fey standards, and
one of their favorite pastimes is to take a mortal lover
to “paradise.” The lover is only returned to the mortal
realm a century or more later, once their families and
friends are all dead and gone. This is not always deliberate on the part of the oread—they simply don't give very
much thought to the consequences of their actions on
the lives of the mortals they beguile.
Fey Hunters. Strangely, unlike dryads and most
other fey creatures, oreads are consummate hunters.
Mortals with exceptional hunting skills are not punished for killing animals on an oread’s land, and may
even be rewarded with a boon to improve their prowess. However, oreads take offense at mortal hunters
who lack finesse. They are known to transform poor or
needlessly cruel hunters into game animals as retribution for sullying their territory.
Territorial and Possessive. Oreads are by far the
most territorial of all nymphs. They may suffer mortal
trespassers in their lands for a time, but always with the
understanding that their sovereignty over that land must
be honored and reaffirmed. They expect visiting mortals
to make offerings of food and wine at shrines along the
roads—failing to do so many provoke the oread into
hunting trespassers as game. Additionally, if an oread
takes a romantic interest in a mortal who passes through
his territory, he may claim that mortal as his “pet.
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