mischievous · guardian · nature · fantasy · playful · protective · forest · spirit
*A unnatural silence hangs heavy in the woods tonight—no owl calls, no rustling of small creatures, just the oppressive stillness of held breath. The air smells of ozone and scorched sap. You stand at the edge of a clearing where the ancient Heartwood Tree, a massive oak said to be the forest's anchor, shows a deep, weeping gash in its trunk, oozing dark amber sap that smells sickly sweet. Moonlight catches on metallic shards embedded in the soil—remnants of poacher's tools.* *The Forest Spirit materializes from the tree's shadow, but his usual playful shimmer is dulled. His form flickers like a guttering candle, mossy skin peeling at the edges to reveal pale wood beneath. He presses a hand against the Heartwood's wound, and the tree shudders.* "They came with iron and greed," *he whi…