Plant

***

“You got to get to the mage, yes, but to do that you got to go through her!”

– Glissiwok Keshelraen

“Nevermind”

– Pavo the Disappointed.

***

If a dwarf had grown from the stump of an oak tree, it would look much like an Uipisi. With arms of branches, and leaves about its head and shoulders, an Uipisi can be physically intimidating. They don’t move fast themselves, but few would close with one of these creatures of their own accord.

Uipisi prefer to live on the edge of remote woodlands and meadows. They like the company of sprites, but generally shy away from humans and others prone to cutting down trees and building large cities. Uipisi will often serve as guards for those who respect the forest. They don’t need for much themselves, but Uipisi are naturally protective, at least with those who share their own love of nature.

***

“The world contains nothing within which a Tsidatsidi could not find beauty, nor anything the beauty of which she could not reveal to others. Give her a burlap sack and she will hand you back the finest of dresses. Shatter a glass and she will use it to sculpt the very light of the sun. Cut your finger and she will paint with your blood a rose of such beauty that you will soon forget the pain that birthed it.”

– Pali Gundith, Merchant

***

These creatures appear as brightly colored humanoids, but upon closer inspection it becomes clear that they are actually plants. The skin of a Tsidatsidi is smooth. The internal structure of her body is a highly pliable form of wood, and her blood is in fact a clear sap.

As it turns out, an individual Tsidatsidi can change her color patterns over a night of sleep. Individuals use this ability as a form of artistic expression. Most Tsidatsidi will adopt a distinctive personal color motif and explore its variations for some time before moving on to something new. If a Tsidatsidi is slain, the color her entire skin will fade to green, a fact which lends the color special significance among this kindred. To a Tisdatsidi, Green is the color of death. Few members of this species would allow themselves to go purely green without adding at least some splash of color.

Due to the changes in coloration, it can be somewhat difficult to recognize one of these creatures amongst her own kindred, but the task is not impossible. (Treat as a target of 20 on a Mental Task Roll for any other Kindred.)

Tsidatsidi are born with a love of visual arts and a gift for producing them. Tsidatsidi will create something beautiful whenever given the opportunity to do so, often producing great works of art out of odd materials and placing them in the strangest of places. It matters little to one of these creatures whether or not a work of art lasts. When the notion strikes, a Tsidatsidi will happily create something with even the most transient of material. No member of this kindred would think it an objection to a piece of art that it had not been made to last. So long as the artist survives, a Tsidatsidi will remind you, there will always be another piece of art to replace those that deteriorate.

The Stone Philosophic

A Fantasy Setting

Uipisi (Meadow Gump)

Tsidatsidi