Subclass: Elf-Friend

There are tiny, vaguely magical things that live in the wild places of the Barony. People call them 'motes' or 'fairies', and the academics argue about what exactly they are. Popular theories are that motes are what entities eventually turn into after many years, when their sense of self fades to almost nothing; or that motes are baby entities, not yet fully formed. 

The following is generally known:

• Motes are not very intelligent, but they are obviously conscious. 
• They look like tiny points of light that move under their own power, like determined, curious, fireflies. 
• They inhabit the wilderness by preference, and dislike settled places.
• They can hurt you (as a bad hornet sting) or heal you (as a pleasant warmth, and a strong sense of your own vitality). 
• They are fickle, spiteful, loyal, despise cruelty, love sugar and milk, dislike lies, and are strongly influenced by the emotions of those around them. 
• There are some people who motes are drawn to, who they flock to, live with, and protect. These people are called fey-touched or elf-friends. Often these people are hermits and woodsmen, but there are exceptions to this.

Elf-Friend

Starting Equipment: hatchet, staff. 

Starting proficiencies: Choose agriculture or woodcraft. 

A Motes
B Mischief

Motes: You can attract motes when you are in unsettled places, which would be likely contain spirits or fairies - pristine forests, steppes, mountains, bogs - you know these places when you see them. Very rarely a particularly wild or overgrown park or graveyard in a city may house them. Motes are never found underground. 

When you sleep you may leave rations out to attract motes. Normal adventuring rations attract d3 motes per ration, delicious, homemade, or expensive rations attract d6, and fresh baked goods (cakes, sweets, pastries, baked the same day) fill your available slots completely. You may have a total 6 motes per template in this class at any one time. 

Once they have been attracted, motes live with you (in your clothing, under your hat, in your staff, inside a bottle you carry for the purpose, etc.) In order for them to do anything, they must be free to fly around you under their own power. 

• Motes are tiny dots of light. They are very visible when flying around you. Each one gives off the light of .5 of a torch, so if you have 4 flying around you you are outputting the light of 2 torches.
• Motes can be asked to attack someone who has already attacked you in this combat. They will streak towards them and sting viciously, doing 1 damage per mote. They always hit. Motes used this way disappear.
• Motes can be used to heal you or your party members when you rest. You may ask you motes to heal specific people, at a rate of 1 mote per HP. Motes used this way disappear.
• Motes passively heal fear damage sustained by the party. Each mote heals .5 fear damage from each member of the party when you rest, rounding down. This does not spend the mote.
• Motes will signal to you when someone you are talking to is lying. If you lie they will all leave. 

All motes will flee you immediately if you act in a way that is unnecessarily cruel or callous. They don't understand long chains of cause and effect, so signing an order to sack a city probably won't faze them, but torturing someone or killing innocents definitely will.

Mischief: Your motes are bolder, with stronger personalities. They now do d2 damage when they attack, or d3 if they can find a needle or pin in the room to attack with. You can also ask them to manipulate the world in more direct ways. Your motes, working together, count as a mage hand with the following strength:

• 2 motes can pick up a coin or ring.
• 4 motes can pick up a brooch or necklace.
• 6 motes can pick up a dagger, candlestick, or keychain.
• 8 motes can pull a door handle or pick up a boot.
• 10 motes can pick up a book or a full waterskin.
• 12 motes can pick up a helmet or a short sword.

Motes are clumsy, treat most things as a game, and have no particular sense of urgency. 

They will also now attack liars and cruel people (including yourself) without you telling them to, and potentially against your wishes. Not all motes are this brave. Whenever you witness an act or cruelty or someone tells a lie in your presence, d3 motes will attack them whether you want them to or not. 

Joseph Noel Paton, The Reconciliation of Oberon and Titania

Princess Mononoke