#orestiad

“Oreads” © TSR Inc., by Tony DiTerlizzi

[Commissioned by @crazytrain48​, who requested a more mythologically accurate version of the oread. The word is originally the name for Greek mountain nymphs, so PFRPG’s using it for earth elemental people rubbed a lot of people the wrong way when Bestiary 2 came out.This version borrows heavily from the Planescape version, which appeared in Planes of Chaos in AD&D 2e, and was converted to 3.0 in the Fiend Folio.]

Orestiad CR 5 CN Fey This lovely young woman appears something like a living statue, as her skin is the texture of stone. Despite her slender features, she exudes strength and durability.

Orestiads are the fey patrons of mountains. They may be mistaken for oreads, and indeed some oreads claim descent from orestiads instead of from shaitans or earth elementals. An orestiad is bound to her mountain the same way a dryad is bound to her tree. The eldest orestiads, called “snowhairs”, are capable of maintaining a bond with an entire mountain range, and they often shepherd young orestiads from the mountain of their birth to a new mountain that needs protection. Snowhair orestiads are the pillars of their communities, passing communications between the orestiads of different mountains and presiding over festivities and celebrations.

An orestiad protects their mountain from strip-mining, logging and other destructive exploitation. Some of the more stringent ones will draw the line at even rock collecting. They often use charms to attempt to defuse the situation, but orestiads are willing and capable of violence to defend their mountain homes. They do not carry melee weapons, as their fists are hard as stone and strike like clubs, but they are fond of slinging mundane and magic stones at a distance. Orestiads rarely stand still when fighting, using their ability to pass through earth and stone to make repeated hit and run attacks until their foes are slain or driven off.

Each orestiad has skin with a stony texture, usually matching in coloration and texture a rock type common on their mountain. If an orestiad moves, their skin changes to match their current surroundings. Their eyes sparkle like gemstones, and their hair is similar in color and texture to a lichen. Most, but not all, orestiads are female.

Orestiad Boons and Banes (CL 7th, 4th level, DC 17) Few orestiads are skilled at guile—they are more likely to use their banes against an enemy that they have beaten senseless. The slow nature of this curse and the thoroughness of the transformation appeals to their sense of retribution. Those that help to protect an orestiad’s mountain, however, are likely to be blessed with its boon—they do not hesitate to empower as many allies as possible if they know a fight is forthcoming. Boon: You gain the earth mastery quality of an orestiad. This boon lasts for 1 day. Bane: You begin to turn slowly into stone. Every day at sunrise, you must succeed a Fortitude save (same DC) or take 1d6 points of Dexterity drain. When your Dexterity reaches 0, you transform into a featureless boulder of your size. Before you reach 0 Dexterity, this can be removed with any effect that removes curses, but once transformed into a boulder, you can only be restored with a stone shape spell to restore your shape, followed by a stone to flesh to restore you to life. This bane lasts until removed.

I do have time for both, currently, though I haven’t touched my tablet in over half a year so I don’t know if it is wise to sell anything haha, I would have to do some work like fanart first, to warm up after so long,,, (and I don’t mean the 15-30 min warm up before drawing in general, I mean, to get used to everything again

but thanks!

orestiad said: Can’t rei help? He does commissions pretty often right