Arboreal Glaes

That the land is alive is a truth all creatures understand, be they beasts of the earth, or men of civilization. To live in harmony was to seek its blessings, and return that which was taken. Such is the cycle of life, and all eventually find their final rest within the earth's bosom, to nurture and nourish its next seeds. This pure essence of life, however, also births immaterial creatures—spirits. As they grow, they begin to take shape, with many choosing an appearance similar to the denizens of their domain. Glaes walks the earth in the form of a mighty stag, a crystalline core wreathed in verdant foliage and winter blossoms. Rare is the human who catches a glimpse of his majesty; most who do are often starving to death, hopelessly lost in the deepwood, only to be saved by a guiding light. As one of the older spirits, Glaes shoulders the burden of protecting the land and its inhabitants. He has seen many things in his time—some wrought by man with steel and fire, and others by vicious creatures twisted by their own ambitions. Still, Glaes was rarely moved to violence, and for that he had to thank the sound judgement of the humans in the valley beyond the forest. With his guardianship coming to a close, Glaes retired to the earth. But shrill cries awakened him once more. A terrible blizzard ravaged the land, resulting in a long and brutal winter, and both man and beast huddled in their dens in despondence. Shaking off years of inactivity, Glaes pledged himself to finding a solution. First things first: a strange little sheep had wandered far from home and into his forest...