Alseid

Alseid are graceful woodland cousins to centaurs, blending the torsos of elves with the lower bodies of nimble deer. Because they rarely venture far from their wooded glades, some call them “grove nymphs,” although they’re certainly more closely related to elves than nymphs.

Alseid see the Forest as an individual and a friend. They are suspicious of outsiders who do not share this view. Lost travelers who demonstrate deep respect for the Forest may spot a distant alseid’s white tail and chase after it as it bounces toward a road that leads out of the Forest. Disrespectful strangers may follow the same tail to their doom.

Branching Crowns:
Alseid have antlers growing from their foreheads. Antlers grow very slowly, branching every 10 years for the first century of life (so an alseid with six points per antler should be between 60 and 70 years old). Further points only develop with the blessing of the Faewild. No 14-point imperial alseid are known to exist, but many tribes are governed by princes with 13 points, indicating that they’ve done a great service to the Faewild on at least three occasions. Because antlers signify status, alseid don’t fight with them the way deer do. Cutting an alseid’s antlers is one of the direst punishments an alseid can receive. Elf rangers sometimes report seeing lone alseid exiles, wandering the Deadlands, their antlers sawn off near the scalp.