"I always tell the kids to stay away from the woods. Don't go in 'em, don't go near 'em, and don't go thinking about 'em. It may be full or resources, I mean they are old woods and they are probably filled with deer and wood. But people are a resource and we can't afford sending any souls in there- not so long as those woods are guarded by the Forest Spirits."

-Anonymous Ealdorman

The Leshen is a tall, lanky being, with a buck's skull for a head. Some have antlers that are massive and intricate which can give away their age. The Leshen has long arms with claws, and "skin" made of wood. They are covered in foliage and may even sport trinkets on them of animal skulls. They may even sport clothes such as tattered cloth and even the foliage may appear as a sort of cloak. Some Leshens may even sport human skulls impaled on their antlers or strung around their necks or on their belts.

The Leshen is an old forest spirit that haunts primeval woods. They are thought to be the essence of a forest and are a manifestation of it. It is believed that as mankind intruded into the forests reaping the lumber for their houses and over-hunting its animals that nature "fired" back at man. Whether or not that is the case one thing is sure is that the Leshens defend the forests against any men that enter them, even if the man's intentions are not ill. People are advised against traveling into the woods at any costs for the Leshens will kill them or have a pack of woodland beasts sent on them. Leshens are not vacuous though as they do have some reserve of empathy and sense. The Leshen will usually attack intruders but if it oversees a gold-hearted individual it may spare them and possibly reward them. Though this is not common and it is advised not to encounter these beings. They protect the woods at all costs making sure the trees grow tall and fat and the animals flourish and hide from man as much as they can. For this reason the forests they guard are untouched by man and the deep recesses of them are unexplored and perhaps hide many resources or maybe ancient shrines. When a Leshen attacks it is slow but deadly and they will almost move around the trees as they need to, with their skull's looking back with empty yet merciless eye sockets as they make a deep almost man-like howl.

Whether they are forest guardians or man killers it is safe to say that they own the forests and to respect nature as you go if you find yourself in one of their forests.

Enter a description of your monster's lair here.

Lair Actions

On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the Leshen takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the Leshen can’t use the same effect two rounds in a row:

• A bunch of roots rip up from the ground and strike at a nearby target (use the Command Roots stats).

Regional Effects

• Ominous animal howls and shrieks sound throughout the woods.
• The trees in the area are generally well grown and water is quite blue and fresh.
• The forest is generally dim with little light creeping past the trees above.
• Predator animals in the forest are very aggressive and territorial whereas prey animals are harder to track.
• There is a feeling of being watched constantly.

If the Leshen dies, these effects fade over the course of 1d6 days.