Nixie

These aquatic fey often guard ponds, rivers, lakes, and springs, protecting their bucolic homes from the advances of predators and careless settlers alike. Nixies tend to be reclusive and try to keep their presence hidden from humanoids, hoping trespassers won't give them cause to act. They're rarely found near settlements, as industry has a habit of polluting their waters.

Stories of nixies granting small wishes to those they befriend have encouraged mortals to seek out the reclusive fey and ironically made it more unlikely for a nixie to grant such a boon. On the other hand, if someone approaches a nixie with respect, or even better, a positive attitude that displays just the right amount of humility and easygoing openness, a nixie is far more likely to respond favorably to requests for aid. Often a nixie will ask those who seek their assistance to perform a task for them first; such requests can be minor acts of entertainment (such as telling a rousing story or performing a requested song), but in other cases, the nixie might seek more significant help, such as driving off an unwanted local predator or investigating the source of pollution near their home.

Most nixies only resort to violence if they have no other option. They much prefer to employ primal magic to defuse conflicts before they can escalate to bloodshed. In pursuit of such resolutions, nixies rely on their ability to charm individuals and, if they can establish some degree of magical influence, encourage intruders to leave peacefully. While some nixies try to confuse intruders and subtly lead them away, others rely upon local animals and beasts to scare off trespassers.

Occasionally, nixies recruit charmed humanoids to act as protectors or help with a task that's simply too big for them to deal with. If this task is underwater, nixies use their magic to temporarily grant the ability to breathe water to the charmed creature. Only those who manage to befriend a nixie are given an invitation to return to swim or dine with the fey, and only the most trusted of allies are granted a minor wish.

Nixies appear as aquatic humanoids the size of a child, with large eyes, catfish-like whiskers, and webbed fingers and toes. They have scaly skin, long pointed ears, and long hair the color and texture of seaweed. Nixies often form small communities, even building underwater societies if their numbers are great enough. In many cultures' folklore, there are stories of nixie nations hidden at the bottom of particularly large lakes.