ECOLOGY

Environment temperate forests
Organization solitary, troupe (1 plus 3–9 advanced dire tigers, centaurs, ichthyocentaurs, leanan sidhe, maenads, satyrs, or NPCs of at least 11th level), or court (1–3 plus 1–3 muses, 4–12 centaurs or satyrs, and 3–9 leanan sidhe, maenads, or storm giants)
Treasure standard (composite longbow with 40 mithral arrows, mithral morningstar, masterwork pipes, other treasure)

Elder kin to satyrs, seilenoi are primeval fey bound to the basest emotions, including lust, joy, surprise, aggression, and fear. These fey wander the world, indulging in any excuse to experience or inspire passionate feelings.

New spectacles of beauty, physical adventure, and psychoactive plants and alcohol draw their attention, and they encourage creatures they encounter to be equally experimental. Seilenoi particularly enjoy luring stodgy, honorable, or self-important beings into grandiose acts of foolishness or indulgence. Although less notorious than satyrs for sexual exploits, seilenoi possess a rugged animal magnetism and an appreciation for all sorts of carnal pleasures. They are particularly renowned for their insight and skill as storytellers and playwrights.

Like satyrs, seilenoi prefer to keep to untamed wilds where they revel in the passionate emotions of the fey and beasts that live, grow, and play there. Creatures of the forest often flock to seilenoi in small troupes or even traveling courts. Satyrs, leanan sidhe, and muses enjoy the artistry of a seilenos's storytelling.

Centaurs and maenads revere seilenoi for inspiring irresistibly passionate, ecstatic rage. The seilenos acts as a mercurial judge, jocular keeper of fey culture and secrets, and sometimes self-centered celebrity to these groups. Seilenoi traveling across the ocean often take on ichthyocentaurs as seafaring guides and honor guards. Most seilenoi get separated from their courts eventually, either because their fey followers move on to more sedate leaders or because the seilenos feels stifled and drunkenly wanders off in search of a change of pace.

Seilenoi who do not lead their own fey courts sometimes serve as jesters, emissaries, unpredictable generals, or companions for fey lords, deities, or other mighty beings. Seilenoi prove surprisingly dangerous on the battlefield, as they dash about scattering scores of enemies with every cutting joke and inspiring monologue. When dealing with more numerous foes, they confound the battlefield with seemingly natural barriers and illusory sheets of roaring flame. Others enjoy deflating the egos of powerful fey (and, occasionally, mortals) with bitingly insightful satire.

In their wanderings, seilenoi sometimes seek out new kinds of indulgence and distraction among mortals, in which case these fey generally prove themselves amiable, though gruff. Seilenoi can charm almost anyone with raucous affection or witty commentary. Those they can't talk into joining the revelry, they generally ply with alcohol or psychotropic plants to lower the inhibitions of civilization and enable a freer expression of raw emotion.

Bored seilenoi occasionally take it upon themselves to mentor mortals with exceptional self-awareness and power. Sometimes they do so while disguised with polymorph magic to avoid undue attention.

Seilenoi are passionate creatures, as thrilled by the chance to have a drunken brawl with new opponents as to explore the body of a new lover.

Usually, seilenoi view combat as a sort of hunting or wrestling game, but if they recognize true hostility, they become a terrifying force. A seilenos never faces combat alone; it summons allies to distract foes if necessary and hides an ever-shifting mirage arcana while rallying allies and keeping foes off balance by manipulating their emotions. Its illusions represent the natural elements with which a seilenos is familiar, from fantastical mazes of writhing vines to confusing clouds of spores. It is particularly amused by exchanging the appearances of enemies and allies. Seilenoi have also been known to transform especially vexing foes into harmless animals or useful plants.

Although their wide range of moods tends toward joy and frivolity, all seilenoi at times indulge in the insidious thrill of violence, hatred, or madness. When filled with these dark passions, a seilenos might provoke a battle among evenly matched friends to watch the tense contest or dive headlong into the confused heart of a fray.

Seilenoi are about the same size and weight as male humans, although they tend toward the heavier end of that range.