The Vaettr, Land Gods, Small Gods, Vanir, Wights

[Bricingwolf]

What are they?

How are they similar and distinct from other small gods, like the least angels and Djinn?

Where do they live?

How do they come to be?

Why do they come to be?

How many are there?

Why, and in what ways, do their nature's change?

Are they the souls of animals and plants?

Can you play one?


To answer the last question first; yes. You can play a Vaettr. In the end, it's not much different than playing a Watcher, Djinn, or Dryad. They're all minor little gods of one kind or another, after all.

So, let's dig into it.

• what are Vaettr? Firstly, they are spirit folk who are stongly associated with place. Second, they exist regardless of, but are influenced by, the presence of mortals, and of other spirits. Wild Vaettr are the classic nature spirits. Beings who dwell in and became part of trees, groves, areas of land, hills, rivers and streams, lakes, the morning fog in a specific valley or coastal bay, or even things like "the hidden places amongst the roots of old trees, where the land's shape and flow of water shifts earth and creates little burrows and hollows". In fact, that quoted text might be how a spirit introduces itself to you, should you meet them in a vision or spirit walk. Many spirits thus end up with seemingly silly or nonsense names, like Willow Bark, or Burrow Boy (not to be confused with Barrow Boys, which you should not trust, but must always be kind to), or Dew-drop. 
  
• How are they similar/different to other small gods? Firstly, they are of the same very fundamental nature, and in QfC, are considered a sub-grouping of the Elemental race, just like Djinn. Or rather, many kinds of Vaettr have their own sub-groupings, like Puca and Dryads. In fact, some scholars believe that all other "elemental spirits" were origninally Vaettr, while others argue that even Vaettr were once something very much more cosmic, and unrecognizable with any modern spirit, when the first galaxies first began to take shape, and the cosmic sea of spirits because to take on independent shape along with them. In this theory, they are not especially distinct from the Gods and their adversaries. There are important differences, though, between groups.
• While Watchers angels, Djinn, and most of the Gods, are defined by their embodiment of complex ideas, Vaettr are simply influenced by environment, emotions, and the fundamental nature of things. A vaettr would be exceptional indeed to embody something as abstract as "the written preservation of knowledge", but a vaettr of a public library (yes, such things exist), might appreciate the joy of stories, and of the discussions and explorations which come from them, and take an interest in fostering these things. That Vaettr would still be the spirit of the building itself, however, and perhaps of the community which the library serves.  
• Where other spirits form communities with established hierarchies, independent multigenerational cultures, even religious dogma, Vaettr exist always in the world as it is. Djinn might build grand libraries, study Alchemy, pass down their knowledge in books, and form governments, but no Vaettr has even been seen to do the same. Their memories are just as long, but what matters to them is very different. A Vaettr community exists because the natural world around them exists, and a Vaettr is willing and able to change their nature to suite a new environment, sometimes even being enticed to follow a mortal, and become tied to their fate as "familiars" (or even greater companions in rare cases). Sometimes, these familiar spirits grow in power and independence, and become possessed of such a Will as mortals have, and travel on their own motivation, becoming something between mortal and spirit. (see; Playing Elemental Spirits, below) 
• Where do they live?  Vaettr live everywhere. Literally. In rocks, in trees, in ruins, in rivers, in the clouds, in storms, even in asteroids and barren planets. These last tend to be unimaginably old, and vary in temperament from lazily curious to dangerously alien. Innumerable Vaettr inhabit the infinite "Spirit World", which intersects with all worlds, and the bizarre Otherworld. 
• How do they come to be? Vaettr actually form the primary model for our understanding of the soul in the world of QfC. A new Vaettr comes to being through the intimate interaction of other Vaettr, and their environment. In this way, they are very much like the living things they often embody. A new spirit begins to take shape as the community has room, and new things happen, almost as an expression of change within the community and in the environment they inhabit. They also come to be when a creature is almost born, but doesn't make it. This still forming spirit is "adopted" by the surrounding spirits, and becomes one of them.
• Either way, the new spirit grows by experiencing new things, and interacting with other spirits, and with the creatures around it. Many scholars believe that the human soul must work the same way. That is, when we are forming inside our mothers, our souls begin to form, taking form from our parents, and as we grow we gain bits of that which we interact with, from the Vaettr, and from other mortals, as our souls grow. 
• How many are there?  A seemingly infinite number, in every World and every world within those Worlds.
• Why, and in what ways, do their natures change? Vaettr change for many reasons, and in many ways, as touched on in some of the above answers.
• First, they change physically all the time, because their physical forms are inherently temporary. All elemental spirits are shapechangers, to some degree. One one end of the spectrum are Vaettr, which generally have no true form that a human could interact with, and on the other end are Angels, whose form is more rigidly determined by their power, and their understanding of their own moral nature. 
• Second, they tend to change in long lasting ways because their environment does, and in ways that reflect that environmental change. Sometimes, they smoothly adapt to a new environment. Other times, their new nature instead reflects the change itself, and not always in a positive way. When a forest is ravaged by unchecked fire, there is a very real danger that spirits of the forest will become spirits of destructive flame for a time. When this happens, the other spirits will try to contain such angry spirits, and will call to Shamans in their dreams, and to the Caul Born, who can hear the spirit world in their sleep. Sometimes these spirits cannot be healed, and become the sorts of spirits which must be fought to preserve the land. When the fire is started by mortal hands, these spirits become destroyers of civilization, eaters of crops, and bringers of disease. The most powerful can even bring unnaturally terrible storms. 
• Third, they change because they meet mortals, and become fascinated, or are bound into service. Necromancers deal with these sorts of spirits often, and evil necromancers (the type who raise undead and prey upon the weak) bind these spirits into bodies of their own device, to serve as unnatural servants. Most necromancers who do not do such things are called Warlocks, but the terminology is muddy. Many such sorcerers employ the spirits as guides, informants, advisors, and call on their aid in helping mortals, calming unruly spirits of the dead, healing sicknesses of the spirit, or similar useful purposes. The evil type are some of the most dangerous enemies a hero might face in the worlds of QfC. 
• Are they the souls of living creatures, or the dead? The short answer is; sometimes, depending on the creature. The most seemingly simple creatures have a closely tied Vaettr that can physically inhabit them, and trees often are physically joined with their Dryads, sometimes with several Dryads making up one ancient tree. Groups of creatures also have Vaettr. Not only are there Veattr of forests, and of groves of trees, but a family of crows will also have one or more Vaettr who are tied to them. Are these spirits the spirits of passed crows and trees, tied to the fate of their descendants? The Vaettr themselves don't seem to be consistently certain of one answer, and scholars have as many theories as they have hats. (a lot. that means they have a lot of theories)
• Humans and other fully sentient mortals seem to have souls which are distinct from Vaettr, but there is certainly evidence that our souls are simply Vaettr who exist in a much more static form, and aren't independent from our physical selves until we die. 
• How can I use them as allies, companions, and patrons? Do they have factions? First, they do not have factions, as such, but they can behave in a similar, albeit more limited, manner. That is, a forest could act as a regional faction, for instance, but there won't be an international faction of Land Spirits, except in circumstances of planetary or greater importance. If the First Gods are rising, perhaps the Vaettr across the globe, or even across the galaxy, might form a temporary alliance, holding together against their normal nature to bring heroes together to fight the threat. Otherwise, they are inherently LOCAL spirits. 
• As allies, they can be called upon through Shamanic practice, binding rituals, or religious ceremony (usually some manner of offering or sacrifice is required here). They are quite willing to act as guides, to trade information from milk, honey, alcoholic beverages, or trinkets of some value. Unlike many gods, most Vaettr prefer natural and hand made offerings, having little understanding or concern with monetary value. For some reason, nearly all spirits love gold, silver, and precious gems, however. Like their Fey cousins, Vaettr do not have any love for steel, however. They will tolerate it on your person, but they will not accept it as offering or payment. Likewise other heavily processed materials that do not exist in nature. Strangely, even urban Vaettr retain this quirk. 
• Vaettr companions are not uncommon. They can be bound with a ritual, though it is best to do so as a pact, rather than enthralling or enslaving them. Vaettr are wild things, and do not forget insult or abuse. Most Vaettr companions are bound by a ritual which involves negotiation, offerings, and a trade of some sort. Unlike many other spirits, Vaettr are generally inclined to negotiate in good faith, unless they feel that you are trying to trick them, or get more from them than you offer in return. 
• Less often, a spirit encounters a mortal, and is fascinated by them, taking a form that allows them to follow their new friend into the mortal world. example:A traveling musician and struggling composer travels through a forest in France, and sleeps for the night. A curious spirit of the wind through the trees as it makes the leaves sing a whispering song appears as a small cat near his camp, and the musician plays a tune for the creature, and offers it some of his food. As he sleeps, the "cat" shows him something of his true form, and finds in him a kindred spirit. When the musician leaves the forest, he finds that the cat follows, and he has a new song in his head. Soon, he learns that something more than music comes through in his music, and he can confuse, fascinate, motivate, and enslumber people with a song.
• Patron Vaettr are generally concerned with matters of the spirit world, and communicate with their champions via lesser spirits and dreams. Their requests tend to involve aiding the spirits of a place, and/or a local shaman or the Benendanti. Rarely, a hero with a Vaettr Patron may be asked to take part in the Night Battles, to protect the world from spirits from beyond the void. More often, they are asked to help calm an angry spirit, fight a truly malignant spirit that can't be calmed or healed, find a way to stop mortals from despoiling the land, or anything else that serves to maintain the wellbeing of both worlds and keep them in balance. 
• What about playing a Vaettr as a Player Character? Vaettr are one of the core races of Quest for Chevar, and for good reason. Vaettr who leave their place to venture freely into the world aren't common, but they certainly aren't unheard of. Here are some ideas for playing one, and some things to consider.
• What sort of Vaettr are you, and where are you from? Obviously, the spirit like the musician's companion described above will be quite different from a dryad, but what about place? Dryads are tied to trees, but they sometimes leave their woods to see the world, respond to a threat, find something, or for many other reasons. A dryad from the Black Forest, in Germany, will have a different appearance, accent, and mindset, than a dryad from the edges of the Sahara, or an oasis within the Sahara. Remember, Vaettr are defines by both type and by place.
• Why did you leave? A few reasons have already been listed in the answer above this one, but there are others. Like the musician's companion, you might have left your place following a mortal.
• Imagine that musician again. He goes on adventures over his life, learns many things and sees many places. His companion is with him through all of this, and stays with him when he retires, settles down, and starts a family. This spirit grows in wisdom, will, and power along with her mortal friend, and becomes bonded to the fate of her friend's family, considering them her family. Fast forward to the future era, 200-300 years later. This creature has become much more than she once was, and what was a minor companion in a 1930's campaign, is now a PC in a Future campaign. She appears as a sentient tigress, but can become a small house cat, or she can recall her original form, speak her true name, and become a whispering song of wind through the trees. She is a being of feline appearance, who embodies curiosity, musical inspiration, and the wind.
• Now, imagine another spirit, this time a spirit that embodies a great tree in the Amazon. For hundreds of years she has watched over her place, her tree, and the creatures who inhabit it. She has known love amongst the roots, in the deep soil, and with mortals who become lost in her jungle depths. She is known to the locals as a helpful spirit, kind and loving, prone to taking beautiful men and women as lovers from time to time, but always leading the lost out of the dark. She is aquainted with the darkness of the jungle, but has always embodied the life giving tree she is bound to, and the sun which envelopes her highest reaches, filtering down softly as the canopy sways in the wind. Nothing remains forever, but her tree should have lived for hundreds more years. It was healthy, still growing, still sharing water and carbon through it's roots with it's many children, still breathing in the wind from a distant continent, the wind that brings rich soil and ocean water and a distant memory of great beasts with white horns and long trunks, and tigers, and mortals so paradoxically different and yet the same as her mortals. But then foreign men came, with great machines, and they murdered her tree to build palaces for the rich, and the creatures who had shelterd there for generations innumerable were lost, and the land became silent in grief, and the little spirits of the rodents and mushrooms and frogs and the buzzing little spirits of the ant colonies howled in confusion and sorrow, and the branches that soar as her roots embrace the soft earth felt within herself a change, and for the first time, she became the darkness of the jungle, and began to hunt. A dozen human workers died in a fortnight, and rumors spread of a wild beast from out of the river and the night, and the few locals who had not be pushed deeper into the jungle called out in their dreams for aid, and soon a woman walked among them, from the northern reaches of the jungle. A kanima, or were-jaguar, and a friend to the spirit world. She had traveled far to help the jungle, and try to stop the despoilment, but had failed. She went out into the worker's camps, and into the jungle, and layed by the river and entered the Spirit World in her dream, and found the angry spirit. She spoke to her of her own pain, her own loss, and how her nature was bound up in justice, and how hard it was sometimes to tell justice from revenge. They spoke for many nights, and they layed together finally, as the spirit had done for centuries, and she was finally calmed, and she wept in the arms of her mortal lover. Such wounds cannot be healed in a few nights, but healing can begin, and it did, and when the Kanima woman left the jungle, The Memory of The Tree Which Breathed the Sky and Embraced the Soil left with her, and took up her work as a Benendanti.
• Memory, as she might come to be called, is a Dryad. Her Origin puts her from the Jungle, she has Area Familiarity with a region of the Amazon rainforest, and with the home base of her Kanima best friend, who is played by another PC. She might speak Spanish, and either Portugese, or an indigenous language of the Amazon. She might choose to be a Ranger or Shaman, as many Benedanti are, or a Warlock, to help represent her dark deeds, and her deeper understanding and connection with the dark side of nature. Perhaps she prefers to avoid such things, though, and instead learns to fight and becomes a Martial Artist, or uses her natural grace to become an Acrobat.