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Description
At first, people did not know they even existed. The only evidence they had were shadows vanishing into the night, blurs of movement caught from the corner of their eye and strange tracks left in the newly tilled soil. The real thing that they knew them for was what they left behind: chaos and disarray. Tools would go missing, fences would be torn down and scrapped, livestock would be harassed in the middle of the night, and farmers would awake to broken windows and stained walls. Many chocked it up to vandals and thieves, some suspected ghosts, while others pointed the blame at roaming Pumpkin Dryads. In time though, watchful eyes caught sight of these mischievous creatures, and at last the realization dawned upon them. Born of root, vine and stalk, they rose from the soil and weeds, brought to this plane to spread misery to those who defied and cheated. While they do not boast the scavenged bodies and hay-filled forms, they are one with the scarecrows. Rather than live within stuffed clothing and wooden limbs, they chose to inhabit something a bit fresher. It is these forms that they take that has given them their name: The Gourdlings.

Gourdlings are scarecrows who are instantly identifiable by their viney, squash-like bodies. Though they can come in many shapes and sizes, they are always amalgamations of gourd and vine. These fruiting bodies act as their frame and sensory organs, with mouths and various openings forming within them. While they appear to be hollow, no one really knows what sits within, as all one can ever see is a black void. For some parts, glowing eyes may peer from the darkness, and their ragged maws can devour things like any normal mouth. They take these forms and come to this world for only one thing: mischief. Gourdlings are sent by the scarecrows to annoy and irritate those who upset them or shows signs of ignoring their deal. With their fresher, more flexible bodies, Gourdlings can move at a surprising speed and cause all sorts of problems in the blink of an eye. Such nimbleness is perfect for sabotage and annoyance, as they can break and steal things without anyone ever seeing them. The most one may ever see of them is a vine zipping around a corner, or glowing eyes disappearing into a tangle of weeds. While spotting them is difficult, hearing them is another story. Gourdlings love their jobs quite a lot, and their hollow laughter can be heard fading into the night wind. So much so, that they sometimes leave their realm without permission to wreak some extra havoc, finding victims and targets to torment and toy with. These outings are not nearly as malicious as their official business, but they do come up with some annoying and humiliating pranks. Those who deal with them on their play time should count themselves lucky, as they can get quite meaner if they need to. If relations between the farmer and scarecrows worsen, the Gourdlings will be tasked to cause greater destruction and chaos. The vandalism may become more extreme, and physical harm may come to friends, family and pets. Livestock may be found strangled in their pens, and children may experience sudden "accidents" when playing in the barn. When the deal is fully violated and the time of harvest has come, they shall join their scarecrow brethren and drag the offenders to a terrible fate. For those who find themselves targets of the Gourdlings, they should be mindful to appease the scarecrows before things get even worse.

While their mischievous missions are quite blatant, one odd thing has stuck out to quite a few. The Gourdlings are squash-like plant creatures that love to cause mischief and play mean tricks, which is a description that fits quite well with another plant species. At first many thought little of it, but in time some have begun to wonder. Why are these two creatures so alike? How is it that they both enjoy pranking and goofs? And how did the Pumpkin Dryad species make this love of mischief so ingrained in their lives and culture? Some have speculated that they may have been taught by the Gourdlings, or perhaps have taken them on as idols. Others, however, have found an interesting point that may prove otherwise. Pumpkin Dryads seem to be oddities in their own habitats, nomadic groups that don't appear to have adapted to any special place or home. They do not appear to be able to fully mix and mingle with other dryads, and no hybrids have come from their kind. Are they truly a pure dryad species that evolved naturally, or are they the result of a meeting between two different realms? Maybe Gourdlings do not leave their homes just for simple pranks and gags. As for now, no one really knows for sure, and it is not like anyone can ask. Though jovial and kind, there are certain subjects dryads seem quite silent about....

Description
At first, people did not know they even existed. The only evidence they had were shadows vanishing into the night, blurs of movement caught from the corner of their eye and strange tracks left in the newly tilled soil. The real thing that they knew them for was what they left behind: chaos and disarray. Tools would go missing, fences would be torn down and scrapped, livestock would be harassed in the middle of the night, and farmers would awake to broken windows and stained walls. Many chocked it up to vandals and thieves, some suspected ghosts, while others pointed the blame at roaming Pumpkin Dryads. In time though, watchful eyes caught sight of these mischievous creatures, and at last the realization dawned upon them. Born of root, vine and stalk, they rose from the soil and weeds, brought to this plane to spread misery to those who defied and cheated. While they do not boast the scavenged bodies and hay-filled forms, they are one with the scarecrows. Rather than live within stuffed clothing and wooden limbs, they chose to inhabit something a bit fresher. It is these forms that they take that has given them their name: The Gourdlings.

Gourdlings are scarecrows who are instantly identifiable by their viney, squash-like bodies. Though they can come in many shapes and sizes, they are always amalgamations of gourd and vine. These fruiting bodies act as their frame and sensory organs, with mouths and various openings forming within them. While they appear to be hollow, no one really knows what sits within, as all one can ever see is a black void. For some parts, glowing eyes may peer from the darkness, and their ragged maws can devour things like any normal mouth. They take these forms and come to this world for only one thing: mischief. Gourdlings are sent by the scarecrows to annoy and irritate those who upset them or shows signs of ignoring their deal. With their fresher, more flexible bodies, Gourdlings can move at a surprising speed and cause all sorts of problems in the blink of an eye. Such nimbleness is perfect for sabotage and annoyance, as they can break and steal things without anyone ever seeing them. The most one may ever see of them is a vine zipping around a corner, or glowing eyes disappearing into a tangle of weeds. While spotting them is difficult, hearing them is another story. Gourdlings love their jobs quite a lot, and their hollow laughter can be heard fading into the night wind. So much so, that they sometimes leave their realm without permission to wreak some extra havoc, finding victims and targets to torment and toy with. These outings are not nearly as malicious as their official business, but they do come up with some annoying and humiliating pranks. Those who deal with them on their play time should count themselves lucky, as they can get quite meaner if they need to. If relations between the farmer and scarecrows worsen, the Gourdlings will be tasked to cause greater destruction and chaos. The vandalism may become more extreme, and physical harm may come to friends, family and pets. Livestock may be found strangled in their pens, and children may experience sudden "accidents" when playing in the barn. When the deal is fully violated and the time of harvest has come, they shall join their scarecrow brethren and drag the offenders to a terrible fate. For those who find themselves targets of the Gourdlings, they should be mindful to appease the scarecrows before things get even worse.

While their mischievous missions are quite blatant, one odd thing has stuck out to quite a few. The Gourdlings are squash-like plant creatures that love to cause mischief and play mean tricks, which is a description that fits quite well with another plant species. At first many thought little of it, but in time some have begun to wonder. Why are these two creatures so alike? How is it that they both enjoy pranking and goofs? And how did the Pumpkin Dryad species make this love of mischief so ingrained in their lives and culture? Some have speculated that they may have been taught by the Gourdlings, or perhaps have taken them on as idols. Others, however, have found an interesting point that may prove otherwise. Pumpkin Dryads seem to be oddities in their own habitats, nomadic groups that don't appear to have adapted to any special place or home. They do not appear to be able to fully mix and mingle with other dryads, and no hybrids have come from their kind. Are they truly a pure dryad species that evolved naturally, or are they the result of a meeting between two different realms? Maybe Gourdlings do not leave their homes just for simple pranks and gags. As for now, no one really knows for sure, and it is not like anyone can ask. Though jovial and kind, there are certain subjects dryads seem quite silent about....