Canotili

The canotili are one of the kiths of the Nunnehi, fae native to North America.

Overview
The Lakota and other midwestern tribes have many tales of the canotili (sometimes known as the canotina). In some stories, these forest spirits were helpful and gave good luck and sure aim to hunters, and they are also credited with helping with the harvest of tree-grown fruits and nuts, sometimes shaking the choicest morsels from the highest bough. Other stories speak of these forest tricksters causing travelers to become lost or frightening away game animals. Skilled fletchers and bowmakers often made miniature sets of bows and arrows that they set out for the canotili, either in appeasement or in thanks.

To this day, canotili continue these practices, often using their stealthy abilities to flush out game into the paths of hunters they favor. They are very solitary beings, however, and those who stray into an area of the forest claimed by a canotili might be in for bad day. If the canotili notices the presence of an unwanted interloper, she will use her cantrips to lead the intruder astray or dump nuts, branches, and old squirrel’s nest down upon him. Fortunately, most mortals are not stealthy enough to startle a canotili and thus become a victim of her Terror Frailty.

The canotili make their homes in the forests and grasslands throughout the midwest. Of the Nunnehi kiths, they are among the least able to adapt to modern life and most choose to live as far from human settlements as possible. Those canotili who do live amongst humans choose places with lots of trees and greenery. Rarely are they found in cities.

Canotili appear as slightly smaller versions of the Plains or Great Lakes Indians with somewhat elongated features and almost prehensile fingers and toes. Most notably of all, their eyes glow in the dark. They take great pride in maintaining their traditions, and their clothes, accessories, and weapons are always highly decorated.

Affinity: Prop

Birthrights
Earth Blend — Canotili have an inborn ability to blend in with natural surroundings. While remaining completely still, and in a natural environment, canotili can change their color (including what they are wearing or carrying) to blend in with the background. This ability does not work when the canotili is indoors or surrounded by manmade structures.

Physical Enhancement — Canotili start with an extra dot in either Strength or Dexterity.

Frailties
Terror — When surprised or startled, canotili exude a powerful pheromone that causes panic in all non-canotili, including other Nunnehi and changelings. Those affected flee in terror or strike out blindly at the cause of their fear. If they could control this ability, it would be a powerful weapon, but instead it often causes their own allies to flee, or even attack them by accident.