Willow Wisps

Willow Wisps have no skeleton, no organs, no blood. Their structure appears to be pure magickal condensation, a mixture of Wild Growth residue, lunar energy, and forest awareness. Some scholars suggest they are “echoes” of living beings.

Emits light that fluctuates with emotion or threat

Produces a faint hum heard only within arm’s reach

Can vanish instantaneously by merging with trees or moonlight

Can mimic movement patterns of animals or Humans

Sometimes cause mild disorientation or memory gaps in observers

Unknown. Theories include:

• Spontaneous formation from concentrated magick
• Emergence from dying trees
• Manifestation during specific lunar alignments

No reproduction has ever been observed.

Appears to have only two states:

• Dormant: invisible or latent within tree roots or moonlit puddles
• Active: visible, floating, and responsive to motion or sound

Their transition is tied to moon cycles.

Willow Wisps refer dense willow groves, shadowed hollows, and lunar-clearings where moonlight pools unnaturally. They avoid open meadows, human-settled edges, and areas without strong magick saturation.

Willow Wisps “feed” on lunar magick, emotional residue (fear, longing, or grief strengthen them), and Wild Growth currents within the woods. They do not consume physical matter.

Their brightness and behavior change with the moon:

• Full Moon: Brightest, most active; sometimes seen in groups
• New Moon: Dim, almost silent; known to cause lost time
• Half Moon: Flickering, unpredictable movement

Seasonal changes matter less than lunar ones.

Impossible. Attempts to capture or bind them have resulted in:

• Sudden disappearance
• Localized magick backlash
• Forest hostility

Scarlett Forge punishes anyone who tries.

None safely. Some alchemists claim wisp-light can be collected, but no one who attempted it has returned.

Most have no face, though rare sightings describe:

• Faint outlines of eyes
• A masklike shimmer
• A half-formed, sorrowful expression

Faces appear only during major magick disturbances.

Exclusively found in Old Willow Woods, especially near the heart clearing, hum-active groves, and pools reflecting solid moonlight. They were first seen in the heart clearing where the Lost Dragon Tribe vanished.

Not animalistic, not human but something in between. They respond to emotion, track movement, mimic sound, avoid open violence, and show curiosity. Some believe they are sentient echoes.

They do not rely on physical senses. Willow Wisps can detect emotional states and sense magick flows. They instinctively distinguish moon phases, navigate without sound or tactile cues, and see in perfect darkness.

Symbiotic with:

• Lantern Fungi (which glow brighter near wisps)
• Willow Sentinels (trees whose bark absorbs wisp energy)

No parasitic relationships have been confirmed.

• The Lost Dragon Tribe’s disappearance
• ]The “Moon-Touched Pathfinders” who claim wisps guide worthy travelers
• Folktales claiming the wisps are “dreams the forest refuses to forget”
• Said to be souls caught in the forest’s breath
• Guides for the lost—or lures leading them deeper
• The “First Wisps” were created when the Lost Dragon Tribe vanished
• Some say Scarlett Forge can speak to them directly

Humans have a fearful fascination with them while hunters avoid them. Scholars attempt study from a distance and villagers believe they are omens (good or ill). Twilight Deer follow them, Shadow Owls avoid them, and Mirror Foxes sometimes chase their light.

Scarlett Forge does not fear them. They seem to part for her.