Hops-In-Threes

Hops-In-Threes looks mostly human, but sports a couple unique nonhuman features: black rabbit ears, eyes with narrow pupils, naturally black nails, and 3 legs that gradually transition from human ones into black rabbit hind legs.

Fae have almond-colored skin, unkempt shoulder-length black hair, and light brown (leaning towards orange) irises.

Hops-In-Threes's life, like that of most Fey, is a well-guarded secret. However, a couple slips of the tongue caught by travelers who met faer suggest fae weren't always a guardian spirit, and inherited that title from a much older, most likely now deceased Fey.

Hops-In-Threes is the guardian spirit of the Great Firefly Forest, in Eastern Rudrashka; fae protect it from outside threats, both mundane and magical. Fae are good-natured, but fickle; fae are prompt to scare off or curse undesirable travelers, but only reward trustworthy people if they're also exceptionally well-mannered.

When fae're not spending faer time spying on those crossing faer territory, Hops-In-Threes enjoys gossiping with other Fey about current events all across Erza. Most of it is amusing, ultimately inconsequential chatter, but growing rumors indicate the Rudrashka Empire has plans for the fauna and flora of faer forest.

And so Hops-In-Threes keeps hopping, but with growing concern as time goes on.

As a rabbit-aligned Fey, Hops-In-Threes is unnaturally fast and perceptive. Fae've been hunted by several stubborn people over the course of their life, but none have ever managed to approach faer close enough to threaten faer in any capacity.

Hops-In-Threes can also transform into a giant, pitch black beast, with disjointed limbs and facial features. In this form, faer mere presence diffuses night around faer, and the way faer body blends in with its surroundings make it impossible to estimate it exact shape, tangibility or distance from its observer.

Should fae bite a foe in this form, fae will never forget their scent, and will always be aware of them entering or exiting the forest.

Hops-In-Threes's staff, lantern and cushion are all magical. Many have tried bargaining for these items, only for their owner to refuse aggressively.

• The staff allows one to conjure illusory images. Fae mostly use it to guide people to their destination or lead them astray with strange signs.

• The lantern reveals paths and traces, for one to reach any place or person within the place it's attuned to (in this case, the forest).

• The cushion can fly in the air, allowing one to observe creatures from afar, and to approach them in absolute silence.