Swift Couriers

"One of the Non-Hostile Minor Races"Energetic gait, oversized tail, attentive ears, an important message. Swift Couriers are the historic bearers of news good and bad, obeying the Chieftains in the previous age and switching their allegiance to the priesthood and royalty in the Era of Kings.

Legend
Before the world was known and it was believed that every realm was its own leaf on the Heavenly Tree, the Swift Couriers were believed to be tasked by the Old Gods to carry Words of Creation to and fro. These Words ensured the upkeep of the Tree and served to prune away sick and dying worlds while shaping the lands and oceans in those the Old Gods wished to fill with life.

In more modern myths the Swift Couriers are seen more as communication spirits, exchanging their services for favors or offerings. Employing their supernatural means of safe travel, they can permit any leader who courts their loyalty to send word to his distant vassals nearly instantaneously. With the increase in modern technology allowing for greater permeation of mail services as well as the new invention of the radio, the awareness and appreciation of Swift Couriers is diminishing, leaving their future uncertain in relation to their interactions with mankind.

Description
The smallest of spirits, Swift Couriers stand a mere foot and a half tall and weigh exceedingly little. They appear as tiny ladies with attentive eyes and twitchy ears, and sport a fluffy squirrel tail that fluffs out when frightened. Many sport uniforms traditionally worn by servants, seeming to take pride in their role to support humanity. As a general rule, Swift Couriers tend to avoid touching the ground whenever possible, preferring a perch or vantage spot, especially if a tree is available.

Capabilities
As previously mentioned, the primary capability of the Swift Courier is their ability to travel anywhere in the world nearly immediately. There are few obstacles that can prevent a determined Swift Courier, though it is believed that there are some forms of warding magic than can do so. In most cases, the Tree Runner can appear even in a locked room deep underground or on a vehicle flying through the sky without difficulty, though always out of sight. They are exceedingly secretive about their method of passing from one location to another, and manage to do so without being seen no matter the level of scrutiny.

Weaknesses
As befitting their nature, the Swift Couriers' greatest flaw is her short attention span. A sucker for interesting tidbits of information, she may become distracted by juicy gossip or protected secrets, and should one know how to look, a Swift Courier can often be caught red-handed eavesdropping where she's not welcome.

As well, Swift Couriers are fast, but they are not strong. Their fiercest blows amount to feathery caresses, and they use their speed to escape danger rather than confronting it head-on. They also lack the inherent reviving capabilities of many of the other spirit types, meaning they can be killed fairly easily.