Sprites¶
What Are Sprites?¶
Sprites are creature companions grown from Aether seeds in the Guild Greenhouse. They are not pets — they are partners. Each Sprite is unique, minted onto the blockchain at the moment of sprouting, and bound permanently to the player's web3 wallet.
Sprites accompany players into battle, contribute passive abilities, and can be leveled up from Level 1 to Level 2. At Level 2, they transform into their evolved form.
Growing a Sprite¶
Step 1 — Obtain a Seed¶
Seeds are found through: - Completing quests (all tiers drop seeds) - Purchasing from the Guild Market - Trading with other players - Rare drop from Gate Battle victories
Every Sprite Seed looks identical — a dark teal, egg-shaped mass of bark and wood, with two hollow black eyes that stare without seeing, and a small crown of leaves already pushing out from the top. Bright green Aether energy crackles around it like living flame. It is impossible to tell from the outside what is growing within. The Aether keeps its secret until the moment of Sprouting.
"It already has eyes. It is already watching. You are not choosing what to grow — you are being chosen." — old Greenhouse saying
Seeds do not reveal which Sprite they contain. The contents are unknown until Sprouting.
Step 2 — Plant the Seed¶
The seed is planted in the Guild Greenhouse. Once planted, an Incubation Progress Bar begins (starts at 0%).
Step 3 — Daily Tending¶
The seed must be tended daily. Each day without tending causes the progress bar to decrease by 5%.
| Tending Action | Progress Gained |
|---|---|
| Water the seed (player action) | +8% |
| Seedagon Sprite tends the seed | +6% (passive, no player action needed) |
| Double-tend (Energy Guild weekly boost) | +16% (once per week) |
Step 4 — Sprouting¶
When the progress bar reaches 100%, the Sprite is ready to sprout. The player rolls 1d12 to determine which Sprite species hatches:
| Roll | Sprite (Level 1) | Evolved (Level 2) | Guild Affinity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Seedagon | Rootagon | Ground |
| 3–4 | Arbitos | Timberward | Energy |
| 5–6 | Fernad | Fernguard | Water |
| 7–8 | Onyx | Obsidia | Fire |
| 9–10 | Seedagon | Rootagon | Ground (common pool repeat) |
| 11 | Fernad | Fernguard | Water (common pool repeat) |
| 12 | Sap | Sap | None (All Guilds) |
Roll 12 — Sap: Extraordinarily rare (< 1 in 200 hatches under normal conditions). Sap can only be rolled on a 12, and only if the player tended the seed every single day of incubation without a single missed day. If any day was missed, Sap cannot hatch regardless of the roll.
Step 5 — Minting¶
Upon sprouting, the player chooses a blockchain network and the Sprite is minted as an NFT to their linked wallet. The Sprite's: - Species - Guild affinity - Stats - Hatch date - Unique identifier
...are all written to the chain. The physical card equivalent can then be ordered through the game's card printing service (see 11-cards-and-web3.md).
Sprite Profiles¶
Seedagon → Rootagon¶
Guild Affinity: Ground
Role: Tender / Support
Seedagon is the friendliest thing in the ROOT Kingdom and it knows it. A small, round creature with a soft fuzzy green head and a wide crown of large flat leaves fanning outward like a sunburst halo. Its eyes are two simple black dots, its smile is small and genuine. It wears an oversized bark-brown coat several sizes too big, the fabric threaded through with bright green Aether root veins that branch and spread like a living map. In one hand it holds a wooden shovel — its most important possession — planted in a small mound of fresh earth. It is already working before you ask it to. It does not look like a fighter. It is not a fighter. It is the Sprite that makes everything else possible — the one that tends the seeds, keeps the greenhouse, and shows up quietly when something needs caring for. Rootagon is simply what Seedagon looks like after years of doing exactly this, every single day.
| Level 1 (Seedagon) | Level 2 (Rootagon) | |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 40 | 80 |
| ATK | 8 | 18 |
| DEF | 10 | 22 |
| SPD | 5 | 8 |
| Passive | Tends seeds daily without player action | Tends 2 seeds daily; boosts owner's DEF +2 in battle |
| Active Ability | Seedling Toss (10 dmg, Rooted) | Ancient Root (25 dmg + Rooted + Fortified on owner) |
| Special | Generates Seedagon Nectar (healing item) once per 3 days | Generates Aether-infused Nectar (stronger heal) once per 2 days |
Rootagon — Level 2 Appearance
Rootagon is what Seedagon becomes after it has put in the work. Gone is the oversized coat and the gentle smile — Rootagon stands knee-deep in a mound of fresh dark soil, gripping a green-bladed shovel in one hand and a wooden stake in the other. It wears a bark brim hat with broad leaves sprouting out the top, and a worn linen work shirt printed faintly with seed patterns. Its body is wilder now — vines and tendrils wrap its arms, roots trail off its sides, and the soft fuzz of Seedagon has been replaced by fibrous bark and matted green growth. Its eyes are deep hollow black, focused entirely downward on the earth it is working. It does not look up when you approach. There is planting to be done.
Evolution Condition: Rootagon evolves from Seedagon when the Seedagon has assisted in sprouting 3 other Sprites (by tending their seeds).
Arbitos → Timberward¶
Guild Affinity: Energy
Role: Enforcer / Disruptor
Arbitos is not what you expect from an Energy Guild Sprite. It does not move fast — it moves with intent. A wide, squat creature built entirely of packed leaves and dense foliage, with a pine tree crown growing from its head and amber-red eyes that burn with focused aggression. Brown root markings branch across its chest like battle scars. Green Aether energy swirls around it constantly, leaves spinning off its body as the charge builds. It stands with its fists up and its feet planted. It is not looking for a fight — it has already decided the fight is happening.
| Level 1 (Arbitos) | Level 2 (Timberward) | |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 55 | 100 |
| ATK | 18 | 34 |
| DEF | 14 | 26 |
| SPD | 8 | 14 |
| Passive | Owner gains +2 STR in battle; Arbitos's Aether charge reduces enemy AGI −1 each turn it is on the field | Owner gains +4 STR; enemy AGI −2 per turn; Timberward immune to Stunned |
| Active Ability | Root Slam (20 dmg + Rooted on target; Aether burst knocks back) | Aether Orb (50 dmg; the staff orb fires a concentrated Aether blast — bypasses DEF entirely and applies Weakened for 3 turns) |
| Special | Alerts owner if their Guild Village is approaching a raid threshold | Reduces cooldown of all Ground-type abilities by 1 turn; in battle, Aether swirl applies Charged to owner once per match |
Timberward — Level 2 Appearance
Timberward is what Arbitos becomes when it stops being angry and starts being ancient. Larger, heavier, draped in a dark mossy cloak that hangs off its wide shoulders like old bark. Its pine tree crown is darker now, fuller. Its eyes glow deep amber-orange — not the red fury of Arbitos, but something colder and more deliberate. Orange Aether veins crack across its chest in branch patterns, pulsing faintly. In one gnarled hand it carries a wooden staff topped with a glowing green Aether orb — pure channeled energy from the Tree of Life, held steady without effort. It does not look like it is preparing to fight. It looks like it has already won and is waiting for you to realize it.
Evolution Condition: Timberward evolves when Arbitos has won 10 Gate Battles alongside its owner.
Fernad → Fernguard¶
Guild Affinity: Water
Role: Healer / Defender
Fernad is stillness made visible. A small, round creature with dark stone-grey skin, wrapped in a flowing cloak of layered dark green leaves that drape to the ground like a robe. Its eyes are wide and soft — large dark circles with a quiet gleam — and its expression carries a gentle, unhurried smile. From its head grows a wild crown of ferns and broad leaves reaching upward in every direction, teal Aether sparkles drifting off them like morning mist catching light. It holds a simple wooden walking staff in one hand. Ferns and small plants grow at its feet wherever it stands, as if the ground cannot help but respond to its presence. Fernad does not rush. It does not need to. Everything it touches eventually heals.
| Level 1 (Fernad) | Level 2 (Fernguard) | |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 50 | 95 |
| ATK | 7 | 15 |
| DEF | 12 | 24 |
| SPD | 6 | 10 |
| Passive | Owner regenerates 5 HP per turn in battle | Owner regenerates 10 HP per turn; Soaked on owner is removed at start of each turn |
| Active Ability | Leaf Wrap (15 dmg + heals owner 10 HP) | Fern Fortress (25 dmg + DEF shield +8 for 2 turns) |
| Special | Carries 1 Cleansing Rain item per battle | Carries 2 Cleansing items; allies within range also benefit |
Fernguard — Level 2 Appearance
Fernguard is what Fernad becomes when it stops being gentle and starts being powerful — though it is still both. It has grown large, draped in a sweeping cloak of layered ferns that reach the ground in every direction, wild and full like a living forest in miniature. Set into its chest is a glowing green Aether gem, pulsing like a second heartbeat — the source of its healing energy, visible for all to see. Its staff is now a gnarled vine twisted into a curling orb of green light at the top. One hand extends forward, palm open, radiating warmth and Aether — an offer of healing to whoever needs it. Sparkles scatter across the grass at its feet. Its eyes are the same as Fernad's: soft, dark, and calm. Its smile has not changed either. Only everything around it has grown.
Evolution Condition: Fernguard evolves when Fernad has healed its owner for a total of 500 HP across all battles.
Onyx → Obsidia¶
Guild Affinity: Fire
Role: Attacker / Finisher
Onyx does not look like a Fire Sprite yet. That is the point. Its body is dark charcoal — dense, stone-heavy, the color of rock before it has ever met heat. It wears a deep green leaf cloak draped loosely over its round frame, with small leaf clusters at the boots and a gentle, unhurried expression: wide dark eyes, a quiet smile. In one hand it holds a young sapling staff, fresh green leaves still growing from its tip. From its head erupts a crown of raw blue and teal crystals — jagged, beautiful, and completely unrefined — with teal Aether sparkles drifting off them like cold light. The crystals are not yet what they will become. The fire that turns them obsidian black and volcanic has not found them yet. Onyx at Level 1 is potential. It is the gem before the forge. Everything it will be is already inside it, waiting for enough heat.
| Level 1 (Onyx) | Level 2 (Obsidia) | |
|---|---|---|
| HP | 38 | 72 |
| ATK | 18 | 35 |
| DEF | 7 | 15 |
| SPD | 10 | 16 |
| Passive | Owner STR +2 in battle | Owner STR +4; Onyx's attacks have 15% critical hit chance |
| Active Ability | Obsidian Slash (20 dmg + Burned) | Bluefire Spike (45 dmg + Bluefire Burn; doubles damage if target is already Burned or Bluefire Burned) |
| Special | Generates 1 Ember Root healing item per quest completed | Generates 2 Ember Roots; once per battle, can use Volcanic Spike for 0 SP |
Obsidia — Level 2 Appearance
Obsidia is proof that everyone misunderstands fire.
They expect red. They expect ash and ember and the orange glow of a campfire. But every smith in the Fire Guild knows the truth: the hottest flame is blue. Red is fire that has not finished. Blue is fire that has nothing left to prove. When Onyx finally took enough heat, its raw crystals did not char and blacken — they went hotter, and hardened into blue Aether crystal so dense it holds light inside it.
Its body has darkened to true obsidian — black volcanic stone, cracked and cooled. Rising from its crystal crown are two dark branching antlers, grown rather than forged. Its eyes burn a flat, unblinking blue with no pupil, no warmth, and no hesitation. Across its chest, shoulders, and waist it wears armor of bark and leaf plating, each piece set with blue crystal shards that pulse faintly in sequence, like something breathing. A heavy dark green cape sweeps down its back to the ground. In one hand it carries a gnarled wooden staff crowned with a cluster of blue crystal blooming open like a flower, arcs of blue energy crackling between the points.
The gentle smile of Onyx is gone. Obsidia's expression is closed and even — not angry, not cruel. Settled. It has been through the forge and come out the other side, and it does not intend to explain what that was like.
"Red fire warns you. Blue fire does not bother." — Fire Guild forge proverb
New Status Effect — Bluefire Burn
Obsidia is the only Sprite in the game that inflicts Bluefire Burn, a hotter grade of the standard Burned status:
| Status | Effect | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Bluefire Burn | Lose 14 HP per turn (vs. 8 for standard Burned). Cannot be reduced by Soaked, and Water Guild's usual fire resistance does not apply. A standard Cleanse removes it, but costs 20 SP instead of 10. | 3 turns |
Bluefire Burn does not stack with regular Burned — if a target already has Burned, applying Bluefire Burn upgrades it and refreshes the duration.
Evolution Condition: Obsidia evolves when Onyx has inflicted Burned on enemies a total of 20 times.
Sap¶
Guild Affinity: All Guilds
Role: Legendary Support / Ancient Power
Levels: Sap has only one form, but scales infinitely with the owner's level and total XP earned.
Sap looks like what he is — the oldest thing alive. His body is a thick, weathered tree trunk, walking on two stubby carved legs, with two short arms pressed close to his sides. Deep crack lines run across his bark in ancient patterns. His face is barely there: two small hollow eyes and a neutral expression that has watched kingdoms rise and fall without blinking. Atop his trunk grows a full pine tree canopy — wide, layered, dark and light green — that serves as both his crown and his identity. He does not need to be tall. He does not need to speak. He has simply always been here, and he will be here long after everything else is gone.
| Stat | Formula |
|---|---|
| HP | 60 + (Owner XP ÷ 100) |
| ATK | 20 + (Owner XP ÷ 200) |
| DEF | 20 + (Owner XP ÷ 200) |
| SPD | 12 + (Owner XP ÷ 300) |
Passive: Eldest Memory — Sap knows all status effects and cannot be permanently debuffed. Any debuff on Sap lasts 1 turn maximum.
Active Abilities (all usable in any battle): - Aether Gift — Sap restores 30 SP to owner and all allies. Cooldown: 4 turns. - Root of All — Sap deals damage equal to owner's total XP ÷ 50 (no cap). Cooldown: 6 turns. - Ancient Mend — Sap heals the most-injured ally for 60 HP + Cleanse. Cooldown: 5 turns. - Elemental Shift — Sap copies the elemental type of the owner's guild for 2 turns, applying that guild's passive counter bonuses to its attacks.
Special: Sap's card art changes as the owner gains XP — a living card that visually evolves over time. Physical Sap cards are printed with a holographic sheen regardless of tier.
Sprite in Battle¶
Each Sprite a player carries can be deployed in battle once per match:
- Deploying a Sprite costs 0 SP but uses your turn.
- The Sprite takes its own action on the following turn.
- Sprites can be knocked out (HP → 0) and cannot be redeployed in that battle.
- Knocked-out Sprites recover fully after battle (no permanent damage).
Players at Squire tier can deploy 1 Sprite per battle.
Warriors can deploy 2.
Mages can deploy 3.
Sprite Leveling (Level 1 → Level 2)¶
Sprites level up based on their evolution condition (see individual profiles above). Once the condition is met:
- The player initiates the Sprite Evolution Ritual at the Guild Greenhouse.
- The old NFT is burned (invalidated on-chain).
- A new Level 2 NFT is minted to the player's wallet with the evolved stats.
- The physical card, if printed, can be exchanged for a Level 2 card at designated printing events.
Sprite Traits¶
While every Sprite belongs to a species and guild affinity, individual Sprites also carry Traits — minor variations in temperament and Aether resonance that subtly influence their behavior and capabilities. Traits are not chosen; they emerge during incubation based on the specific conditions the seed experienced.
How Traits Form¶
During the incubation period (see Growing a Sprite), a seed absorbs Aether from its surroundings. The exact composition of that Aether — shaped by the local Guild Territory, the tending actions performed, and small random fluctuations — determines the Sprite's trait:
- Stubborn — The seed was tended unevenly (missed days followed by double-tending). Sprite gains +1 DEF but −1 SPD.
- Quickened — The seed was tended consistently with no missed days. Sprite gains +1 SPD but −1 DEF.
- Deep-rooted — The seed was planted near a Root-ring or Aether pool. Sprite gains +10 max HP at Level 1.
- Storm-touched — The seed was incubated during a Storm-hum event (near Energy territory). Sprite gains +2 to turn order rolls when the owner is Energy Guild.
- Windwhisper — The seed was tended while near a Wind Guild territory or during a Gale-hum event. Sprite gains +2 to all rolls when owner is in Wind Guild, but −1 DEF.
- Deep Echo — The seed absorbed Aether during a Resonant Hum event from an ancient Root-ring. Sprite gains +1 to all rolls when owner is in Water or Earth Guild, and inflicts an additional 2 HP of Echo Damage on critical hits.
Traits are cosmetic in flavor but carry small mechanical effects. They do not change the Sprite's species, guild affinity, or evolution path — they simply add a layer of individuality.
Checking a Sprite's Trait¶
A Sprite's trait is visible in its Profile section (above) and can be confirmed at any time by speaking to Chad in the village center. Chad's Aether hum reveals the trait name and its effect. Players cannot change a Sprite's trait after sprouting.
Trait and Battle¶
Traits do not change a Sprite's Active or Passive abilities. Their mechanical effects are passive and always active. In the Sprite in Battle section, a Sprite with a trait gains its trait bonus in addition to its species stats and abilities.
"No two Seedagons are alike — and that is the point. The Tree does not make copies." — Greenhouse saying
Sprite Kinship¶
Beyond traits and stats, every Sprite develops a Kinship score with its owner — a measure of the trust and Aether resonance built through daily care, battle, and shared experience. Kinship begins at 0 at sprouting and can rise to a maximum of 100.
Earning Kinship¶
Kinship increases through consistent, positive interactions:
| Action | Kinship Gained |
|---|---|
| Daily tending (on time, no misses) | +3 |
| Training together (Skill Transfer) | +5 |
| Winning a battle alongside your Sprite | +4 |
| Missing a day of tending | −5 |
| Sprouting a second Sprite (split attention) | −10 |
Kinship gains are capped at +15 per in-game day to prevent rapid stacking.
Kinship Tiers¶
As Kinship grows, the Sprite's bond with its owner deepens, unlocking passive benefits:
| Kinship Tier | Range | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Stranger | 0–19 | No bonus |
| Acquaintance | 20–39 | +1% turn order |
| Partner | 40–59 | +2% turn order; +10 max HP |
| Companion | 60–79 | +3% turn order; +20 max HP; +1 to all rolls when owner is in the same guild as the Sprite's affinity |
| Kindred | 80–100 | +5% turn order; +30 max HP; all abilities gain +1 to cooldown reduction |
Kinship tiers are visible in the Sprite's Profile and are confirmed by speaking to Chad in the village center — Chad's Aether hum intensifies at each tier, resonating at a higher pitch as the bond deepens.
Kinship Decay¶
If a player goes more than 7 consecutive days without tending their Sprite, Kinship begins to decay at a rate of −5 per day until tending resumes. If Kinship drops to 0, the Sprite becomes Unbound — its stats revert to base values and its trait bonus is suspended until Kinship reaches 20 again. An Unbound Sprite cannot participate in Gate Battles or Raids until re-bonded.
"The strongest root is not the deepest — it is the one that never stopped reaching." — Greenhouse saying
Additional Traits¶
As the Tree's Aether flows through the ROOT Kingdom, Sprites occasionally manifest traits beyond the four standard varieties. These rarer traits emerge under more unusual incubation conditions:
- Thornweave — The seed was tended near a Ground Guild border where the soil is rich with protective thorns. The Sprite developed a hardy exterior. +1 DEF, −1 ATK.
- Moonlit — The seed was incubated during a rare lunar convergence event, when the Aether currents slow and cool. +1 SPD, −1 DEF.
- Blightmarked — The seed was briefly exposed to a corrupted Aether seep — a dark stain in an otherwise pure current. The Sprite carries a mark of shadow. +2 to all rolls against targets that are debuffed, but takes 1 extra damage per turn from all sources.
- Sunforged — The seed was incubated in a Greenhouse blessed by a Convergence Shrine ritual. The Sprite's Aether is exceptionally pure. All healing items the Sprite generates are +50% effective (rounded up).
The Tree has many faces. Four are named, but the roots run deeper than we know. — Greenhouse elder