Warborn Sp(r)itehosts

Some dryads are consumed by anger, rarely putting aside their warforms for the softer aspects.  They come to be regarded as Warborn- born anew by combat as relentless killing machines.  The vast majority of these die violent deaths surrounded by the corpses of enemies.  Some, though, live a long time and after many decades of staying in the warform these dryads feel a calling to certain places within Athel Loren.  

In these places Amber magic courses strongly and the Dryads feel compelled to remain and soak it up.  As they remain their bodies grow rapidly.  Within weeks of feeling the calling they are larger than the largest treeman.  They become cumbersome, their legs are soon unable to support their own weight at all.  They continue to grow, and as they do their outermost bark layer becomes porous.  This creates a network of small tunnels through the dryad's outer layer.  Within these tunnels and nooks colonies of sprites/spites will soon cluster, such that the enormous bulk of the former lithe dryad is surrounded by a constant cloud of fluttering wings, and is known as a Spritehost or Spitehost.

Most dryads who undergo this change eventually make peace with their new place in the forest as home to its smallest defenders.  Some, however, cannot leave behind their anger and blood lust.  These dryads can be driven insane by their own inability to exact vengeance upon interlopers within the woods.  Orion's call bitterly reminds them of the change.

When this happens the sprite colony is affected by the tainted amber energy that comes through the Dryad.  They become angry and twisted like their home and can be a danger even to the Wood Elves.  

Since the development of the Woeweald a solution has been found.  When a Spritehost is going bad the Wood Elves and treemen will work together to move her great bulk (which usually resembles the fallen mass of a great tree) to the river.  While she can no longer walk she can float and even swim.  Angry Spritehosts are encouraged to swim the waterways looking for enemies of the wood to savage.  In this way their anger is focused and put to use.   

Sp(r)itehost
Independent Wood Elf ship
50 points 

move 4" swim (can change direction freely)

crew none (needs no crew and is immune to attacks that kill crew)

Hit locations:
3: head wood, save 5+, one hit
4: heart wood, save 5+, two hits, 1 less attack per hit
5: trunk, save 5+, one hit
6: roots, save 5+, two hits, -2" move per hit

Below the waterline: 3 hits, save 5+

Weapons:
when in direct contact with an enemy the Spritehost may make 2 low
attacks with no save modifier.

Special rules:
Living ship- the Spritehost does not need a crew to function. It may not board enemy ships. If boarded it rolls 1 die and adds 1 point for each below the waterline hit remaining. If it wins the boarders lose
one crew as normal and the boarding action ends. If the boarders win then the Spritehost has to make a BTW save or take one BTW hit as the boarders attack her with axes.

Regenerate- during the end phase roll 1 die if any locations are damaged. On a 5+ remove the damage in one location. May not regenerate if any location is on fire.

Sprites- A Spritehost may have a single sprite man o' war card even though it is not a man o' war. 

Aspects:
When each Spritehost is bought choose one aspect from the list below to enhance it's abilities.

Oak aspect- The Oak aspect is one of strength and hardness. Attacks by Spritehost have -1 save modifier, all Spritehost locations have +1 save.

Larch aspect- The Larch is far more resistant to flame than any other tree. May regenerate even if some section is on fire. If section that is ablaze regenerates then fire and damage both removed.

Ironwood aspect- As the Spritehost takes on the aspect of the heavy ironwood trees it slip below the water, ready to batter the enemy ship where it is most vulnerable. Spritehost gains a ram attack. If it moves at least 3" towards an enemy that ship must make a below the waterline save or take 1d2 BTW hits.  The Spritehost is not completely submerged, simply low in the water and can still attack, and be attacked, as normal.

Willow aspect- the deceptively strong and flexible branches of the willow ensnare the enemy ship. The Spritehost may choose to latch on to an enemy ship it contacts. That ship may not move until the Spritehost lets go, changes aspect, or is sunk. If the enemy ship is extremely large (black ark) it may still move but the Spritehost is moved along with it.

Birch aspect- the smooth white bark of the birch aspect slips easily through the waves. +2" movement.

Sycamore aspect- The limbs of the Spritehost seem to double and redouble in the Sycamore aspect. +1 attack.

Bramble aspect- In the bramble aspect the Spritehost's branches become a twisted morass of thorny vines, ready to strangle interlopers like barbed nooses. +3 to roll during boarding actions.

Gum tree aspect- The gum tree aspect constantly weeps a sticky gum that is a mixture of sap and vegetable oil, notable for being exceptionally flammable. This is the rarest aspect and requires a
pain maddened and insanely angry Spritehost. The Spritehost will explode violently at the end of its movement (before attacks) if any section of it is currently ablaze. This explosion is a three dice
attack against all ships within short range (3 inches) and any damaged section is also ablaze. The Spritehost is destroyed.