The impulse is to label this as magic. It’s not. Up until the point of corruption, the experience of the Spriggan is a purely natural phenomena.
Though it is unknown to the world, the Spriggan have been around at least as long as the continental divide. The tremors of volcanos and earthquakes are directly responsible for their presence, as stones that are wedged deep into the earth resonate with the shifting of tectonic plates, creating a sonic effect in the weakened minds of passer-bys which creates this effect of the malevolent, trickster Spriggan in their brains. Due to the absence of physical evidence regarding the Spriggan itself during this effort at “possession,” it is unclear if this experience is A) a hallucination the brain manifests to account for the transmogrification process, B ) an alteration to brain chemistry that enables the experiencer to gaze into a realm normally just outside the limits of all sentient perception, C) an entity that actually exists or travels through one’s brain chemicals, or worse, pure thought, or D) some incredibly powerful
monster and master of illusion.
What’s more, due to the variability in the creature’s description, it is unclear if there are A) many
types of Spriggan, B ) many individual of a type of Spriggan with some benevolent creatures unfortunately mislabeled, or C) one individual Spriggan monster that has been tormenting the landscape that nobody can describe because they lack the resources, while an entire other realm has been mischaracterized by its misdeeds.
Another controversy is what occurs when one is in the throes of Spriggan influence. Does the Spriggan possess the target, riding it out to manifest its violent mischief until the avatar is inevitably killed? Does it corrupt the target through magic, so that the target manifests its OWN violent mischief? Or does the Spriggan spirit the unfortunate away, replacing them with a troublesome changeling? (This is player’s choice, but, like – there is not “Fairy Realm” for your body to be spirited away, too – You’re probably dead.)
It is unclear how long the Eretejva Tundra has known of the existence of Spriggans, but some proto-race to the Nordenfiir appear to have had a more direct relationship to them. In ancient ruins, there are often pillars that utilize a synthetic form of these “resonant stones.” The Spriggan, by intention or simply shared goals, can act
as a guard for these places, taking advantage of weary adventurers before they go somewhere they shouldn’t.
The malevolent Spriggan do not talk to their victims. They do not bargain, nor invite them into the realm to learn special “Demon Magic.” They cannot be attacked by magical weapons because, well, where would you attack? Similarly, they cannot be attacked by
elemental magic, either. The best defense (short of avoidance) is to stay healthy and sane. If one would need to use Magic, however, one under Spriggan attack could defend
themselves using psychic-based magic, but not the minds of others. The best way to save your friend is relocation.
The skillset of Withcraft of Eretejva Tundra and the witches who practice it have a sensitivity to the presence of benevolent Spriggan, and even the malevolent ones, as well. That said, the sensitivity to the malevolent Spriggan is not hyper-developed. They know not of the stones, nor the pillars (like everybody else), they can only sense that the psychological attack is somehow facilitated by sonics – and they can reinforce it or diminish it with their own song. They would likely know some of the sites where Spriggan attack is popular within areas local to where they frequent the most.
Positive Spriggan, such as the Domovoi, are sorta believed and not-believed. Their contributions are minor and unthreatening, so regarding them as anything at all tends to be kind of a tongue-in-cheek, folksy charm. If somebody forgot to clear the table after a meal, for example, they might say they “Left some for the domovoi,” but they and everyone else known that they were just lazy. People know it lives in the house and they might totally “see one” in the middle of the night, but, like, not really.
The evil, possessor-type Spriggan, however, is treated with a little more trepidation. The attacks seem to be random in time and location(save for the ruins), which is nerve-wracking, but comes with a functional benefit; it makes adventurers and travelers ensure that they are fully-prepared before their journeys, as they need to be well-fed, well-hydrated, well-rested, and of sound mind to not only make journey, but resist Spriggan attack. Because of these cautionary tales, the role of the Spriggan in Lore has been expanded to include tales to promote obedience in children. “Don’t sass your parents, lest the Spriggan get you.” “Stay in bed, lest the Spriggan get you.” “Don’t wander off alone…” etc. However, because no parent is interested in traumatizing their children, nor get stuck trying to answer a complex question like, “Will the Spriggan come and get me because I don’t have my
Svalen?!,” the notion of traumatic possession and death has been softened with the idea that the child will simply be “taken away.”
It is unclear if this has some historical truth to it, or if the story came later. Regardless, where as older adventurers understand what occurs as possession or corruption, younger Nordenfiir increasingly believe that the Spriggan steals away their target and replaces them with a Changeling.
It is a popular belief that the monster comes from some sort of “Fae Realm,” but academic discussion on this is discouraged and viewed as pretty dumb. If there is a physical component to this space, it is not something one can theoretically access in the same way one might where-ever
Velaeri or the Pale King came from.
There is an unpopular philosophical perspective among the Witches to attribute Satan-esque qualities to the Spriggan, marking him and his work as the work of one, singular Horned God – a component, oppositional symbolic figure to She-Of-Three Voices. Some argue that this desire to invent an additional conquering male deity when there is no need or proof speaks to the effectiveness and the remnant of patriarchal brainwash.
The association with stone and seismic activity is unknown.