Plants
Plants are sentient and non-sentient flora and fungi.
The races of plants are:
Arboreals
Arboreals are humanoid trees with face-like features, gnarled arms, leafy crowns, and lower trunks divided into legs for mobility. Their bodies are covered in thick, protective bark, which serves as natural armor.
Arboreal speak and move slowly and deliberately, carefully considering their words and often expressing themselves cryptically. They rarely act impulsively, preferring observation and assessment—often for years or even decades—before action. Their perspective is shaped by their longevity, offering a worldview few other races comprehend.
The subraces of arboreals are:
Pyrophytes
Pyrophites are fire-resistant arboreals that inhabit the Agniavas, particularly near lava flows and geothermal hotspots. Standing 3 to 5 meters (10’ to 16’) tall and weighing several hundred kilograms to a few tons, they have thick, blackened bark and sparse, waxy leaves in shades of charred gray, crimson, and gold. Pyrophites can live for over 3,000 years.
Most are stoic and deliberate and view destruction as a force of renewal. Many serve as guardians of calderas, which they consider sacred, ensuring the balance of fire and regrowth. Some pyrophite splinters practice ritualistic burnings, where the weak, elderly, and wounded voluntarily immolate themselves, their ashes nourishing the next generation.
Decidites
Decidites are deciduous arboreals native to the forests of the Blackmoor Basin. They range from 2 to 3.5 meters (6’6” to 11’6”) tall and weigh 150 to 400 kg (330 to 880 lbs). They undergo seasonal transformations, their leaves turning gold and red in autumn before shedding and regrowing in spring. Their bark remains deep brown year-round. Decidites can live for over 2,000 years.
They are adaptable and communal, forming strong connections with their surroundings. Most revere cyclical change, marking the seasons with festivals celebrating birth, decay, renewal, and balance. Known for their diplomatic nature, they often mediate between fey, fauna, and travelers in Blackmoor’s forests. While they prefer peaceful resolutions, they are capable warriors when defending their land.
Conifites
Conifites are evergreen arboreals that mostly inhabit high-altitude forests in the Pristine Northwest. They range from 2.5 to 4.5 meters (8’2” to 14’9”) tall and weigh 200 to 600 kg (440 to 1,320 lbs). Their rough, resinous bark and needle-like leaves remain year-round. Conifites can live for over 5,000 years.
They uphold enduring traditions focused on patience and resilience. Most are stoic and slow to trust, preferring the solitude of their evergreen domains. However, once bonds are formed, they tend to be lifelong.
All Conifites produce resin, using it for artisan crafts, reinforcement, and warfare. Some secrete highly flammable resin, igniting barriers, traps, or incendiary projectiles in battle. Though territorial, they rely more on size and durability than aggression to deter intruders.
Alpinites
Alpinites are hardy arboreals found in the Central Agniavas, above the alpine level. Standing 2 to 3 meters (6’6” to 10’) tall and weighing 150 to 450 kg (330 to 990 lbs), they have short, gnarled trunks and thick bark layered to endure extreme cold and high winds. Their small, densely clustered needle-like leaves minimize moisture loss in the harsh mountain climate.
Most are solitary and contemplative, often remaining motionless for decades. They are highly resilient, capable of surviving freezing temperatures. Alpinites are believed to live for well over 10,000 years, with some scholars suggesting the oldest among them have rings dating back to the formation of the Splinterlands.
While their wisdom is highly sought after, they rarely offer counsel without deliberation that is deep and lengthy—even by arboreal standards. They do not form splinters in the traditional sense, instead maintaining bonds through shared wisdom and experience rather than culture.
Shadites
Shadites are subterranean arboreals adapted to total darkness that inhabit the Deep. Standing 1.5 to 2.5 meters (5’ to 8’2”) tall and weighing 100 to 300 kg (220 to 660 lbs), they have smooth, dark bark and sparse foliage, primarily in the form of fungal growths. Unlike other arboreals, Shadites do not photosynthesize; instead, they sustain themselves through chemosynthesis, absorbing minerals from stone and nutrients from fungi. Shadites can live for over 1,000 years.
Their societies are loosely structured, forming small, shifting alliances based on mutual benefit rather than rigid hierarchies. Some cultivate fungal gardens, sustain the Deep’s ecosystem, or study subterranean geography. Others act as defenders of flora and fauna... or as predators who stalk the tunnels in search of prey.
Though generally reclusive, some shadites form alliances with other Deep-dwelling creatures for protection or conquest. Those with a pragmatic outlook may barter rare minerals, alchemical compounds, or fungi in exchange for goods or services.
Fungoids
Fungoids are humanoid fungi with widely varying forms, typically found in damp, dark environments such as subterranean caverns, forests, and swamps. They communicate through spores and pheromones and absorb nutrients from decaying matter rather than consuming food. Fungoids reproduce through spore propagation.
The subraces of fungoid are:
Mycelia
Mycelia are fungi of various shapes and sizes, composed of interwoven, thread-like filaments that spread from multiple points to form an interconnected mass. They lack stems, leaves, or roots, but many have tendrils for absorbing nutrients, communication, or manipulating their surroundings. They are most commonly found in the Deep and the swamps of Praetoria.
Highly adaptive and resistant to most poisons and diseases, many mycelia can link their consciousness, sharing knowledge and sensory input across vast distances. Some are passive and reclusive, while others aggressively spread rot and infection.
Myconids
Myconids are small humanoid fungi, standing 0.3 to 0.6 meters (1’ to 2’) tall and weighing 3 to 15 kg (7 to 33 lbs). They have lightweight, spongy bodies, fibrous limbs, and a spore-bearing cap of varying shape, size, and color, typically featuring gills or pores on the underside. Most have a single eye and lack a mouth. They live up to 80 years.
Myconids inhabit forests, swamps, and subterranean caverns across Praetoria, with the largest populations in the Northwest Lowlands of the Broken Lands. By nature, they are patient and contemplative, preferring harmony to conflict, but will respond aggressively when threatened.
Kelplings
Kelpings have a humanoid upper torso, but their lower body consists of a long, flowing blade of seaweed. They range from 1.8 to 2.5 meters (6’ to 8’2”) in length and weigh 10 to 25 kg (22 to 55 lbs). They have large black eyes, pointed ears, and a frill of seaweed around their necks. Additional strands of seaweed grow from their torsos, allowing them to absorb nutrients directly from the surrounding water rather than consuming food. Their skin and seaweed varies in color from deep green to greenish brown.
Kelpings are found only in underwater caverns off the coast of Azmare, though their exact locations remains unknown. Little is understood about their culture or temperament, as they rarely interact with the world beyond their domain.
Mundane Floras
Mundane flora comprise all plant, bacterial, or fungal life that are part of the natural world; some have magical properties, but all are non-sentient.
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