Homebrew Fungaling Species Details

"...It was late into the night when we all saw that ethereal light. It was not bright, yet it gleamed a beautiful color against the forestry, seemingly beckoning with its lustrous fingers the promise of warmth and safety. The others and I, unknowing of the presence causing this phenomenon, yet curious enough to uncover it, ventured forward in awe towards this dazzling spectral. And what we discovered once we pushed past the brush and vines was the furthest, yet most astounding thing any of us could have imagined.

There, standing in the looming shadows of the trees, bustling about as their bodies shimmered as their own personal lights, was a civilization of humanoids that not a single one of us have seen before. With mushrooms atop their heads, some with flowers and buds instead, a thriving civilization of fungal figures danced between each other, heading between buildings and shops as if it were daylight. Some had noticed Groke, Miera, and me approach, and had stopped in their hustling and bustling to gaze at us with the same wonderment that we looked upon them with. None of them were scared, despite the scruffy looks of our group of three strangers.

They welcomed us to their dwelling with smiles that shone just as brightly as their hats and bodies did. We’ve come to know them as kind and charitable, and call them all as friends."

 - Ryker Moore, The Mitigation of The Vast Horde

Fungalings are an uncommon species of humanoid fungi, with the bodily figure of your average person combined with characteristics of their respective mushroom family. Having been hidden for millennium, and only being “rediscovered” in relatively recent times, not much is known about the fungalings.

Fungalings hardly ever look anything alike, coming in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and eyes. Although, they have the common attributes of wearing hat-like mushrooms, large and rotund ears, and having fungal growths on their body.

Hats of Grandeur

To a fungaling, nothing is more important than their shroomtop, which is the hat-like entity that reside on the tops of their heads. A shroomtop not only photosynthesise for a fungaling, but it is also their very identity. While a fungaling can live without their shroomtop perfectly fine, to do so is a sign that they had been severely punished, banished, or careless, and they are seen as lowly and unsightly in fungal communities. To live without a shroomtop is to live with great shame, unless the Fungaling had been willing to give it up in an extremely rare or emotional circumstance.

It's Alive

Shroomtops are not just hats or senses of identity. They are living organisms, and all fungalings are born with them, making them very personal items. They are removable, like any normal accessory, but to see a fungaling without it for long periods of time is a rare and usually bad sign. Fungalings take very good care of their shroomtops, and though it can’t die easily it will perish if it is heavily damaged or neglected. If a fungaling gives someone their shroomtop, then they are showing a sign of intense trust or emotional connection, saying that they are giving themselves, their love, and loyalty to that person.

Nutritional Habits

Fungalings still need to eat, like any other being. They can photosynthesize, but this process only gives them usable energy and vitality, and not the nutrition that their bodies still need. This race can eat most anything, from rotting meat to fresh fruits, though most are considerate with what they consume. Due to this, fungalings are resistant to some, but not all, food-based diseases, following through with their heritage of decomposers.

A Mythical Race Reborn

In a time that predates written history, the fungalings used to simply be a species of living mushrooms. Neither humanoid or beastial, this early race was often sought after for their edible schroomtops and regrowing limbs, much to their distress since they couldn’t properly fight for themselves. Over time, it grew to become too much, and these entities decided to seek respite by making themselves disappear and hide every trace of their existence.

And so it has been that way for thousands of years. Eventually, these mushroom creatures became mythical, being described as fictional beasts only seen in dramatized tales and olden stories of adventures. 

Resurging From Ruin

In recent centuries a new race has come out of hiding - a species of fungal humanoids who seem to be descendants and evolved forms of these ancient organisms. Having grown stronger than their ancestors, this species, who have come to be known as fungalings, gained the confidence to no longer heed their race’s stories and step out into the realms, integrating with society in ways that their kind could not have done before. Some are even opening up their previously reclusive communities to passersby and explorers, although some still do not. Now, fungalings are mostly seen as adventurers, if not as up and coming farmers, workers, and shopkeepers.

A New World to Explore

Having been lost to time for generations, many fungalings are still learning and trying to adapt to the many different societies of this world. This has given many fungalings culture shock, and has given other people the impression that they are naive, even if it is far from the truth. However, this does not put down a fungaling adventurer's mood, as some prefer to see the world they had cut off as full of opportunities, experiences, inspirations, and intellectual seeking.

UNKNOWN AND UNKNOWING

Since fungalings were a concealed race for so long, some people think that their resurgence has a deeper, sometimes darker reasoning. Though they have willingly unveiled themselves from their reclusive lifestyle, many fungalings reciprocate that sense of slight wariness due to their race’s ancient tellings of anguish wrought by others. Fungalings usually get along with other races however, wanting to learn more about their mysterious world and the people they live with on it, and most others are often mystified by their abilities unseen in any other living being. They're trying to learn many different cultures all at once, and it can sometimes lead to other races seeing them as ignorant.

 

Fungaling Names

Fungaling names usually are just colors or nouns in Sporian, though communications with other cultures has allowed various other names to take rise. To Fungalings, names don’t have an assigned gender, and they aren’t important to the species as a whole except for verbal communication. To Fungalings, their shroomtops are their identities, and names are secondary and interchangeable. Fungalings tend to one main first name and family name, but if they so choose they can have multiple that they go interchange with, or pick a new name to go by. They gain their names at birth, but can start settling on new ones by the time they can speak.

When a fungaling has a love interest, they can choose to give their shroomtop to their lover, and some decide to pick up their significant other's first name as their middle name.

Common Names: Sorrel, Hazel, Tick, Tula, L’Lumé, Mun, An'La, Opal, Roux, Fern, Ir'scen, Li'li, Blu, Vanta, Jade, Ebony, Euka, Nett, Cica, Maybell, Somer.

Common Surnames: Roseman, Todestol, Henawood, Chickwood, Suillius, Yg’Drasl, Séa, Bludtuth, Parasol, Grove, Honeyleaf, Daisydew, Chanterelle, Ferguson.

Subraces

 Through thousands of years of adapting to their respective biomes, four subraces of fungalings can be found wandering throughout the environments and cave realms of the world. They include: woodland fungikin, cavernous fungikin, swamp fungikin, and floral fungikin. Choose one of these subraces.

Fungaling Traits

Your fungaling character has an assortment of innate abilities, due to generations of being connected to the very heart of nature.

Ability Score Increase

Your Constitution score increases by 2.

Age

Fungalings mature much faster than humans, reaching full height by the age of 10, but are considered young until the age of 20. Due to their fungal heritage, they can live up to 200 years, though those who lost their shroomtop live only to be around 150.

Alignment

Fungalings are usually neutral, due to being disconnected from other societies and being isolated for thousands of years. Good fungalings are just as common though, since their sense of loyalty with those they trust knows no bounds, if someone is worthy enough for their trust to begin with.

Size

Fungaling height is very diverse. Their size can range from 3 feet to up to 7 feet tall. Your size varies.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 25 to 30 feet, depending on your height.

Bioluminescence

You have the option of making your body glow a faint light at night or in dark environments. You only illuminate things in a 5 foot radius.

Photosynthesis

Your shroomtop photosynthesizes any natural sunlight you are in, giving you energy. You never need to sleep, unless you lose your shroomtop.

Limb Regeneration

Your blood flows slower than average, and your fungal heritage allows you to regrow any lost limbs in a 3 to 6 day time period.

Poison Resilience

You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you are resistant to poison damage.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sporian. The fungaling language has a very small alphabet, consisting mainly of shortening words and using apostrophes. They mainly rely on tonal change and visuals to get across what they mean, making it a very personal and almost musical language. It is said that Sporian is descended from the language of nature itself.