Homebrew Flowerlings (Underland) Species Details

𝓕𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼

The Blooming Folk of The Gardens

“In The Gardens, flowers do not merely grow. Sometimes, they open their eyes.”

Born from the enchanted soil of The Gardens, Flowerlings are living botanical people whose bodies blur the boundary between humanoid and plant. Some appear almost entirely human, while others resemble walking flowers, twisting vines, woodland creatures, or strange botanical spirits.

To the people of Underland, Flowerlings are considered children of the living gardens themselves. Their bodies are deeply connected to the natural magic of The Gardens, and their emotions often manifest physically. A joyful Flowerling may burst into colorful blossoms, while anger can cause thorns to emerge from their skin. Grief may leave a trail of fallen petals in their wake.

Among Flowerlings, the Rosekins stand above the rest.

Rosekins are the highest tier of Flowerling nobility, traditionally associated with roses and considered the closest descendants of the oldest enchanted gardens. Their petals are often unusually vibrant, their magic particularly potent, and their families deeply woven into the history and politics of The Gardens.

𝓟𝓱𝔂𝓼𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓓𝓮𝓼𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

Flowerlings have no single appearance.

Some are nearly indistinguishable from humans or elves except for flowers growing from their hair or vines winding around their limbs. Others possess entirely botanical bodies, with bark-like skin, leafy hair, petal-covered limbs, glowing spores, or roots instead of feet.

A Flowerling's appearance is often influenced by the plant or flower from which their family originated.

𝓑𝓸𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓕𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓼

Common features include:

• Petals growing from the hair, shoulders, ears, or skin
• Vines wrapped around the body
• Leaf-like ears or wings
• Bark, moss, or plant-like skin
• Glowing pollen or spores
• Flower-shaped pupils
• Thorns along the arms, back, or shoulders
• Roots instead of traditional feet
• Mushrooms growing from the body
• Leaves that change color with the seasons
• Fragrant or magical blood
• Small blossoms growing from scars

Some Flowerlings resemble small animals covered in flowers, particularly rabbits, foxes, birds, deer, cats, and other creatures commonly found in The Gardens.

𝓕𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓕𝓸𝓻𝓶

A Flowerling's body can range from humanoid to distinctly plantlike.

One Flowerling might look like a beautiful elf with roses growing through her hair. Another might have bark for skin, glowing eyes, vines for hair, and roots curling around their feet.

Neither is considered more or less Flowerling.

𝓔𝓶𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓐𝓹𝓹𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓮

Flowerlings have little ability to completely hide their emotions. Their bodies respond instinctively to strong feelings.

Joy: Flowers bloom, colors brighten, and their scent becomes sweeter.

Anger: Thorns may grow, leaves stiffen, and petals may sharpen.

Fear: Flowers close, colors fade, and vines may curl defensively around the body.

Sadness: Petals may fall, leaves may droop, and flowers may close.

Love: New blossoms may appear, vines may intertwine with loved ones, and their natural fragrance may intensify.

Grief: Their flowers may wilt temporarily, their colors may fade, and petals may shed uncontrollably.

Because of this, Flowerlings are sometimes described as "wearing their hearts on their stems."

𝓐𝓽𝓽𝓲𝓽𝓾𝓭𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓟𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓼𝓸𝓹𝓱𝓲𝓮𝓼

Flowerlings tend to view life as a cycle rather than a straight path.

• To bloom is to live.
• To wilt is not necessarily to die.
• To fall is to return to the soil.
• And from the soil, something new may grow.

They often believe that every living thing has a root, whether that root is a place, a person, a memory, or a purpose.

𝓔𝓶𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓲𝓼 𝓝𝓸𝓽 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓷𝓮𝓼𝓼

Flowerling culture does not generally consider emotional vulnerability shameful.

Instead, emotions are considered natural forces.

• Anger has thorns.
• Joy has blossoms.
• Grief has fallen petals.
• Love has roots.

Their philosophy teaches that denying one's emotions only causes them to grow beneath the surface.

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓛𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓖𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓼

Flowerlings believe The Gardens are more than a location. They are a living being. Some Flowerlings claim that the oldest trees remember every Flowerling ever born beneath their branches. Others believe the flowers whisper warnings and prophecies.

Whether this is actually true remains uncertain.

𝓒𝓾𝓵𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮

Flowerling society is deeply connected to nature, emotion, beauty, growth, and community.

Their settlements are rarely built against nature. They are grown alongside it. Homes may be cultivated from enormous flowers, hollow trees, vines, mushrooms, or living hedges. Roads can move as roots shift beneath them, and gardens may rearrange themselves according to the seasons.

𝓕𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂

Flowerlings do not always think of family as being determined by blood. A Flowerling's Root Family may include parents, siblings, friends, mentors, gardeners, or even members of the garden itself.

Some Flowerlings are born from existing Flowerling parents. Others are said to sprout from enchanted flowers, ancient trees, magical soil, or particularly powerful places within The Gardens.

𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰

When a young Flowerling reaches maturity, they undergo a coming-of-age ritual known as the Blooming.

During the ritual, their body produces its first truly unique flower. This flower becomes an important symbol of their identity.

A Flowerling might receive:

• A rose
• A lily
• A daisy
• A sunflower
• A thorn blossom
• A mushroom
• A magical or completely unknown flower

The flower may change throughout their life.

🌹 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓼

Rosekins are the highest tier of nobility among the Flowerlings.

They are traditionally descended from the oldest rose gardens of The Gardens and are regarded as some of the most prestigious botanical bloodlines in Underland. Rosekin nobility is not determined solely by wealth. It is tied to ancestry, magical strength, political influence, and connection to the ancient gardens.

Rosekin families often serve as:

• Nobles
• Garden Wardens
• Diplomats
• Advisors
• Court officials
• Magical scholars
• Protectors of sacred gardens
• Keepers of ancient botanical knowledge

Their roses may be unusually large, colorful, fragrant, or magical.

Some Rosekins possess flowers that do not exist anywhere else in Underland.

𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓴𝓲𝓷 𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓮𝓼

Not all Rosekins are alike.

Different noble families may be associated with different roses.

Red Roses may be associated with passion, courage, and political power.

White Roses may represent purity, diplomacy, and tradition.

Black Roses may represent mourning, secrecy, and forbidden knowledge.

Blue Roses may be associated with magic, mystery, and impossible things.

Golden Roses may represent wealth, prestige, and ancient lineage.

Pink Roses may represent love, compassion, and diplomacy.

These associations are cultural traditions rather than strict rules.

𝓡𝓮𝓵𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱 𝓞𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓡𝓪𝓬𝓮𝓼

Flowerlings are generally welcoming toward other peoples, although their nobility can be considerably more complicated. Common Flowerlings often interact freely with travelers, merchants, adventurers, and residents of other kingdoms.

Rosekin nobles, however, may place significant importance on etiquette, lineage, titles, and social standing. This creates an interesting divide within Flowerling society. A common Flowerling may happily invite a stranger to dinner.

A Rosekin might first ask:

"And whose garden did you bloom from?"

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰

The Breaking wounded The Gardens deeply.

As the Ink Master's influence spread through Underland, portions of the living gardens became corrupted.

• Flowers developed blackened petals.
• Trees grew twisted branches.
• Vines began moving with minds of their own.
• Some Flowerlings were physically changed by the Ink.
• Others lost their homes.
• Some gardens simply stopped blooming.

For many Flowerlings, the Breaking is remembered as The Withering. Rosekin families in particular have preserved records of the gardens that were lost.

Some believe that one day those gardens can be restored. Others fear that something beneath the soil changed forever.

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓘𝓷𝓴

Flowerlings have a complicated relationship with the Ink. Ink is fundamentally unnatural to their botanical nature.

• Where Flowerling magic encourages growth, the Ink twists it.
• Where gardens bloom, Ink spreads.
• Where roots connect, Ink separates.
• Some Flowerlings can sense Ink corruption before it becomes visible.
• Others have developed unusual resistance to it.

A small number of Flowerlings have even been changed so dramatically by Ink exposure that their flowers have become permanently black.

These individuals are sometimes called Inkblossoms.

𝓗𝓸𝓶𝓮𝓼 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓗𝓪𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓽𝓼

𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓖𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷𝓼

The Gardens are the traditional homeland of the Flowerlings. The region contains enormous enchanted forests, flower fields, living hedges, mushroom groves, ancient trees, rose palaces, and magical gardens.

• Some areas seem to possess minds of their own.
• A path may move.
• A tree may speak.
• A rose may remember your name.

And sometimes a garden that was not there yesterday will be waiting for you tomorrow.

𝓕𝓪𝓶𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓕𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼

[Name]

Title: Rosekin Noble
House: [House Name]
Known For: [Description]

[Name]

Title: Garden Warden
Flower: [Flower]
Known For: [Description]

[Name]

Title: [Title]
Flower: [Flower]
Known For: [Description]

𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

Flowerling names often draw inspiration from flowers, plants, seasons, colors, nature, and beautiful things.

𝓕𝓮𝓶𝓪𝓵𝓮 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

Rosalie, Briar, Dahlia, Flora, Primrose, Azalea, Marigold, Violet, Lavender, Magnolia, Camellia, Petunia, Ivy, Blossom, Poppy, Willow, Lilac, Tulip, Rosemary, Clementine

𝓜𝓪𝓵𝓮 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

Briar, Rowan, Hawthorn, Alder, Ash, Basil, Clover, Sage, Fern, Linden, Moss, Reed, Cedar, Basil, Thorn, Sorrel, Basilisk, Yarrow, Oakley, Florian

𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓼𝓮𝔁 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

Bloom, Clover, Fern, Rain, Rose, Petal, Briar, Sage, Willow, Wren, Moss, Ivy, Juniper, Honey, Dawn, Meadow, Berry, Leaf, Pollen, Thistle

𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓴𝓲𝓷 𝓝𝓸𝓫𝓵𝓮 𝓝𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓼

Rosekins often possess elaborate family names associated with ancient gardens.

Examples:

• Rosemont
• Rosethorne
• Briarwood
• Thornvale
• Roseshire
• Everrose
• Bloomcourt
• Petalgrave
• Rosemere
• Briarheart
• Gardenmere
• Thornbloom
• Roselace
• Bloomrose

𝓐𝓭𝓿𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮𝓻𝓼

A Flowerling might leave The Gardens because they seek something beyond their roots.

• Perhaps their garden is dying.
• Perhaps they were exiled.
• Perhaps they are searching for a missing member of their Root Family.
• Perhaps they are a young Rosekin trying to escape the suffocating expectations of nobility.
• Perhaps they heard a flower whisper a name that should not exist.
• Or perhaps their own petals have begun turning black.

Whatever the reason, Flowerling adventurers often find themselves caught between two worlds:

the world that raised them... and the world that is changing around them.

𝓡𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓣𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓽𝓼

𝓐𝓫𝓲𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓢𝓬𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓘𝓷𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓮

Increase one ability score by 2 and another by 1, or increase three different ability scores by 1 each.

𝓒𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮 𝓣𝔂𝓹𝓮

You are a Humanoid.

𝓢𝓲𝔃𝓮

You are Small or Medium. You choose your size when you select this race.

𝓢𝓹𝓮𝓮𝓭

Your walking speed is 30 feet.

𝓑𝓸𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓬𝓪𝓵 𝓝𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮

You have resistance to poison damage, and you have advantage on saving throws you make to avoid or end the poisoned condition.

𝓛𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓖𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷

You know the druidcraft cantrip. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it.

𝓑𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓔𝓶𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷

Your appearance subtly changes with your emotions. When you experience a particularly strong emotion, you may cause a harmless cosmetic botanical effect appropriate to that emotion, such as blooming flowers, growing thorns, changing petal colors, shedding leaves, or releasing harmless pollen.

𝓡𝓸𝓸𝓽𝓼 𝓸𝓯 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓖𝓪𝓻𝓭𝓮𝓷

You have advantage on ability checks made to identify plants, natural environments, or magical gardens.

You can also communicate simple ideas with ordinary plants and understand their basic responses, though plants do not possess the intelligence to provide complex information.

𝓕𝓵𝓸𝔀𝓮𝓻 𝓕𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓾𝓻𝓮

Choose one botanical feature when you create your character:

Thorned: You can manifest small thorns along your body. When a creature within 5 feet hits you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to deal piercing damage equal to your proficiency bonus.

Petalstep: Your body releases a swirl of petals when you move. Once per long rest, you can use a bonus action to teleport up to 10 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

Sweet Bloom: You can produce a pleasant magical fragrance. As an action, choose a number of creatures within 5 feet of you equal to your proficiency bonus. They gain temporary hit points equal to your proficiency bonus.

Sporeveil: You can release harmless glowing spores. You can cast faerie fire once per long rest without expending a spell slot. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability.

𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮𝓴𝓲𝓷 𝓝𝓸𝓫𝓲𝓵𝓲𝓽𝔂

Optional Rosekin heritage trait.

If your character is a Rosekin, you possess a noble lineage within The Gardens.

You gain proficiency in either Persuasion or History, and you know one additional language of your choice.

You also have advantage on Charisma checks made to interact with Flowerling nobility when your lineage is known.

Flowerlings (Underland) Traits

Flowerlings are naturally connected to the living magic of The Gardens. Their bodies possess remarkable botanical qualities, allowing them to withstand poisons, communicate with plants, and draw upon the magic of their enchanted homeland. Their strongest trait, however, is their Blooming Nature, an emotional connection between feeling and form that causes their botanical features to shift with their emotions.