Homebrew Floramers Species Details

The story of the Floramers starts from a time before human, and when the world was overgrown in a thick forest that blocked out the sun from everything under their canopies. For the plants and creatures below, the world was covered in darkness with constant war and bloodshed to survive. From this darkness, grew a beautiful tree that adapted to not need sunlight for nourishment, but only the blood of prey. The tree's hunger became ever more insatiable, as its roots spread across the land, and devoured all in its way. All intelligent creatures came to know it as the hungry tree. It eventually grew so large that it overtook the trees that monopolized the Sun's light and withered them to dust. Unlike intelligent life the tree did not know the difference of ally or foe only hunger. Tribes it devoured no longer became enemies, but refugees trying to survive. Creatures of all walks of life put aside their differences came together with the understanding the tree must be defeated or all is lost. Armies were forged to set fire, to its roots, the earth was salted from tsunamis created from the sea, magic was used seal its spread by every known magic caster in the land. Just as quickly as the tree rose to glory it began to fall.

Not ready to fall, the tree once again tried adapt again. Thousands of warriors were created  and born from fruits hanging on the underside of its massive branches. They had the body and intellect resembling the humanoids, the fangs of a viper, the claws of a wolf, a flowered tail to balance like that of a monkey, and tall sensitive red-purple Venus flytrap ears resembling that of the hare. These were the first Floramers. They were relentless fighters and devoured all in their sights. The armies were forced to retreat, and the tree spread once more. Hope seemed to be lost until one special Floramer was born from  a fruit at the top of the tree that basked in the sunlight. Unlike the other Floramers that had red-purple colorations on their ears and tail, hers was green and rich with chlorophyll. She didn't feel the hunger of the other Floramers as she feed on the sunlight. The tree tells her "Go below and fight those who resist my roots so we may feed." She refuses and ask the tree, "Why must we fight them? Isn't there enough sunlight for everyone?" The response was absurd to the tree, but it was intrigued by this Floramer, and wanted to understand her more. With the sight she was created with, she told the tree about the beauty of the sun, and sky, the terrors below that the tree was unable to see for itself. She showed the tree acts of selflessness by feeding it the sap in her veins to feed its hunger. The tree then decided to create more green Floramers like her in the tree top above in admiration of her to keep it company.

These new green Floramers wanted to explore the world below, but wouldn't be able to survive in its darkness. The hungry tree grew saddened to see its beautiful creations so unhappy. For years it dwelled on this thought until it eventually came to a decision. Its monstrous branches swayed over the land calling to all the Floramers across the land to meet at its base. The tree realized it must learn balance, to create a better world for all of its children that lived in both the sunlight and the shade. So the tree gave up its reign over the land, and withered to be only a few hundred feet tall. For the first time, the green Floramer (Greenseeds) and the The tree gave the Floramers the duty to protect its forest and to keep its balance. May no creature destroy it, and let the sunlight belong to no one tree. Overtime the world grew to understand this balance providing a place for all creatures to live.

 

Ultraviolet or Ultra Violent

Similar to how werewolves are driven by the moon, all Floramers are driven by hunger to some extent, and their nature will change if they cannot feed for long period of time. A starved Floramer that cant receive an appropriate amount of sunlight or good will enter into rabid state known as Crazing. A Crazed Floramer's claws will start to grow longer, and they will improved physical prowess. They will lose the ability to be reasoned with, and may even turn on a ally to feed if neglected for too long.

Sweet Biology

Floramers are not animals. They are plants that have adapted to mimic the features of animals. Their cellular structures hold true that of plants with thick elastic cell walls. They do not have muscles and blood in the same way animals do. Their movements are made by the intricate movement of a specialized sap that pushed through their stem veins. The venus flytraps on their heads not only serve as ears, but are also two extra sets of mouths most often used to catch passing insects. The teeth of these traps have a strong enough grip to hold approximately 30 pounds. Hidden inside the flower of Gloomblossoms is a hidden stinger.

The Floramer Way

Most Floramers prefer light armor, and medium armor, but Greenseeds can master heavy armor. This is because of how their societies are. In the forest, fabrics and hides are common. Greenseeds that have learned to live in cities have a greater access to metals. 

One might assume Greenseeds and Gloomblossoms would have constant conflict with each other by being natural opposites. This couldn't be further from the truth. They have a strong mutual relationship with each other. Floramer society is united, and with no borders.  Isolation has left the Gloomblossoms strong to defend the forests, while Greenseed's integration in society has earned them respectable positions to prevent possible conflicts with their strong ties to nature. Rising Gloomblossoms leaders also often count of Greenseeds to help them in their journey outside the forest to understand the world, and make allies.

 

Creatures that are loyal to a fault, and beauties the lot of them. Their nature is predictable... or so they would have you believe until one drives its fangs or stinger into your back. Its not fighting them you should be afraid of. Its fighting alongside one, or worse falling for one that kills you. Don't fall for the words of something with three mouths. One of them will always be hungry.

— Hex-O-Wisp by Dakota Williams

 

Their resourcefulness has allowed them to survive so long despite there being so few of their kind left in the world. They are not perfect though. They are vulnerable to long exposure of freezing temperatures and fire. Most Floramers throughout history have died from slipping into dormancy during unexpected winter storms. They can become crazed in their sleep, and die from exposure to elements or poor combat decisions.

What is My Purpose?

After the dormancy of the hungry tree, many Floramer felt lost without a purpose. While every Floramer believes in protecting the forest, what that entails can mean something different to each one. It also doesn't mean that is all they think about.  Its a principle to live by, and they do believe there is much more to living. Their unique nature, and lack of a foundation to root their lives into means they feel free to chase the life they want.

Whatever they choose to become, you can expect a Greenseed to try to approach it with honor, and a Gloomblossom to use any means necessary. Greenseeds tend to pick up the philosophies of elf and man while Gloomblossoms tend to favor the company of the Yaun-ti. One such famous Gloomblossom tribe is the Shadebloom tribe that merged with a tribe of Yuan-ti deep within a forest. The forest is said to be an inescapable maze of ever shifting trees  rampant with giant snakes controlled by a beautiful Floramer snake princess. Her charm is said to be so powerful that in one flick of her tail she could enslave an entire army for a lifetime. No one has ever came back out of the woods alive to confirm this.

 

Fight or Flight?

Greenseeds will not be the first to provoke a attack, but they will choose to finish it. Fighting does not bring most Greenseeds joy. They see it as a means to an end to protect those they care about, and will hold the line if it ensures an allies safety. Most prefer a direct combat style or supporting others. After defeating an enemy, they will likely want to show mercy if they feel they can ensure the safety of their allies or provide mercy through a quick death if necessary. They will disarm, bind targets and hand over to the proper authorities if possible.

Gloomblossoms may indirectly try to finish a fight before its started, if they feel there is nothing to gain from conversation. Its not the fight that drives them, but the thrill of the chase, and breaking the will of others. They will flee a fight if they feel they cant win, and return in numbers to finish it. They mostly prefer weapons they can conceal, magic and traps, and dominate their enemies through poisoning, knocking out an opponent instead of making a killing blow, throwing nets, using magic such as suggestion, or restraining them. After defeating an enemy, they will question if it should be food, or if they can find a purpose for it. If they cant they will most likely want to kill it. To force their compliance, enemies might be brainwashed, charmed, tortured.

A Floramer that isn't actively hunting will always use words as its primary weapon. They are naturally stealthy and able to blend in well with heavily vegetated environments. They are logical combatants that will set up ambushes if they feel its the best approach.

 

 

Floramer Personality Traits

d8	Personality Trait
1	I see omens in every event and action. The hungry tree must be speaking to me.
2	I have very high standards for food, drink, and physical pleasures.
3	I prefer to be alone rather than among other creatures, including my own kind.
4	I sometimes become consumed by philosophy.
5	I believe I am superior to others around me.
6	I am driven by wanderlust and want to explore lands far from our cities.
7	I am interested in modern human culture, even as primitive as it is.
8	I await the day when we again conquer lands by force, as we did in the old times.

Floramer Ideals

d6	Ideal
1	Greed. I display my wealth as a sign of my power and prosperity. (Evil)
2	Aspiration. I strive to follow the path toward becoming a good persom. (Good)
3	Unity. No leader shall put personal goals above those of our race. (Any)
4	Kinship. My allegiance is to my caste and my city. Other settlements can burn for all I care. (Any)
5	Inspiration. My actions set an example for other races around me. (Any)
6	Power. Everything I choose to do is determined by whether it will make me smarter and stronger. (Evil)

Floramer Bonds

d6	Bond
1	I will see our empire rise again and, in so doing, win the favor of all Floramer.
2	I am enamored with the culture and trappings of another society and wish to be part of it.
3	I respect my superiors and obey them without question. My fate is theirs to decide.
4	I have an interest in an unsuitable mate, which I can’t suppress.
5	I respect and emulate a great hero or ancestor.
6	An enemy destroyed something of value to me, and I will find where it lives and kill the offender.

Floramer Flaws

d6	Flaw
1	I feel twinges of emotion, and it shames me that I am imperfect in this way.
2	I put too much credence in the dictates of a particular god.
3	I frequently overindulge in food and wine, and I am impaired and lethargic for days afterward.
4	I worship a forbidden god.
5	I secretly believe things would be better if I was in charge.
6	If I could get away with it, I would gladly kill and eat a a whole village.

Floramer Names

Floramer names are divided into two parts. the first part is based around the name of plant they were planted next too, and the second is thier family name that would passed down.

Examples: Levii Cottonwood, Vissera Shadebloom, Nepen Wellmoss

Floramers Traits

Your Floramer character — May be called a Greenseed or Gloomblossom — has the following racial traits.

Ability Score

Your ability score increases by +1 Dexterity, and +2 in one other ability score.

Age

Floramers after their first two years as seedlings do not age. They will only grow in size if the environment promotes it. When a Floramer does reach 1000 years old, it will cut off its tail, and plant itself under it. The tail will use the nutrients to reincarnate itself after 2 years.

Alignment

Mostly choose not to drag themselves in the affairs of others, and are neutral by heart. However no two Floramer are the same, and they may stray from the path of others.  Greenseeds are more likely to be good natured while Gloomblossoms have a tendency to be seen as neutral or evil.

Size

Floramer size range vary with their age and environment. They are around 4 to 6 feet tall and weigh between 90 and 180 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet. Burrowing 10 ft. Climbing 10ft.

Crazing Pains

You gain the following stages depending on how long since you have eaten. Floramers must eat 1lb of meat a day to prevent moving up a stage. Greenseeds that manage to see at least 8 hours of direct sunlight a day will not move up a stage. 

Stage 1 24 hours: The first signs of Crazing begins to show. Your nails grow longer and sharper, and you are more irritable. 

Stage 2: 48 hours: You are now full crazed You immediate activate the spell Crazing and it lasts until you feed. 

Flammable and Dormancy

You have disadvantage on saving throws against fire related spells and  magical effects.

Spending longer than 24 hours exposed to freezing temperatures without proper equipment will trigger dormancy. You will be overwhelmed with a need to sleep, and fall unconscious. 

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, and can communicate with plants.

If a plant creature is in the area, you can communicate with it as if you shared a common language, but you gain no magical ability to influence it. To communicate with a plant you must be with in 10 FT of it. You can question plants about events in the area within the past day, gaining information about creatures that have passed, weather, and other circumstances. If a plant is hostile within 15 FT you will become automatically aware of it. 

Venomous Fangs

Your fangs are a powerful  natural weapon that can deal 3(1d4) piercing damage with a lethal venom of 4(1d6) poison damage for 3 turns.