Sylthae

Species Name

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Homeworld	Where they live
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"Optional species quote or defining cultural phrase." — Someone from this species

The Sylthae are a plant-inspired species present on the sphere of Elyndra. Despite appearing as though they are comprised of plants, the Sylthae are mammals, with their bodies comprised of layered, fibrous matter that resembles sinew grown in rings. Their tissue grows into a keratinized plate that resembles tree bark or the stems of plants. Sylthae vary in appearance, but most feature crests, spines, branching limbs, vine tails, horns, and other distinctive features that allow them to blend in with their surroundings. Sylthae enjoy basking in the sun for energy and fall ill when not in the sun for long periods of time. Their architecture represents their connection to the flora on Elyndra, able to control and manipulate them ever so often. Due to their connection with the flora and the ability to coax them to do their bidding, labor is seen as crude and lower-class. The Sylthae have mastered an ability known as ‘Twin Growth’, in which they enhance qualities of themselves from a plant, though this ability is much harder to do as their bodies grow tougher with age. Their diets can range from herbivorous to more carnivorous, from individual to individual, but carnivorous Sylthae are often treated as barbaric threats. Their governing system is made of a collection of elders, all of whom see no reason to leave their Garden Sphere. It’s paradise, after all, and anyone who argues otherwise is a threat to such a paradise.

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Core Worldview

Sylthae live in a paradise in which they’re taught to never leave. Leaving means death, monsters, and never coming back. And besides – who would want to leave such a perfect, calm life? This made up a large part of hesitance towards the Pathfinding Initiative.

Physiology and Design

Sylthae are not actually plants. Their physical attributes mostly derive from their parent, but a small portion from the environment itself, since they are creatures of mimicry and camouflage. They come in all shapes and sizes – if it is a plant, there is a Sylthae for it*. They tend to have crests, tails, thick bark-like skin, and leaf-like tissues that grow randomly on their body. Sometimes true plants grow on them, especially for older, slower folks.

They need adequate sunlight to be healthy. Their colors, especially those with flower-like appendages, appear dull without enough light. They have a bioluminescent “Sunny D” to help deal with periods of prolonged exposure to darkness, but it is not a permanent solution. While they do not photosynthesize, the plants growing on them do – even more incentive for sunlight.

Sylthae are all herbivores and can eat a variety of plants. Part of what makes their life easy is existing in such lush forests that food will always be at every corner.

*The only exception are Monotropa Uniflora (see “The Cannibals”)

Feeding the Garden of Death

As Sylthae age, their bodies become tougher and slower. Generally, their attitudes also relax and slow during this aging process. More plant-like tissues sprout between the cracks of their bark and in-between moss or ferns that decide to take home on them. Sylthae that manage to live up to over a century often have aggressive vegetation consuming them.

When they reach the end of their life cycle, they are possessed by the insatiable need to find a suitable place to settle. By this point, their bodies have slowed and numbed to a great degree. They gradually become overtaken by surrounding vegetation as their forms feed the garden in death, merging with the environment.

“Out of the many watermelon seeds produced by our fallen one, a large seedpod was seen forming – a new child for Elyndra”

Sometimes, before their bodies fully decompose, they create a false flower, fruit, or pod. The little sprout (what Sylthae call children*) emerges from the cocoon fairly developed and able to walk, unlike half-baked human children. They don’t need much effort to take care of them as they gradually find their way back to society once born, in which they’re then taken in and communally raised by other Sylthae.

*Twins are literally “two peas in a pod” and may be called peas instead

The Fomorians…

“Subterranean cannibalistic plant vampires” – or the fomorians – are monstrous, warped Sylthae that evolved without sunlight.

Long ago, a fissure cracked through the world. In a twig’s snap, hundreds of Sylthae plunged into the crawling darkness, trapped as the fissure sealed above them just as fast as it appeared. They ventured too far from home and into stable territory. Ever since, strange monsters have crawled out of the edges of Sylthae society or in the depths of caves, if a Sylthae ever sees such caves…

Young buds are reminded of this story. Stay in the light. Stay in the community. Never leave, and everyone stays safe and together in paradise. Variations of the story include “boogeyman” type characters or the equivalent to a monster under your bed, but Sylthae across every culture always have something.

Social Structures and Community

Occupations

Elyndra provides everything a Sylthae needs to live, allowing for the luxury of laziness among many in their communities. The concept of “working” and

“Effort” is seen as something that is a burden. Those that work are not looked down upon, but pitied. They would unironically censor the word “job.”

“Oh you have to work? That must be such a burden, I’m so sorry for you."

For menial work, elders may make golems. These are non-sentient magical creatures of rock, soil, and leaf created for singular purposes such as carrying beverages, turning cogs on machines, or delivering messages. They are very simple creatures. While a golem can help a builder carry and place down wood, the placement is nonsensical without direct orders, which creates the need for proper jobs.

a little lean green beer-getting machine, but yknow not a machine because its a magical plant golem

The Elders choose who in their community will work, often rotating the selection every few days. A chosen individual will go through Twin Growth to specialize them in their task (allows for fewer individuals to be burdened with work and, for those that do work, have the strength/ability to complete their tasks).  Since very few get chosen from large communities, most people don’t work often.

*irl comparison is like getting chosen for Jury Duty

Twin Growth

Twin Growth: Named after plants that grow within each other. Sylthae utilize the growing patterns and features of plants through twin growth to enhance themselves: grow stronger (bonding with a redwood tree to harden their bark-like skin), taller (bonding with a bamboo or otherwise lengthening their limbs), gain more abilities (using the bonded plant like an extra appendage), or heal wounds (using the structural integrity of certain plants to temporarily or permanently cover injuries). Sylthae generally have a longstanding symbiotic relationship with flora (e.g., older folks may have real plant growths chilling on them, and much of their society and architecture is centered around plants), but this is facilitated by following the “life flow” of a plant, allowing such plants to bond to a Sylthae and rapidly grow in whichever way is needed -- the only caveat being a shorter lifespan, as too much magic use stiffens Sylthae's skin and speeds up their natural aging processes.

Very few (if any) don't participate in Twin Growth, especially since it helps society function in terms of jobs (if you're chosen to do a certain job, it is highly surprising that any Sylthae would turn down Twin Growth to make the job easier). It's also possible to have multiple plant bonds (to your detriment) and many Sylthae have one plant they bond the most closely with (usually for decorative purposes, and does not use too much magic). And like mentioned before, temporary growths exist (usually for small jobs or injuries), and any can be unbonded if the Sylthae wishes. However, the longer a plant is bonded, the more difficult it is to remove (remnants of the plant may still remain).

An example: you need a guy to lift all of the big rocks and tree stumps out of the way, so instead of spreading the burden of working amongst everyone (like a filthy fucking pleb race), you Twin Grow a bamboo and squash in order to get someone thats really strong and grows super tall and super wide super fast, so only one person needs to work.

This process can be done at any time during life, with it getting slightly more difficult as the individual ages because of the skin becoming harder and harder as they get older.

The Elder Trees

The “government” is made up of a collection of Elders who do their best to keep everyone living together on this paradise of a planet. They are the oldest Sylthae in their community who, by some reason or another (said to be chosen by nature itself) grow a large, flowering crown from their headcrests later into life.

Like old growth trees, they tell stories from tattoo-like carvings on their skin and pass down traditions through telling such stories verbally – especially to promote staying within the community. They are not seen as “higher than” anyone else, and they tend to spend much time with the youngest sprouts in their towns and cities. Elders usually fill up to five roles, though they are mostly symbolic (elders don’t do many tasks themselves, but mostly keep order as it naturally flows and oversee such flow; maybe at one point, or in some struggling cities, elders take up a more proper array of responsibilities). However, elders usually do magic (creating golems, aiding in Twin Growth) and choose which individuals in the community shall do work and of what kind.

Darach (Oak): Tree of community

Fuinseog (Ash): Tree of hope

Dealg (Thorn): Tree of spirit

Cuileann (Holly): Tree of protection

Coll (Hazel): Tree of wisdom

Instead of nurturing the environment for a regular plant when they die, they gradually transform into enormous trees named after their role. These trees are often used centuries later as meeting spaces, places to live, and overall representations of the community.

Religion and Spirituality

Many Sylthae view the planet itself as a living being, one that nourishes them and provides them with everything they could ever need. They treat Elyndra like a person (literally their motherland). For specific religions, some Sylthae hold ceremonies in and around the largest and oldest trees. Additionally, religions tend to center either the soil or Sun.

As a part of their dogma against exploration and leaving the planet the Elders tell stories about the horrible monsters that lurk in the dark, pale as a ghost and waiting to gobble you up whole!

Technology and Science

Technology is less metallic and more organic. There is a heavy emphasis and reliance on both photokinesis (light) and phytokinesis (plants), essentially doing the bare minimum amount of magic they need in order to have the plants in the environment do the work for them. Doors with vine hinges that open and close on their own, pitcher plants that serve as toilets, altering the boughs of fruit trees to grow right into your home and bare fruit every day. Lazy fucks dont even have to get out of bed to eat grapes.

Twin Growth (seen in the section above) is one of their top advancements, aside from plant golems.

Most technology is created to make life as easy as possible for themselves. Given their stigma against leaving their home sphere, they have not created any space faring technology of their own. They rely on visitors from other spheres or neighboring Nythera for technology such as space crafts.

When it comes to trading, Sylthae are more than happy to share the plentiful bounty of their paradise world. After all, they have much excess, why wouldn't they be generous to (cough take pity upon) those who come to their verdant garden? It is also one of the only ways they can

Religion

• Given that they have a stigma against leaving the planet at all, I imagine that they probably dont have any space faring technology of their own, or much technology at all for that matter (or at least anything that resembles technology as we would think about it, plant computers man idk).
• Likely rely on visitors from other spheres to bring the trading to them, of which they are more than happy to share the plentiful bounty of their paradise world, after all they have such excess, why wouldnt they be generous to ( 'cough' take pity upon 'cough') those who come to their verdant garden.

They utilize magic chiefly to do two things, manipulate light and manipulate plants. The vast majority of the species has this capability, at least to some extent. One of if not the only species that can interact directly with the strings woven by plants and natural light. In combination their abilities are used to make life as luxurious and blissful as possible, opening up canopies to flood cities with natural light, causing food to grow at a rapid pace, shaping the roofs of their houses to capture rainwater, and in less common cases, the creation of a golem or the process of Twin Growing.

Magic is seen as something natural, and by not utilizing magic you are essentially making your life more difficult. This flippant use of magic is not without its downsides however, as excessive and rampant use causes prolonged and extreme lethargy, which ironically inspires the use of more magic to make life easier. Extremely overusing magic also causes early version of Returning, the process by which a Sylthae fully hardens in death and returns to the nature of the garden they call home, in what is essentially a rapid aging process. This however can be suppressed by simply not using magic for a prolonged period of time, as well as plenty of exposure to sunlight. However, given their predisposition for comfort and ease, the thought of not using your magic to make your life easier is a prospect even worse than death.

Their magical capabilities are not combative or harmful in any true sense of the word. Sure shining a light in someones eyes or hitting someone with rose thorns would hurt, that isnt the main use or function of their magic. Their magic is almost entirely selfish, helping to ease the burdens of everyday life, as well as make living even more enjoyable, it isnt meant for harming others, its for helping themselves. They can help others with it of course, though the efficacy varies depending on the target. Sylthae magic is primarily built for Sylthae use, though there have been cases where Sylthae magic has been used to help members of other species as well, usually through creative use of healing magics and Twin Growing (and also usually done by Sylthae that are a little more adventurous than the typical plantkin).

Traditional Clothing and Fashion

Fashion tends to center flowy fabrics, robes, or flower decor. Most Sylthae do not overdress or have layers (Elyndra tends to be temperate-warm) and instead opt for simpler, looser outfits. Some Sylthae choose to not wear shoes (easier for climbing and connecting with the soil), but this is up to personal preference.

*irl inspirations include Midsommar and Greek Togas

Occupations

The point of this section is to list some fields that this species could specialize in to give people more ideas for their character.

Starships and Space Travel

What does travel look like for this species? What do ships native to their planet look like? Do they travel often? Do they have bustling ports or are they more closed off?

Cultural Quirks and Daily Life

They have developed a drink made from pre-photosynthesized chloroplasts in order to help their ailments and deficiencies when exposed to long periods of darkness. It's bioluminescent Sunny D. That's it. That's the lore bit.

They are also highly resistant to substances derived from plants, including but not limited to: wine.

Notable Locations

A lot of Elyndran cities and buildings are formed in a way that maximizes the utilization of natural resources like rainwater and sunlight. For example, lots of open buildings that channel light and water throughout its infrastructure, roofs that catch rainwater (or let it trickle down in pretty ways), and houses built from the dirt and trees themselves.

Most of the buildings are made with the help of large boulder-golems, led by a small handful of rotating chosen architects.

Their land appears more wild and overgrown than neatly farmed, though those areas do still exist.

Interactions With Other Species

While very, very few Sylthae have ventured out, Elyndra in recent times has been a center of travel and vacation for other species.

Inspiration Images

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Concept Art

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