Arbustus (3.5e Race)

Arbustus

Personality

Arbustus are a kindly folk who have been "raised" since their birth in the presence and care of the gentle and goodly Sun Elves. Their race is relatively young, and a unique and special circumstance of the sheer volume of magic that suffuses The Great Sun Tree. The Sun Elves, as far as they are presently aware, did nothing to create these beings, but rather, it seems that The Great Sun Tree willed them into being itself. They emerge from fruit known as Vindars in the Elven and Sylvan tongues. When they are born, they already have a body grown to the proportions of a humanoid 3-year-old, and speaking (but not necessarily understanding why they can) the Sylvan language. They are then typically "raised" by other Arbustus and also by Sun Elves for roughly fifteen years before being considered adults. They are a lithe people, nimble and deft, but not many yet seem to have been born with any gift of particular genius, and some can seem very simple-minded. They live lives as mobile humanoids for roughly eighty to ninety human years, and then they rapidly lose their ability to walk or otherwise locomote, and they will begin to take root in the ground where they settle and the Arbustus then transforms into a sentient, tree-like plant. This plant will then grow as if it were a tree, or a vast vine or hedge. They can then live in that state for as long as any oak tree might. Bearing this in mind, most Arbustus have a strong curious streak and seek to learn as much as they can by virtue of having experiences in their humanoid guise. In this way, the elders of their people who have grown immobile are respected as wise for their experiences, even if no Arbustus has yet been regaled for being very "smart." That's okay to most Arbustus, however. They work hard to help each other out and act as caretaker and defenders of The Great Sun Tree. Instinctively, it seems, they assist life in growing, and often have the ability to farm almost any kind of crop, or grow almost any manner of plant, and as such, most Arbustus are simple farmers who work diligintly. They also deeply enjoy music, revelry, and celebration, and there are many nights lit by phosphorescent glow at the foot of the Great Sun Tree where the Arbustus and sometimes the Sun Elves will hold vast parties that rage into the early hours before dawn. When the Arbustus become adventurers, they do so because their particular curious streak is too strong to be satisfied by any education the Sun Elves can provide (which is a significant level of education, mind you). Then, they rove off on their own, generally seeking to explore their world. Eventually, as an Arbustus gets old enough to start being concerned with losing their mobility, they've almost always gravitated back to The Great Sun Tree, to take up roots in their home soil. As such, they may spend any number of years abroad doing any manner of thing, but all plan to return home eventually.

Physical Description

Arbustus stand between 5'0" and 6'0", weigh between 110 and 180 pounds, have skin color ranging from white to dark brown, and many are still yet seen with various shades of green skin, have eye colors that span the floral rainbow, literally any color a flower can bloom in, and most have very small blossoms or small spindling vines, or perhaps even tiny leaves that emerge from their body at certain times of day. There are three main types of Arbustus, and they each bear different families of resemblances to plants, molds, or fungi, respectively.

• Bloomling Arbustus most strongly resemble humanoids who have very minor physical affectations that resemble plants. There's an Arbustus for every type of plant, it seems, and some are represented several times over. Many Bloomling Arbustus have flowers that bloom on them, vines that may protrude from them, or perhaps barklike skin in spots. Many of these are even deemed as pretty to the Sun Elves, whereas few of the other Arbustus have that dubious accolade.
• Moldling Arbustus are humanoids with very slight affectations that resemble mold or slime. They may even secrete slime, or emanate moldy spores. The end result is not a very pleasant looking humanoid, but these Arbustus are often the ones with more of a proclivity to take up defending the Great Sun Tree instead of cultivating it. Most of the particularly talented warriors who the Sun Elves have instructed have been of this type of Arbustus, who are often only sticky inside suits of battle-ready armor, and hardly ever in a public place in Elven society.
• Fungling Arbustus are humanoids which resemble mushrooms and other fungus in their affectations. A rare few have the entire tops of their heads literally shaped like a mushroom cap. Most of these people are rather dull-looking, otherwise, with a rare few bearing some remarkable colorations or even phosphorescence. Beyond those rare few, however, Funglings are very common-looking humanoids, and many of them could pass for smelly humans. There is a tendency for grey skin in their people, and most are simply humble farmers who love nothing more than to farm the land.

Relations

The Sun Elves began to shelter and care for the Arbustus the moment they were first discovered, which seems to have been only moments after the first two Arbustus were actually born amidst the roots of the Great Sun Tree. From that time on, they have enjoyed the mutual company of each other's races to quite a degree. The Arbustus are diligent farmers, and the Sun Elves live in a state of abundance and plenty as a result of the generosity of the Arbustus, who gladly gift the Elves with the extra food. This has become the basis for the Sun Elves to want to see the Arbustus as their equals, and many do so full well understanding that many of these plantoid humanoids are actually kind of dumb. Try as they might to elevate the Arbustus, these earthbound peoples will hardly ever possess an ascendant intellect. It's a lot most Sun Elves have come to accept, and they try not to joke about it too hard in front of the Arbustus themselves. Nonetheless, the capable amongst them have made positive impressions on the Empyrean Prime farming industry, as Arbustus farm worker teams have been able to cause once-fallow land to bear crops again. They have also come to be known by the Wood Elves of the Wolfwood and the Emerald Forest. Not so much as farmers, but as capable Druids who raise powerful energies of nature itself. They've had an impact on the success of the local wolf population, and that has endeared them to the druids of the Wolfwood. Dwarves know of them, commonly, but may not have had any interactions with them. The people of Port Van Des may not have ever heard of them, and other outlying races really wouldn't know one from a human, if the coloration of the particular Arbustus bore human-looking tones. Green-skinned Arbustus or those with too many blooming or growing portrusions are obviously inhuman.

Alignment

Arbustus tend toward Neutral Good, and uncommonly can be true neutral.

Lands

Arbustus are native to the forests surrounding the Great Sun Tree, which is an arboreal paradise of a forest which seems nearly constantly in a temperate clime. They farm ten months of the year, here. They place their "growing mats" anywhere that they will receive the best light for what manner of plant it is, even high in the trees or in pockets underground. These thatch mats support soil and root growths and are elevated from the support of vines, generally. The lands surrounding the Great Sun Tree itself are completely ensconced in farming, and the Arbustus live in homes that are often simply a comfortable niche on or under the land they work on. They gather in several large communities around the tree, but all six thousand or so of them have been known to gather for a single act of celebration and festivity.

Religion

The Arbustus speak of a "Long Dream" that they knew before they emerged from their Vindars, as a time when they knew nothing but pure love and joy. They don't remember anything but fragments of the Dream once they emerge, and even when they sleep at night, they do dream, but they hardly ever remember anything but the happiness and bliss they felt. They know of the passing of the gods, and don't have any particular religious persuasion except to venerate nature. All Arbustus see nature as being holy, divine, and sacred, and they abhor any abomination to the living forest. They tend toward a rather unique Druidic bent, different even than the traditional Druidry taught by the Sun Elves. Their understanding of nature seems rivaled by very few, even amongst other druids of any kind. Nonetheless, there are still more Arbustus who are concerned with farming and crop-bearing than there are of those who would seek to wield nature's magic as a Druid does. In fact, most Arbustus who have ever left the Great Sun Tree have tended toward a fusion of hard work, keen senses, and an understanding of Elven swordsmanship and archery. They make great Rangers and commonly are seen venturing out of the woods that surround The Great Sun Tree to perform heroic labors.

Language

Arbustus speak Common, Elven and Sylvan.

Names

Arbustus names are typically Sylvan names for the type of plant, mold, or fungus they most have a relation to. Examples of this would be a Bloomling Arbustus who has red petals blooming in tiny places on her skin as Hastania, the Sylvan word for Rose.

Racial Traits

• +2 Dexterity, −2 Intelligence: Arbustus are nimble and lithe, but are not particularly smart.
• Humanoid (Plant): Arbustus are humanoids in almost every way, and seem to functionally even be close to humans in their anatomy, with the exception that plant structures, of course,compose the organs.
• Medium
• Arbustus base land speed is 30 feet:
• Plantoid Constitution (Sp): Arbustus are so humanoid that they are not completely immune to critical hits as plants are. They do, however, still have a 25% chance to ignore any critical damage.
• Nature Attunement (Su): Arbustus gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge: Nature checks and can automatically detect any undead within 50 feet of him or herself.
• Immunity to Enchantment (Su): Arbustus are immune to Enchantments of all kinds.
• Resistance to Poison (Sp): Arbustus gain a +2 on all saves against poison.
• Automatic Languages: Common, Elven, and Sylvan. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Giant, Celestial, Orcish, Undercommon.
• Favored Class: Ranger.

Vital Statistics

Table: Arbustus Random Starting Ages

Adulthood	Simple	Moderate	Complex
15 years	+1 age modifier for simple classes (i.e. Barbarian, Rogue, and Sorcerer)	+3 age modifier for moderate classes (i.e. Bard, Fighter, Paladin, and Ranger)	+5 age modifier for complex classes (i.e. Cleric, Druid, Monk, and Wizard)

Table: Arbustus Aging Effects

Middle Age1	Old2	Venerable3	Maximum Age
28 years	50 years	80 years	+110 years
At middle age, −1 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At old age, −2 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. At venerable age, −3 to Str, Dex, and Con; +1 to Int, Wis, and Cha. When an Arbustus reaches the age at which they can no longer move or locomote, they are typically anywhere from 80-110 years old. They live on in this manner for potentially hundreds more years, for as long as any healthy oak tree.

Table: Arbustus Random Height and Weight

Gender	Base Height	Height Modifier	Base Weight	Weight Modifier
Male	5' 0"	+2d6	100 lb.	× (+6d10) lb.
Female	4' 10"	+2d6	90 lb.	× (+5d10) lb.

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