Sylvain (5e Race)

Sylvain

Dainty Flowers

By Antares Valdemar

Only appearing humanoid in shape, these creatures are pure plant. Aside from having bipedal, upright posture and all the familiar facial structures, nobody would mistake these creatures for anything but a sylvain. Chlorophyll, not blood passes through the veins of these creatures. As they age, their skin takes on a browner color, as well as a more bark-like texture. Unlike the usual stereotypical plant humanoids that are always green or have branches and flowers, sylvain embody colors like that of single flowers. They can accurately be described as buds which grew into a flower that took human shape. The entire pistil of the flower sticks out and flattens along a sylvain's back, so the petals and sepal bloom out, giving sylvain a flourishing appearance. A small cluster of the flower's ovules are firmly attached to the chest of the sylvain, which is used for reproduction. A sylvain commonly never shows its face, as it is covered by a bulb that has yet to blossom. as a sylvain ages, this will open up to reveal their face. A sylvain's body is very soft in general, feeling velvety like the petals of a flower.

Only For Looking, No Touching

Sylvain are one of the many sentient plant life forms native to the Feywilds. They are able to cross over to Prime, as treants may. Like flowers, they are considered very dainty and fragile, requiring lots of upkeep. Their central home is said to be located in a special wood where the zany weather of the Feywilds will not kill them with frost or heat. Within this wood, sylvain gather to enjoy the temperate weather under the enchanted canopies. Every year, they gather to reproduce in the wood. Being whole flowers, sylvain possess both parts necessary for reproduction but cannot self-pollinate. They plant their fertilized seed-eggs in the wood, which then grows into a new sylvain. Other than this event, sylvain tend to be quite the solitary wanderers.

There are stories of sylvain being in love with humans, though this often ends badly. Sylvain require much if they are tied down to another, and so they turn out to be more than bargained for. They are seen to be desirable from afar often times. Other creatures may capture them to make "gardens" of sylvain, a fear many of the race have of outsiders. They fear even druids, preferring to stay around others of plant-kind instead. Sylvain are usually able to communicate with plants, being able to ask questions to normal flowers and understand what may have transpired nearby. People also always love seeing sylvain dance, especially in large groups. Their dances are said to signal the seasons, as they have distinct movements for each.

Blooming Cycles

Sylvain gather in groups called bouquets. They convene mainly to reproduce and scatter afterwards. As they age and turn brown, sylvain turn into recluses and die alone, preferring their withered ugly forms never be seen. They try to always remain out of each other's way, being very solitary. While their buds on their heads remain closed at youth, they are considered shy and quiet. As their flower blossoms to reveal their face, they are known to grow more extroverted and talk more. The name of sylvain, however, also denotes how they tend to grow in vanity and pride. At their zenith, they are called the most beautiful of all flowers. All sylvain wish to preserve their beauty, as they fear becoming ugly. Eternal youth is a common factor in the motivations a sylvain has for crossing realms and planes into danger. Many settled down a little on their travels with other races, getting jobs or finding new forest communities they enjoyed and connected with. They do not, however, seek immortality.

Sylvain Names

Sylvain take their names from the world around their place of birth. These names demarcate natural beauty in Sylvan usually. As they possess both reproductive organs, sylvain do not differentiate between genders or sexes.

Name: Enther, Oakel, Bovus, Liana

Sylvain Traits

Humanoid flowers of many flora
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity and Charisma scores each increase by 2.
Age. Sylvain often blossom into adulthood after about 50 years. Afterward, they can live as long as 800 years, provided they are well cared for. However, they start wilting around the last 100 to 50 years of their lives.
Alignment. Sylvain can vary between good or evil, but an isolated nature leaves many of them neutral.
Size. Sylvain often appear between five and a half and eight feet tall. The more luxurious flowers are usually bigger. Your size is Medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Darkvision. One would think the sylvain to be blind, having flower petals blocking much of their face. However, these petals from within are like tinted glass, so they can see out, but others cannot see in. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
Dancer. Watching sylvain dance is said to be like seeing a great performance of nature. You are proficient in the Performance skill.
Sensitive Flower. As a rather fragile plant, you are highly sensitive to changes in the weather, temperature, and humidity. Whenever you make a Wisdom (Nature) check related to the weather and climate, you are considered proficient in the Nature skill and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus.
Plant. Your creature type is humanoid and plant. When you take fire damage, you are frightened until the end of your next turn. At 5th level, you know and can cast the speak with plants spell once, without using material components. You must finish a long rest to regain use of this trait.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
5′ 6''	+3d10	124 lb.	× (1d4) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Characteristics

When creating a sylvain character, you can use the following table of traits, ideals, bonds and flaws to help flesh out your character. Use these tables in addition to or in place of your background's characteristics.

Pinpointing a sylvain's personality can be hard, as the changes can be drastic when the young flower moves to bloom.

d8	Personality Trait
1	I use dancing, corporeal gestures instead of speech often times.
2	New things put me into pensive silence.
3	I try to join on conversations but am too quiet to be heard.
4	Chiming in is my specialty, even if I don't know the subject fully.
5	My words come slowly because I overthink them.
6	People find me odd since I talk to plants like they speak back. Well, they do.
7	I try to emulate the loud and confident personalities I see.
8	I like to check on my appearance to make sure I'm tidy every 5 minutes.

d6	Ideal
1	Beauty. I want to be the prettiest thing in the land!
2	Eternal Youth. I want to be pretty till the day I die!
3	Family. Our own have no families. but I would like to try outside maybe...
4	Blossom. I just can't wait for the world to see my face when I grow up.
5	Adventure. There is a lot to the worlds around us, more nature to see and feel.
6	Joy. I believe through beautiful things, like dancing, we can bring people together.

d6	Bond
1	There is an inspiring person I aspire to emulate.
2	My friends have protected me and I am in their debt.
3	My heart aches still for the forest of my birth.
4	I fare better with other plants than anything else.
5	Solitude never bothers me as much as company.
6	As I am not wholly what I seem, I do not judge others in the like.

d6	Flaw
1	Beauty often pushes everything else out of my mind.
2	I am too timid to ever speak up.
3	I refuse to go even near a torch.
4	I wander and often end up lost.
5	I often push harder responsibilities onto others.
6	Sometimes I will panic at the slightest non threatening thing.

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