Sylvan
THE ASTRONAUT STUMBLED OUT OF HIS SHIP INTO a strange planet and found himself in a dense forest. Plants of all sizes thrived here, but there were seemingly no traces of animal life. He pushed his way through thick vines and massive jungle fronds, looking for any trace of civilization in hopes of finding his way back home.
Suddenly there came a rustling behind him, and he turned, readying himself to face some fearsome creature. Instead, he found himself face to face with a woman unlike any he'd seen before: she had large, black eyes and waxen skin that resembled the surface of a leaf. Her hair was formed from flower petals, as were her clothes. She stood still and almost seemed to fade into the forest, save for her the piercing void of her eyes, which met his gaze curiously.
-- L. F. Johan, Recent Discoveries in Xenobiology.
Sylvene are plant-people of the planet Sylvara, a newly discovered planet in the remote reaches of the Acylivara galaxy. They were only recently introduced to space travel, and life on their home planet remains traditional and naturalistic in many ways. However, Sylven adventurers prove themselves to be adaptable to many environments. Their reputation is spreading as a curious-minded and nature oriented species, filled with wonder at the vast technological advances that now lay at their fingertips.
Diverse Flora
Sylvene are a colorful and manifaceted species, with a vast array of different features. They range in size anywhere from just over two feet tall for the smallest Fleurants to just under twelve feet tall for the tallest Treeants, although most fall somewhere in between these values. Treeants tend to have denser and heavier bodies than Fleurants, while Fleurants have a wider array of coloration in both their skin and other features.
Most Sylvene find synthetic clothes and armor deeply uncomfortable, and prefer to grow their own leafy approximations from their bodies. They are fascinated with offworld fashion, and many are found sporting floral approximations of jewelry, accessories, and popular clothing items.
Newly Discovered
Sylvene were, until thirty years ago, completely isolated from the world beyond their home planet. For millenia, they've used only tools grown from their own bodies and buildings cultivated from special seeds. The technologies involved in space craft and intantaneous long-distance communication were completely foreign to them, and they lived under the radar of the wider universe. Some Sylvene distrust these strange inventions, while others wholeheartedly embrace them, mastering them with an astonishing speed.
Sylvene have a reputation for naiveté and childlike innocence. Conflict in their world is very different from the violence and depravity of the outside universe, and even the worst enemies among Sylvene maintain a feeling of harmony derived from their mutual connection to the Ancestor Tree.
Sylvene that are newly departed from their home planet are rarely prepared for the violent conflicts they find in the world .
Children of the Ancestor Tree
Sylvene are bound together through a mutual connection: the Ancestor Tree, an ancient and magical tree with roots that pierce far beneath the surface of their lush planet. It is in this tree where all Sylvene are born. Hopeful Sylven parents-to-be make a long pilgramage across the planet, often through dangerous and uncivilized terrain, to reach the Ancestor Tree and plant a seed in one of its birthing pods. This journey is a sacred trial, and tests the readiness of one or more Sylven parents to take on the responsibility of helping a seedling Sylvan to thrive. This common connection is a sacred part of Sylven culture: no matter their differences, all Sylvene are offshoots of the ancestor tree, and the people of the Ancestor Tree are to be respected.
A Curious People
Although traditional Sylven values revolve around closeness with nature and loyalty to the Ancestor Tree, many Sylvene, young and old alike, feel the lure of knowledge about the outside world so strongly that they are willing to leave behind their traditions and old values and take up spacefaring. The motivations of an individual Sylvan may vary, but they are by nature curious and filled with wonder by the alien marvels of the world beyond the atmosphere of their home planet.
Sylvan Names
A Sylvan is given two names upon release from its birthing pod: a True Name, bestowed upon it by the Ancestor Tree, and a Chattername, given to the Sylvan by its parent(s). The True Name is unique to the Sylvan and is often hard to pronounce. Most Sylvan go by their Chattername alone.
Sylvene don't reproduce traditionally, and they recognize three sexes: Oneborn, Twoborn, and Threeborn, corresponding to the number of parents the Sylvan has. Sylvene born of one parent have features resembling a human female. Sylvan born of two parents have features resembling a human male. Threeborn sylvan have secondary sex characteristics unique to them: their eyes are larger than either Oneborn or Twoborn sylvan, their bodies are very slight, their noses don't develop at all, giving them flat faces, and they develop protrusions from their back that resemble spikes or false wings.
- Oneborn chatternames: Elva, Sylva, Azaelea, Phoenella, Cassa, Faera, Mariella, Harlea, Onira
- Twoborn chatternames: Mathos, Elkor, Harvos, Overos, Tarkor, Verros, Cartor, Boranon, Deleron
- Threeborn chatternames: Avin, Marvin, Korane, Tayin, Riane, Lorane, Eskin, Darkin, Esthane
- True Names: Asknevtirvos, Kothornnastior, Verlantianai, Nimvarinalkon, Warsevteniral, Xorniaontoria
Sylvan Traits
Sylvan traits vary drastically between subraces, but they all have certain features in common.
Ability score increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 1.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Forestborn. You have proficiency in the Nature skill.
Sunskin. You have advantage on Constitution checks made in direct sunlight.
Lighteater. You do not need to eat on days you have spent more than four hours in direct sunlight.
Languages. Sylvan speak Basic and Sylvan.
Natural Armor. Most Sylvene find synthetic armor and clothing incredibly uncomfortable, and choose instead to grow clothing from their own bodies. To change clothes, you must take a short rest, during which you reabsorb your old outfit and grow a new one. The types of armor you may grow this way depend on your subspecies. Sylvene who wear synthetic armor take a -1 pentalty to dexterity while wearing this armor. You may grow an equivalent of any armor that you have spent one short rest examining. You must meet the requirements to wear this armor, and it must be of a type you can wear due to your subrace.
Forestskin. Sylvene have advantage on stealth checks made in forests and areas of dense foliage.
Subspecies. The type of seed used to create a Sylvan changes what type of Sylvan emerges from the birthing pod. The three main types of Sylvan are: Fleurants, seeded with flower seeds, Treeants, seeded with tree seeds, and Mycants, accidental creations made from seeds that had been overtaken by a seed fungus.
Fleurant
Fleurants are short of lifespan and stature, but they live wild, colorful lives. They are the most charismatic of the Sylvene, with a natural airy charm and vibrant personalities that draw people to them. Fleurants are known for their wild parties, carefree attitudes, and determination to live life to the fullest. They often grow lavish gowns made of colorful petals and stylish, complicated hairstyles meant to turn heads everywhere they go.
Fleurants have soft, waxy skin of all colors, although their skin is most commonly green. Their hair and clothing consist
of flower petals grown from their bodies and shaped in whichever way they like.
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 2.
Age. Like flowers, Fleurants mature quickly and are short-lived. They reach adulthood at 14 and live 40 years, on average.
Size. Fleurants are small in stature. The average Fleurant stands between three and four feet, but they may be as short as two feet tall. Your size is small.
Flowerclothed. Fleurants can make only regular clothing or light armor from their bodies. You get a +1 bonus to AC while wearing only armor grown from your body because it is is so natural to you, you may move more easily than those wearing armor that isn't part of their skin.
Petalmagic. You may choose one cantrip from the Druid spell list. Wisdom is your Spellcasting Ability for this cantrip. You may also cast Goodberry 1/day. The berries grow from your skin, sprouting from body part(s) of your choice.
Treeant
Treeants are large, wise, and traditional people. They look favorably upon Fleurants, finding their carefree attitudes and adventurious spirit refreshing and amusing, but Treeants consider themselves part of a different world than Fleurants. More long-lived, they have time to pause and enjoy the quiet moments, and they devote much more time to preserving
traditions and carrying out their duties and societal responsibilities. They are proud of the fact that the wild lives of Fleurants are only made possible by the work they do to hold the glue of Sylven society together.
Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom and Strength scores increase by 1.
Age. Treeants live long lives, like the tallest trees of the forest. Although they reach physical maturity around the age of 50, they are not considered adults until around 100 years of age. Their lifetimes far surpass those of Fleurants, averaging around 600 years, but the oldest among them have lived for more than a thousand years.
Size. Treeants are the largest Sylvene, standing between 6 and 8 feet tall. Your size is medium.
Barkskin. Treeants can make light, medium, or heavy armor from a combination of soft leaves and thick bark. Medium and heavy armor grown from a Treeant's body does not give you disadvantage on stealth rolls made in forests and areas of dense foliage.
Treewatcher. Your role in Sylven society is to preserve traditions and protect young, wild Fleurants. You have an innate sense of danger that allows you to identify threats to those under your protection. You have proficiency in Perception.
Mycant
A Mycant's life is a lonely one. They live far beyond the dense population centers enjoyed by Treeants and Fleurants. Their births are accidental, and the seed fungi they grow from are considered parasites, a blight that creates a tragic people of rot and decay, rather than the Fleurant or Treeant its parents intended. Some Mycants live together in special societies, even intentionally creating Mycant offspring, but most Mycants are scattered, rejected by their parent(s) at birth and left to fend for themselves.
Mycants usually have dark skin, with hair and clothing that are formed from mushrooms and other fungal features. They commonly sport mushroom "hats", which shield them from the sun during the day. Be creative when designing your Mycant's costume. Many mushrooms have netlike or shelflike structures that Mycants incorporate into their dress.
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 2.
Age. Mycants are born with the ability to walk and scavenge food for themselves, a feature that helps them survive their most common fate at birth: abandonment. They reach maturity at just five years old. Most Mycants that don't fall to hunger or predation live to be around 100, although a few may persist for several decades longer.
Size. Mycants generally range from 4-6 feet tall. Your size is medium.
Milcloaked. Mycants may grow light or medium armor. Medium armor grown this way does not give you disadvantage on stealth checks.
Superior Darkvision. Mycants live their lives in the dark, often at night or in the deep recesses of complex cave systems. Your Darkvision has a radius of 120 feet. This trait replaces the Sunskin trait of Sylvene.
Filtheater. You may eat foods that may otherwise be considered inedible, such as by being rotten or poisoned. You have advantage on saving throws against nonmagical poison. This trait replaces the Lighteater trait of Sylvene.
Mushglow. You may cast the Light cantrip, targeting all or part of yourself. Upon reaching level 3, you gain the ability to cast Darkness once a day, without expending spell slots. You must cast Darkness while under the effect of Light, and the Darkness must be centered on yourself. The Darkness has a
range of 5 feet + 5 feet for every 20 minutes of duration of the previous Light. You have the ability to see through this Darkness. Wisdom is your Spellcasting Ability for these spells.
Art Credit
Page 1
Caithe, ©ArenaNet
Page 2
Small purple watercolor, ©Zinnia Sky Studio
Fern hound, ©Murke's Smudges
Blue flower watercolor, ©ZerrineArt
Pine forest watercolor, ©Karen, free png clipart
Page 3
Fleurant (Sylvari fanart), ©ael-sb
Flower illustration, ©Pierre-Joseph Redoute
Page 4
Treeant (Avatar of melandru), ©ArenaNet
Mycant (Mushroom), ©reese keefe
Page 5
Sylvari bust portrait, ©DiraMurkeHeol