[Creature Lore] - Florvuls

[marsloll 1384]

 

Spoiler

 

 

"’Men have forgotten this truth,’ said the fox. ’But you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.’" - Antoine de Saint-Exupery

 

[Source]

 

“There was once a story, passed down from long ago. Where a fairy came into this world and befriended a fox. The fairy watched as the fox grew up and went on many adventures with it, all until it got old. Too old to play, too old to have adventures, and too old to keep up with its fairy friend. The immortal fairy grew worried and sad over the elder mortal fox, only capable of watching the fox slowly but surely perish.

 

Upon the fox’s deathbed, it did not lament its mortal self for it was always going to happen - such was fate. In tears, the immortal fairy cried as its friend drew a final breath, and laid still. The fairy wept and wept for years, overcome with the unfamiliar grief of losing someone dear while wishing that there was more that could have been done. Its regret and tears watered the very soil where the fox’s spirit lay, giving birth to strange yet beautiful pods that grew in the silhouette of the creature. 

 

A century had passed now, as the fairy still cried at the grave of its friend. Incapacitated by grief, even the flowers and moss began to grow over the fairy, trapping it there. With a small wiggle, one of the pods began to flower, unfurling like an egg, revealing a small creature that resembled the fairy’s lost friend - a product of their deep care for each other. Its leafy snout snuffled as another pod bloomed, then another, and another. Pairs of innocent young eyes peered at the fairy, who could only peer back. Looking at the newborns that stared back with such love and wonder, the fairy finally dried its tears and recalled the words of its departed friend with an old smile  - that such was fate. 

 

Time moves forward ever still, and in death, comes life anew.”

 

Florvuls are verdant creatures of fox-like nature, to which their name has aptly been derived from ‘floral’ and ‘vulpine’ for something truly fitting. The mixture of floral and mammalian appearance has stumped zoologists on their true classification, folktales furthering such confusion with various stories as to how they came to be. Some proclaim them to be the descendants of a creature who’d been faetouched whilst others attribute it to a fox who over consumed vegetation until it became vegetation itself. While the true origin of the Florvul remains shrouded, they’ve firmly cemented their existence within the current era, having adapted to nearly every region within the continents of the world with an exception for the polar zones. While Florvuls tend to hold their own distinctive differences to the vulpines they are often associated with, they’re often witnessed displaying a myriad of behaviors similar to their non-floral counterparts within each region.
 

Appearance

A Florvul’s section-like fur is often said to resemble that of a succulent, or a small cactus. Appearances may differ from plant to place, but its leaf-like segmentations is one of the identifying traits. Flowers may bloom from the ends of their tail, and their ears may resemble flowers as well depending on where they were found. The more colourful they were, the more likely they were from southern climates, while more dull or muted colours are typically found in cooler climates. The young, called Florets, have buds that stick out of their tails and have a more uniform green-ish colour, while the adults, referred to as Blossoms, typically have fully-flowered tails and more developed coats as the tell-tale sign that they have grown up.

 

In some rarer occasions may a Florvul develop multiple tails. While one is the most common, it is not unusual to spot a Florvul with two, or even three tails. There is a belief that these multi-tailed creatures are considered leaders of their group and develop due to mutations or exposure to natural energies. The multi-tailed Florvul is also believed to be the originator of various legends - powerful fox-deities that trick descendants in worship or they are to be cursed. While the Florvul itself has no magical powers that have been outwardly documented or known, these wild fox-like creatures will stumble into farms and towns for the sake of scavenging and attempt to stray from all descendant contact when possible. The idea that they ‘bless’ the land if appeased is not too far off either, as a Florvul’s remains make for excellent manure and fertiliser. 

 

Due to their exceedingly natural composition, they are more susceptible to illness and magical blights than the average animal, often perishing quickly without aid. Their remains remain hazardous long after their death, often spreading their disease or blight to whatever may absorb its corpse, whether it be the surroundings through decomposition or usage as fertilizer or entities through consumption.

 

[Source]

 

Spoiler

REDLINES

- A player-signed Florvul may have 1-3 tails. Anything exceeding that is under ST jurisdiction.

- A player-signed Florvul may be any varying shade that a plant may be, except for stark white or black - such falls under ST jurisdiction.

- Florvuls cannot resemble alchemical herbs or reagents, merely mundane plants and flowers.

- All items made from a Florvul are player-signed.

- A Florvul can be killed or mortally wounded with [3] sword strikes.

- One direct spell from either Necromancy, Voidal Magic, and Blood Magic is enough to corrupt it.

- One direct hit from Azhl is enough to corrupt it.

- One direct spell from either Naztherak, Voidal Fire, and Corrupted/Uncorrupted Dragonsflame is enough to mortally wound, if not kill it.

- If not aided through magical or mundane means, the Florvul will perish after [6] emotes of infliction.

- Blight Healing’s Cleansing would be able to heal and remove the corruption.

Habitat

Florvuls may be found all over, except for the extreme cold. Such would kill any plant life, and thus them as well. While they are most commonly found in moderate to warm temperatures, some groups of Florvuls will branch out to the colder forests - this move may be caused by predators or other groups of Florvuls pushing them out of their territory. These ‘packs’ of Florvuls are called bouquets - groups that live in the cold are typically made up of [4-5] including the Florets, while southern groups are almost double that at the typical number of [10] within a group of Florvuls. Bouquets that reside within cooler temperatures will often migrate back down south to have their young, typically back to where they themselves were first born. 

 

Florvuls do not fully burrow like their non-plant counterparts, instead they pick a fertile place near water such as an oasis or riverbank. They will then bury themselves in the ground, leaving their tails and ears exposed for temperature regulation, resting whilst buried. Their plant-like appearances aids in their outwards camouflage in the foliage while they slumber and rest, appearing more like regular flowers in the ground. When they awaken, they merely dig themselves out of their holes and go about their day.

 

Spoiler

REDLINES

- Florvuls cannot be found in the following biomes: Jagged Peaks, Frozen Peaks, Snowy Slopes, Grove, Snowy Taiga, Snowy Beach, and any of the water biomes. They will not be naturally found anywhere with snow.

 

Hunting & Diet

Florvuls are considered omnivores, eating anything that they can catch and scavenge. They lean towards small animals and insects like caterpillars, small mice, and birds but will also eat plants like flowers, grass and leaves if able, so long as it does not resemble them in any way. A daisy-looking Florvul will not eat a daisy flower, a cactus-looking Florvul will not eat a cactus flower, etc.

 

Bouquets will typically hunt together in a pack-like manner, save for their Florets. The adults will typically hunt for the young until they are large enough to hunt for themselves. Due to their plant-like appearance, they are prized prey by both herbivores and carnivores for their meaty texture yet planty taste.

 

Spoiler

REDLINES

- Florvuls typically hunt in groups of 2-3.

- Any attempt to feed a Florvul a plant similar to it will cause the animal to throw it up or refuse to eat it.

 

Behaviour

These foxy creatures are extremely social and intelligent operating in their groups, much like a wolf pack. Just like foxes, they have the capacity to play and be mischievous just as well as be cunning and smart. There is a clear leader of the group, typically the oldest amongst them. It is a matriarchal system, where the leader is typically the mother of the young in the bouquet. The father is typically the one that stays behind to look after the Florets, while the other males go out with the female leader to hunt. The young Florvuls rely on the adults to bring them food until they are large and old enough to accompany the adults on hunts. Once they are adults, they may either split from their bouquet to form their own or stay in their pre-established group. It is not uncommon for scuffles and territorial fights to occur between bouquets. The losing group is typically forced to head towards colder and thus less ideal climates as they’re kicked out of their old territory.

 

They are particularly protective of their pack, and of the Florets in particular. It is recommended to stay away if you find a bouquet with Florets, as there are bound to be several adults stalking the perimeters who will not hesitate to protect their young from a perceived threat. Once aggressive, they employ a hit-and-run tactic - jumping out of the bushes or from their hiding spot to attack then quickly retreating to reassess the situation to rinse and repeat until the threat has left or been defeated.

 

Spoiler

REDLINES

- A Florvul will not go out of its way to initiate conflict in any way unless they or the young are  threatened as they are defensive creatures. 

 

Taming

Taming a Floret is much easier than taming an adult, though it is rather rare to find a Floret on its own. Only in the cases of abandonment, or if its parents were killed, will a Floret be found on its own, or at least with other siblings. When approaching Florets, it’s important to not be imposing or threatening or they may run off and away. As if with all animals, trust is required as well as proof that there is no threat. In the instance that there are still other Florets around, the one that has trust will eventually bring the rest to meet - there it is possible to befriend the rest. 

 

In the case that there is an adult Florvul around, it is also the trust of the adult that must be gained to allow access to the Florets. While gaining the trust of the children, the adult is harder to sway and thus takes longer to form a bond with. This extended method also applies to Florvuls without kin, as gaining the trust of an adult is much more difficult than it is with a child. Packs at large are unable to be tamed as a whole, as no group of animals would willingly trust a descendent the same as their leader.

 

Spoiler

REDLINES

- Florvuls are inherently schemers, and will attempt to feign trust if they sense ulterior motives.

- Once tamed and bonded, they will treat the person  like a part of the pack and a part of the family, much like how domestic cats treat their owners.

 

Life Cycle and Reproduction

The way Florvuls reproduce is arguably the most confusing part of their existence. There is no traditional mating involved, but rather it is wholly a plant-like system. In the height of summer, they will gather in warmer temperatures and release airborne spores from the platelets on their tails, much like a fern or mushroom. They will land in a nearby area that is suitable for growth, before slowly forming an egg-shaded flower called a ‘pod’. After [2] OOC days or [2] narrative months, the pod will unfurl to reveal the small Floret in the centre of its bloom. Once born, the young are able to walk around on their own innately, pulling themselves out of the flower and fully detaching the pod from the ground as the stalk and leaves wither away to leave the ‘pod’ as the Floret’s tail. Those born in this asexual matter are considered entirely new and unique individuals compared to the parent, and may often look different from the parent as well. Once the Florets are born, the parent will either stay and make a home in the area or return them and their young back to where their previous home was.

 

Florvuls have been documented to live about fifty or sixty years out in the wild, and up to a hundred in captivity. Every ten years or so, they enter a state of ‘shedding’ in a cycle where their platelets fall from their body to reveal a skinny, fur-less Florvul. They then bury themselves much like they do when they go to sleep, however this time they fully submerge themselves in the ground. They will remain like this for [1] OOC day or a narrative month before they emerge from the dirt with a new coat of fur - on occasion after these hibernating periods, the Florvul will also develop other mutations, like an extra tail, or more colours in their coat. There are legends of great elder Florvuls who are rumoured to be agents of nature themselves, lingering around for about two hundred years though they are rumours without any claim. 

 

Spoiler

REDLINES

- Any Florvul over 100 is under ST jurisdiction.

- A Floret will mature into an adult Florvul after 10 IRP years.

- An adult Florvul may only produce 1-2 Florets at a time and will only produce another litter after the first ones have grown into maturity.

 

Cooking

On the occasion that one finds themselves in that they have caught and decided to cook a Florvul, they would find that cutting into the animal was like cutting up a raw vegetable. Its skin and platelet-like fur was bristly, like feeling a dull cactus, or hedgehog. Their bones resemble that of the hardened cores of stone fruit - strong, but susceptible to breakage and immense pressure. All of its organs bear a planty texture, and similar taste, with a hint of iron. 

 

Depending on the region and diet in which the animal consumed during its life, it would range from a variety of flavours. Those who resided in the cooler climates often have tougher, more bitter meat resembling the taste of a bitter melon or cruciferous vegetables like cabbage or kale. Florvuls from the south have more supple, softer, sweeter flesh which resembles the taste of berries or other sweet fruits.

 

 Many people tend to use Florvul parts as plant-based substitutes for meat to do its uncanny texture to real meat. It is said that the bitter flowers that blossom from a Florvul’s tail contain many powerful antioxidants and healing powers, such making them a delicacy to make into a dish or tea. At best however, it may be used to alleviate headaches and cold-like symptoms. Plucking these flowers from a Florvul causes no pain to them, and it will simply grow back in [1] OOC day or a narrative day. The shedded platelets from the Florvul’s periodic hibernation may also be collected in a non-fatal way to consume parts of the creature. While it may be tempting to raise Florvuls as some form of livestock like cows or pigs, it's realistically unsustainable as they are partially-migratory animals and take a long time to mature and produce offspring.

 

Spoiler

REDLINES

- All parts of a Florvuls were edible, except for the bones.

 

Purpose

When I originally saw this on the artist’s Instagram page, I thought it was rather cute, and reminded of several magic systems that are currently present in LOTC. Also, I wanted an excuse to write about killing and eating certain animals in a creative sense - as there are plenty of animals in the bestiary that could be used for hunting but nobody really chooses them, and people do not enjoy the idea of killing and eating cute creatures. This is why I included an entire blurb on what one could expect when killing and eating them.

 

In addendum, the artist’s kid also made a minecraft mod for Curseforge for those who wish to play with the Florvuls off of the server on their own time. The models and the breeding mechanics of the mod also heavily inspired how the creatures operate and work on LOTC, so please support their work here.

 

Credits

Author: @marslol

Co-author: @Pengin

 

 

[ThatFunkyBunch 2818]

I dont typically care about new fauna lore but I like this

[Tav 4336]

we making it out the mother grove with this one +1

[JudgeTrudy 610]

This is a very cute and well thought out creature! Would love to be able to interact with one some day!

[Islamadon 9158]

Accepted.