With bodies of wood, buds all eventually become trees.
Buds of Longeva
Every bud is a child of Longeva, created from her seeds. The Plant God produces nectar that insects across the realms travel to get a taste. When pollen from other plants is brought to her, she will start to grow seeds, which can become buds. Her own pollen interacting with other plants has the chance to cause a seed. Buds will gather around Longeva to collect these seeds, protecting hat would become more of their species. Buds themselves can make more with their pollen but it’s much less likely to happen. Buds have bodies made of wood or other plant stock; they tend to resemble the plant that they come from, and have the respective plant in their mantle, which appears like hair behind their horns. Buds are very good for the environment, and their nectar and pollen are very good for local wildlife. Buds never stop growing; they will quickly grow in their early years of development once they turn around 20, still growing about one to two centimetres every year after that.
Growing Up
Buds grow a lot in their early years before reaching the age of maturity, which tends to be 20 years. As buds reach their later adult years, they start to sprout branches off their arms and heads. Their legs tend to get thicker and thicker as they start to become more like a tree. Eventually a bud will feel the call to plane itselfs into the ground and go to sleep. Buds have two deaths: one when their mind starts to fade and their body becomes a tree, and a second death when that tree eventually dies. It is not a sad day when a bud becomes a tree; it's considered natural and another stage of their life. When a bud is killed before this state it’s considered a great loss and a tragedy to the community.
Death of a Tree
All buds are monoecious, meaning they all have the ability to produce pollen and seeds, much like Longeva. Buds use pronouns in a different way than other species, using them as a way to identify the relationship the bud has with the person they are talking about:
Fl/Flo: someone a bud respects either in life or has high statues, like a champion or a god.
Le/Lef: someone a bud thinks of as a friend.
Ro/Rot: someone they don’t know or have only a little connection with.
Mo/Mol: someone a bud disrespects.
Bud culture was very separate from most other species for the longest time, as they lived deep in the Forests of Dial. The rare buds born elsewhere will tend to have a culture related to where they grew up.
Bud Culture
Buds as Champions
Buds tend to be very good champions, especially when it comes to more nature-based magic; for example, a plant Bud Champion could change their very body with their powers. When a bud becomes a champion their mantle and bark can also change to better represent their status.
Root
As an action, a bud can root itself into the ground once per rest. Roll an Unsafe Rest and gain half the benefits.