D&D General A Setting! A Setting!

[Brendan Byrd]

Toothed Hedgehogs:
Small ambulatory fungi equipped with an astonishing multitude of teeth, these detritivores help manage organic waste in an urban setting. Inoffensive, and generally oblivious to their surroundings, they wander freely throughout the city. Kicking one, even accidentally, is considered bad luck.

It is believed by sages that they were created by the Magical Research Group over five-thousand years ago, during the underground exploration phase of their history.

[Essentially, they are street roombas, modelled on: Sarcodon imbricatus - Wikipedia ]

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

The genetics would be stable, but the phenotype would vary.
Chaos. Sweet, sweet chaos, with not a hint of evil.
Something like hybridizing orchids, humans and elves would be close enough (genetically) to the Everchanging for offspring...

Edit to add: if the Everchanging are present, they provide a cover for the nefarious "mad scientist" types and their mutagenic "projects". (aka: plot hook)

Also, the noble families of Cynelsa being half-elf. Not in they directly have one human/one elf parent, but that within the last few generations (3?) having an elvin or sylvan descendant. There is enough intermixing of half-elvin blood that the nobility counts back as far as 6 generations of elvin ancestors for being "elf-blooded". True elves are rare among the Cynelsa, preferring the open lands to the north of the city, and most elves would scoff with forming unions with those in Ellindam to produce "Cynelsa" bloodlines.

I'm beginning to wonder what would count as a "race" or "species" here given the potential for a lot of interesting crosses, including the Forestborn you mentioned. It seems likely the folks of Cynelsa would be using some method to ensure their kids turn out looking a specific way. Claiming Elven blood is one thing, having it is another. And in a city (or world!) where the Everchanging exist, what would it even mean?

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

Toothed Hedgehogs:
Small ambulatory fungi equipped with an astonishing multitude of teeth, these detritivores help manage organic waste in an urban setting. Inoffensive, and generally oblivious to their surroundings, they wander freely throughout the city. Kicking one, even accidentally, is considered bad luck.

It is believed by sages that they were created by the Magical Research Group over five-thousand years ago, during the underground exploration phase of their history.

[Essentially, they are street roombas, modelled on: Sarcodon imbricatus - Wikipedia ]

These sound perfect! They're probably considered very cute too. I wonder what else there'd be. Perhaps pigeon/rat hybrids that are raced and have brilliant plumage and pelts?

 

[Indagare Nogitsune]

"hybridizing orchids" ... hmm, stirs thoughts on a different line...

The use of Awaken on plants over the ages has brought into being a race of sentient plants known as the Forestborn. These humanoid plants have gathered into a subcommunity within Greenworth, and they are the ones who have erected the Elemental Rift to the plane of Wood. While the Forestborn primarily keep to themselves, they sometimes take an interest in the larger city, with them being considered the greatest gardeners in the land. Many people in Ellindam have only encountered Forestborn in these roles in other areas of the city, which has enforced the stereotype of them as passive gardeners in the employ of Cynelsains, peddling flowers in Hackwark or as taciturn laborers in Lambeth in the minds of most of the city's inhabitants.

Dragonsnaps: These odd Forestborn have a mixed heritage of Dragonborn and regular Forestborn. Their woody skin is punctuated with thorns and they have (poison) pollen-based breath weapons. Outside of Greensworth, Dragonsnaps are rare, and most often encountered as mercenaries, most commonly in Waveswith.

Gingerflies: These Forestborn have strong sylvan bonds and a penchant for nature magic. When a Forestborn is encountered in other boroughs, they are usually Gingerflies.

Rhodel: Sometimes also referred to a s "flower-faces", these Forestborn tend towards ropey, green limbs and a head that seems to be a blooming flower. Most are small-sized, though medium and even large-sized individuals exist. Rhodel are rarely encountered outside of Greenworth.

Bushels: Looking much like a humanoid shrouded in leafy branches, these Forestborn tend to be derived from trees or bushes. Long-lived and generally considered very wise these Forestborn are most often seen in Lambeth as manual laborers, using their superior strength to carry heavy loads or work heavy machinery with ease.

I wonder what other sorts of interesting plant-based beings could be wandering around. I've seen artists do some really cool animal-plant hybrids like the cactus cat.

 

[Brendan Byrd]

I'm beginning to wonder what would count as a "race" or "species" here given the potential for a lot of interesting crosses, including the Forestborn you mentioned. It seems likely the folks of Cynelsa would be using some method to ensure their kids turn out looking a specific way. Claiming Elven blood is one thing, having it is another. And in a city (or world!) where the Everchanging exist, what would it even mean?

The Everchanging are meant to be an alternative for an assortment of "humanoids".
Want a PC goblin, orc, half-orc, hobgoblin, etc.?
Use the game's stats and roll on the appearance charts.

Or use the base critter I brewed up.
Unlike in BECMI: HWCS, a size shift in d20/3.x can affect the PC's stats.

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A slightly less extreme example is Brassica oleracea.
Cabbage, brussel sprouts, some kales, cauliflower and a couple of others...are all brassica oleracea.

Spoiler: Fantasy Humanoid Taxonomy

According to Brendan Byrd.

Family: Hominidae
Ælfae normalis [BECMI/RC elves]

Ælfae normalis umbrii [Gaz13] "Shadow Elves"​

Ælfae secundii [AD&D elves]

Ælfae secundii verbae "Drow"​

Family: Hominidae
Homo sapiens "Humans"

Family: Hominidae
Homo mutabilis "Everchanging"
Homo mutabilis [HWCS: "Beastmen"]

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Family: Hominidae
Homo mutabilis in the Outer World evolved into Gaz10's:

Goblinus goblinus "Goblins"​

Goblinus grandis "Hobgoblins"​

Homo monstrum "Ogres"​

Orcus imperator rex "Orcs"​

Monstrum carnivorus maximus "Trolls"​

Family: Hominidae
[Gnolls: troll x gnome via Nithian alchemical process]