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.?

1. Use the game's stats [with the DM's permission] (Or use the base critter I brewed up.)​

2. Roll through all the variability tables*. [Or choose, with DM permission]​

*Unlike in BECMI: HWCS, a size shift in d20/3.x can affect the PC's stats...

---
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. Blame Ordana]

Ælfae normalis umbrii [Gaz13] "Shadow Elves" [Blame Blackmoor]​

Ælfae secundii [AD&D elves. Blame Corellon Larethian]

Ælfae secundii verbae "Drow"​

Family: Hominidae
Homo sapiens "Humans"

Family: Hominidae
Homo mutabilis "Everchanging" [HWCS: "Beastmen". Blame Hel & Ka]

==============
Family: Hominidae
[Blame Hel]
"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]

 

[Brendan Byrd]

The Ditchflow, Nadir Point, and the Lost Rivers:

Over its long course, the underground river known as the Ditchflow, gradually drops over 500m to the place where it exits the city. The Drain Rift at Nadir Point is a mystery. To date, no-one knows who created this rift or where it leads to; and most people don't care (if they even think of it).

Some sages will jokingly speculate that the "outflow" balances matter brought into the city by the various elemental rifts.

Once tributaries to the River Ell, the Lost Rivers were covered over as the city expanded. Later, they were diverted to help keep the contents of the sewers moving. As tributaries to the Ditchflow, they have aquired a variety of names over the years, such as Oblivion, Fergetbowtit, Goodriddance, Ooops, etc.

Would-be visitors to Nadir Point are advised that protective equipment is mandatory, as the air is unbreathable.

 

[Stormonu]

The Drain Rift also brings up an interesting point - trash disposal. Any ideas?

Spoiler

I was thinking possibly a rift to the Negative Energy Plane/Void, with the side effect that on certain nights, its energies can spawn undead. But where would it be and how would that be controlled/monitored?

<Edit> Also, disposal of the dead.

 

[Brendan Byrd]

The Drain Rift also brings up an interesting point - trash disposal. Any ideas?

Spoiler

I was thinking possibly a rift to the Negative Energy Plane/Void, with the side effect that on certain nights, its energies can spawn undead. But where would it be and how would that be controlled/monitored?

<Edit> Also, disposal of the dead.

Most of the above. The Ankh / Cloaca Maxima Ditchflow River isn't exactly going to end at an ooze portal...

Spoiler

But the rift leads to a plane where the elements water, plant, and air are dominant. (And in a multiverse with an infinite number of finite planes, it doesn't have to be the paraelemental plane of ooze). The folks on the other end of the rift opened it, and have a few agents in the city to make sure that the "black water" keeps flowing. They're photosynthetic shapeshifters, but you can't spot them since they pose as sentient plants. (Pa'u Zotoh Zhaan x Odo ) It's all nutrients and substrate to them.

As an aside, the four classical elements were all used to dispose of the dead...
Edit: Lots of room below the city to hide a negative enery portal, or two.
(Zombies) Ghouls vs. Pak'ma'ra???