Introduction to Florabeasts
Introductions
In every season and for every feast,
I will always be glad of my Florabeast.
While there are still many mysteries surrounding the amazing creatures known as Florabeasts, there are also many things that zoobotanists agree on regardless of their position. One of the most significant is that Florabeasts have existed since the beginnings of the world, having been created alongside plants, animals, and humankind. Nearly every culture around the world includes Florabeasts in their records or traditions, reinforcing their status as humanity's helpers.
An important thing to remember when first learning about these beings is that they are, for all intents and purposes, plants. Despite their mobility; their growling, howling, and chirping, and any other behavior they exhibit that resembles an animal, they are certainly not animals and should not be treated as such.
Seed to Harvest
The lifecycle of a tame Florabeast begins when it is planted from a seed, specifically by a human being. Much debate has gone on throughout the generations as to the how and why of this process, but it is common knowledge that if a Florabeast seed is placed into the soil by any means other than a person's hand, it will grow into a wild, untamable creature that will never heed to any direction or guidance. Once safe in the embrace of the earth, however, the seed will quickly germinate and sprout. At this stage, continued care from the original planter is essential, and the more attention paid to the plant, the stronger the bond will be in the future. Conversely, if the planter ignores their nascent Florabeast, or leaves their mortal coil entirely before harvest, the Florabeast will be as wild as if it had been planted by a bird or a ripped feed sack.
The time between planting and harvest of a Florabeast is roughly the same as the animal they derive their nature from. Ferradish take about one month before they are running around finding mischief, and while birch trees take decades to grow to any appreciable height, Beavirch are ready to be put to work within about three months.
Florabeasts have similar cycles of infancy and maturity as their derived animals. Freshly born animals are usually helpless and rely on their parents for assistance, and while freshly harvested Florabeasts are around the size of their corresponding infant animal, they are anything but helpless. They have the full capacities and capabilities that they will retain their entire lives, and will eventually grow larger into their mature forms.
While it is possible for a single person to plant more than one Florabeast and manage them simultaneously, this practice requires some discipline and skill. If too many plantings are attempted while already owning an existing beast, either the new or the old may revert to a wild state. A person's individual capacity for concurrent Florabeasts depends on not only their personal aptitude, but also the nature of the Florabeast. Those which share a nature with an animal that naturally flocks or gathers in herds can usually be managed in multiples more easily. Those which are solitary may reject and turn on any companions that their planter might want to acquire.
Daily Life
Any Florabeast, wild or tame, follows a fairly regular schedule. They arise with the sun and become active, ready to help their planter in whatever chores they find themselves at, or to be at their own mysterious business in the wilderness. The only two material needs that a Florabeast have are sunlight and water. Sunlight is easy to come by during the day, though when clouds roll in they tend to slow down somewhat. Florabeasts that work hard as beasts of burden or transport may need to stop and take on more water periodically, but for most their daily intake is done during rooting.
Every evening after sunset, Florabeasts will seek out the protected spot that their planters have prepared for them, free of stones and thorns, and curl up for the night on the bare soil. Tiny roots will grow from their bodies into the ground, absorbing water and nutrients just as a plant does. Florabeasts grow attached to their rooting spots and will prefer them over other locations, but if traveling they will bed down just about anywhere, even through existing grass or ground cover. It takes some time for the Florabeast to put down these roots, and the same amount of time for them to retract in the morning. If startled and the group needs to move quickly, they will leave their roots behind, though this results in diminished vitality the next day.
Florabeasts do not require any other sort of nourishment. Those which are derived from predatory animals do not stalk or kill other animals or Florabeasts, neither do they graze or eat leaves or other plants of any kind. They lack digestive systems, and in fact any internal organs at all, as dissections of recently expired beasts reveal a solid mass of vegetable matter reinforced with a bone-like structure that has more in common with wood than animal bones.
Simply because they do not require anything else does not mean they will not accept anything else. Florabeasts greatly enjoy water supplemented with sugar, or other nutritives that generally benefit plants. This puts some pep in their step for the remainder of the day, and is an excellent way to strengthen the bond between them and their planter.
This bond is one of the great mysteries and miracles of creation, and one that has been studied since antiquity. Florabeasts cannot speak or communicate any more than an animal can, but their planters have an intuitive sense of what the Florabeast is feeling and what they need. Conversely, if the planter has a strong wish or desire, they can ask their Florabeast to do something either aloud or in the silence of their hearts, and the Florabeast will comply as though they understood the native tongue. This bond is strong, but not unbreakable. Planters who ignore or mistreat their Florabeasts will find themselves struggling to commune with them, to the extreme of the Florabeast becoming entirely wild and leaving altogether.
This bond is also woven through with other threads, as people other than the planter can sometimes handle a Florabeast. This is commonly seen between husbands and wives, where each spouse shares a minor connection with the other's Florabeasts. Sometimes close siblings, most often twins, can also request things from their family Florabeasts. In times of urgency, Florabeasts will often forgo their preferences for their planter, such as a Canterose carrying an injured person to safety if their planter is likewise incapacitated.
Propagation
Florabeasts cannot be transferred between people under normal circumstances, as with horses or cattle. No amount of requesting or compulsion will make them change their allegiance from the one who planted them. Likewise, wild Florabeasts cannot be tamed or domesticated, only their seeds can be harvested to plant a new generation.
The method by which seeds are obtained from a Florabeast varies greatly, and largely depends on whether the beast is male, female, or neither. Just as with plants, some beasts carry seeds and require them to be fertilized by a complementary member of their species, while others produce viable seed without the involvement of any other. Most Florabeasts will only give up these seeds upon their death, while others, usually those derived from trees, can produce seeds while continuing to live. Some, like the Cantelope, yield a high number of seeds, while others like the Avocadillo keep a single pit their entire lives. Still others like the Garliphant will grow an entirely new Florabeast directly from their bodies, and when ready will calve-split off their new creation. Those Florabeasts which remain alive after seeding or propagation do not show any kind of maternal or paternal inclination towards their young, allowing them to be raised by their planters more readily.
Unlike the plants they derive from, a single Florabeast seed will always produce a single Florabeast. You can't have a Wartermelon vine in your garden, producing dozens of stout beasts in one season, neither will a Lupine's cone yield a forest.
When the same Florabeast's seeds have been in a family for a generation or two, the "heirloom" Florabeasts gain a special capability. When they are standing on soil that is a similar enough composition to the earth that they were planted and harvested in, they experience a significant increase in strength and speed. This state, known as landrace, is a highly sought-after trait for Guardiners and others who rely on their beast's raw power.
Death
Every living thing must succumb to the grasp of death, and Florabeasts, as fantastic as they may be, are no different. The natural lifespan of a Florabeast is something of a compromise between the long life of some plants and the short lives of some animals. On average, Florabeasts will live for slightly less time than the animal they derive from, and if an annual plant, much longer than that. While Florabeasts dislike cold, wintry weather, they do not die when exposed to frost, only to time or to trauma.
A Florabeast's body is entirely made of plant matter, and as such can be dried and preserved, or left exposed for decomposition. The parts of a Florabeast have been valued by many cultures throughout history; from tools made from their lignified "bones," to medicines concocted from their leaves, flowers, and fruits, not to mention their Gastrological significance. While many Florabeasts are derived from edible plants, it is a universal taboo to eat their remains, except in times of extreme famine.
Burial of Florabeasts is only done for smaller species, as by the time a large enough hole is dug to accommodate a Pityvern, it's body will have mostly composted already. Cremation is sometimes carried out, but only for those species that generate a greater benefit to nature when burnt than when composted otherwise. Even when war or disaster strike and large numbers of Florabeasts perish, their remains will just be gathered together to cooperate in the compost process.
Florabeast compost is considered quite valuable, and is generally used to fertilize the planting of a replacement beast. While normal plant remains require some work to encourage the required factors to initiate rapid and thorough decomposition, Florabeasts will decompose quite readily and without much intervention from humans. It is thought that this is a trait inherited from their animal natures.
In the unfortunate event that a Florabeast survives its planter, one of several things may happen, dependent upon factors such as the beast's temperament, the strength of the planter's bond, and age. If the bond is weak, the Florabeast will likely become wild and disappear. If the Florabeast was already in advanced age and the planter passed away peaceably, the beast may enter a state of torpor and simply root in a single place, continuing to exist but giving up it's animal nature in favor of the plant one. Florabeasts in this situation usually sprout elaborate flowers or branch configurations that they don't exhibit when mobile.
In certain circumstances, an exception can be made to the normal law of a Florabeast being non-transferable. When a Florabeast is still vibrant and vital, and the late planter had strong connections with other people, the beast may change its allegiance to one of them. This is commonly seen when a woman is widowed, and the husband's beast chooses to continue protecting her. In keeping with their inscrutable nature, however, no human can seem to influence when or if this choice is made. It may even happen weeks or seasons after the funeral, with the Florabeast entering a kind of master-less state where it is not wild but will not cooperate with any requests from the living.
Miscellany
When written in English, the name of every Florabeast is capitalized, along with the word Florabeast itself. They are sometimes referred to as beasts for short, which is not capitalized for some reason.
The plural name of a Florabeast does not necessarily correspond with the plural name of either of their derivative lifeforms. For example, the plural of Pamplemouse is Pamplemouses, while the plural of Oax is Oaxen. The plural of Avocadillo is Avocadilloes, but the plural of Crowmato is Cromatos, all of which confuses zoobotanists to no end.
The term used to describe a Florabeast that has been planted and harvested by a person is "tame." Florabeasts that grow naturally in the wilderness are described as "wild." Unlike animals, however, a "wild" Florabeast cannot become "tame."
Learn more about the wonderful Florabeasts that can be found on the Frontier and beyond! Too many to choose from? Try one of the three common starter seeds:
Table of Contents
The first edition of the Florabeast Handbook by Winston & Overstreet, London 1799, has entries for one-hundred and eight Florabeasts from around the world. Keep track of which one's you've encountered with this handy index:
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