Meaning
“Flora” derives from Latin word "flos", meaning "flower". Flora is also the name of the goddess of flowers in Roman mythology.
Together with “vera”, the name means “flower creatures”. Many flowers tend to end in the word “vera”; one of the reasons why this is part of the name.
Appearance
Floraveras are blessed by flowering and nonflowering plants, which is apparent by their outward appearance.
Females tend to be smaller and have thinner stomach areas. Their features are also more elegant than that of their male counterparts. Their palette, however, is not limited based on association between gender and colors. Their colors reflect whichever plant they are blessed by.
General Information
Size & Weight
Newborn Floraveras usually measure up to 30 cm tall and weigh around 5 kg, think of them as the same size as a Bichon Frise.
Adult Floraveras can become very large, the heaviest being around 300 kg and the smallest 150 kg. Standing on all four legs, from their feet to the top of their heads, they range from 180 cm to 230 cm in height.
Diet
They are primarily herbivorous, but occasionally eat fish and other small insects. However, it is rare to see them digging into a large hunk of meat.
Communication
They can’t speak as Annies/humans do, and instead gesture with their tails. You can see how they feel by the growths on their head and face, and how they move.
Lifespan
Floraveras' base lifespan is 80 years. Like Annies, their flower/plant blessing adds to their lifespan.
Habitat
Floraveras live in forests, usually near Annie towns as they are social creatures. This also allows them to have people to sell their perfumes to.
Species Status
They are common within populated Annie towns and forests, but tend to avoid humans.
Behavior & Relationships
♥ General demeanor and temperament
Floraveras are generally quite gentle and welcoming, and like to show off their flowers and perfume. But if they are alone and you approach them as a stranger, they may think you’re a thief and attack you. If they are not provoked, they will not attack. Their personality is individual to each Floravera.
♥ Behavior with others of their own species
As they are social animals, Floraveras tend to stay in groups and are very caring for their young. The female Floraveras, however, are often indifferent toward the males whose first priority is creating offspring. The females prefer to find true love above all else. Floraveras have a lot of pride in their perfumes, so they tend to not collaborate with other Floraveras in this area. They are quite competitive and want to be the best.
♥ Behavior with other creatures
They can be kept as pets by both Annies and humans. But many humans hunt Floraveras to use for food, as they taste like high quality beef.
♥ Behavior with Annies
They sell perfumes to Annies and get food/magical crystals in return. They can be used as mounts and, in some cases, they can become Annies’ pets and gain a home.
♥ Behavior with Humans
Humans can keep them as pets, but most Floraveras are wary of them and tend to keep away from human-only populated towns. However, they will not attack humans, unless provoked. Humans do hunt Floraveras for their appealing taste. Very few Annies will try and hunt them, unless they're desperate and starved. This is really rare though as they respect nature and see Floraveras as highly intelligent companions.
Reproduction, Growth, & Health
♥ Reproduction
Floraveras are oviparous animals, meaning that they lay eggs. They do not have a mating season and can mate at anytime of the year. In order to mate, the male Floraveras must attract the females with their jars of perfumes (bottled scent). When the females are pregnant, they grow more fur/fluffier to keep their eggs warm. A Floravera will be born once the egg hatches, with undeveloped wings that will eventually grow large enough to allow them to fly and seek fruits while growing up. As babies, they will favor berries from bushes and food brought by their parents.
♥ What does the offspring look like?
They look like smaller versions of adult Floravera. However, most of the plants on the babies are either sprouts or buds waiting to blossom! They tend to have freckles and dapples like fawns have on their backs.
♥ What are the parents' responsibilities towards the young?
They take care of their young as long as possible, many finding it difficult to let their babies go. Most offspring tend to become independent around 10-15 years old, but some live with their parents until the age of 20 due to their mothers/fathers being overprotective.
♥ How long does it take to reach adulthood?
Floraveras reach adulthood when they are able to produce proper perfume. They are seen as young adults at around 10-15 years of age and full adults at 20. If they are unable to produce perfume, they will not be able to trade with Annies and cannot get the resources they need to survive. Floraveras need to eat a lot, which is hard to sustain with just hunting/foraging.
♥ Weaknesses and health issues
They are weak to fire and are hunted by humans and larger predators such as D'abre, dragons etc. They are also subject to flower diseases and mold. If their flowers start to rot, it can be a very dangerous or even deadly situation. Because of this, they like to bathe and clean themselves often.
Lore
Floraveras, like Annies, are creatures blessed by spirits of nature. However, their blessings are limited to only plants and fungi. They are highly intelligent and understand the concept of emotions, communication, and even trading. They are frequently seen gesturing to convey messages their voice cannot put into words. A Floravera will take approximately twenty years before reaching its maturity, with its size large enough to allow someone to mount them.
The creatures often carry different types of bottles and containers with them as they collect petals, flowers, and other fragrant items. The scent they create through these unique mixes is their pride and joy and one would be quite foolish to try and take away a Floravera’s bottle. Their wrath is nothing to scoff at.
Floravera will occasionally trade or sell their mucus to others, and rarely they may be willing to part with a vial. However, since both are difficult to produce, they will expect fair compensation for each, especially for vials. They might be willing to give their mucus to a very good friend for free, though.
The scent made by female Floraveras tends to be very gentle, yet lasts for a long time. The males are the opposite, producing scents that are much stronger, but short-lived. If male and female Floraveras combine their scents together, it will form a delicate fragrance that lasts much longer than the originals.
At a young age, Floraveras will create lots of mucus to try and make the best possible scents. This is disconcerting for inexperienced owners as they may not be ready to handle such a mess. The mucus can harden and be used by the Floraveras to create their first vials.
Floraveras do not need to sleep as much during the summer due to their ability to photosynthesize. They are able to soak up sunlight just as plants do, which gives them plenty of energy for the day. They also grow faster in the summer; a process that slows down in winter.
One of the most interesting facts about these creatures is that they have their blessing from the very moment the egg is laid. If you look at the egg closely, it is possible to figure out what the animal will be blessed with. And just like Annies, Floravera blessings have a rarity system based on if the spirits are common, endangered, or extinct. If one were to seek a Floravera egg of their own, they would have to find a nest in one of the many forests they live in.
Coded by rollingpoly and somnolent-a
