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Fenkhi'n, or "Children of The Root" (Loose translation), are a diverse population of parasitic plantfolk that live almost entirely within The Fen, a remote, barely documented island.

Fenkhi'n have a strict caste system- what type of Fenkhi you are when you sprout largely determines your capabilities and role within the Fen, with each Fenkhi playing a different part in the larger ecosystem of the island. Translations of the titles used here are not wholly accurate, and instead portray a rough approximation of common meaning.

Ehrfen, "The Root Which Draws Blood" or "Forest's Knight", are floral in nature, coming in a variety of shapes and sizes. They are some of the most versatile in their diet, and are able to bond with nearly anything to create their bodies- Rocks, plant matter, metal, organic matter... It doesn't matter.

While their size can vary, Ehrfen reliably have 2-6 ambulatory stalks used for movement when not attached to their bodies, and while leaves are a rarity on those stalks, Thorns are not. Those with thorns are usually venomous.

Their bodies could be considered similar to "fruits" in terms of composition, with a firm, often brightly colored "skin" and a softer interior, formed over a variety of support materials. While Ehrfen can photosynthesise, more commonly they will get their nutrients by slowly digesting the support materials in their body, replacing them with new ones when needed.

In the social heirarchy, Ehrfen are typically Guards. From the moment they bloom, they're typically paired with another Fenkhi'n, with the few solitary Ehrfen serving as guards for the Fen as a whole.

Euifen, "Hooded Roots" or "The Forest's Disguise", are some of the most common Fenkhi'n, and part of the reason Fenkhin are often reffered to as "Mossfolk" in the stories brought to the mainland by sailors.

Like Ehrfen, Euifen are also capable of making "Bodies" that slowly digest internal matter, though they're typically more limited in terms of size, shape and materials. Euifen bodies are almost always faceless humanoids, rarely bigger than the average twelve year old. Occasionally Euifen will also pilot dead Coafen structures in a process called Thihru, which loosely translates to "The Crossroads of Memory", or "Intersectional Consumption".

While Euifen are limited to only organic materials in their bodies, they typically don't need very much- Unlike the fruit bodies of Ehrfen, Euifen bodies are about 90% packed dirt and clay under the moss, with rocks, bones, or sticks acting as skeletal structure, with some parts often noticeably protruding.

Euifen don't usually get paired with anyone, serving as singular scouts and couriers within the Fen.

Coafen, or "The Root which Stands Firm", are sturdy and durable, their exoskeleton protecting them from most forms of harm.

While the smallest Coafen could be easily mistaken for a stickbug, these Fenkhi'n are some of the largest, with some mimicking full grown trees, like myself.

Coafen, like Ehrfen, are typically guards. They're more social however- If they're not paired with a specific Fenkhi'n when they sprout, They typically form groups of five or more, usually with a single Ehrfen in their midst. Solitary Coafen are almost always only singular because they have yet to be assigned to their other half, or their guardee died, and they refuse a new one.

Their bodies are rarely humanoid, and they don't need to create a body in order to gain necessary nutrients, able to photosynthesis with incredible efficiency. Multiple Coafen are able to weave their bodies together sometimes, an act which can be done for many reasons.

Syafen , or "The Root of Dreams" are... delicate, fungal and soft. They rarely go far from the Heart of the Fen and nearly all are paired with either a Ehrfen or Coafen from first bloom- Sometimes both, if they're especially small.

They can't make their own bodies, but they can "hijack" bodies through Thihru. Shed Ehrfen bodies, Dead Coafen structures, human and animal corpses... None are the most structurally sound, but they offer more protection than they might otherwise have.

The role of Syafen is... one of the more complicated to explain. Syafen are closely tied to the Fen so tightly that they are subconciously able to access the Median at nearly all times, perpetually dreaming of the space between worlds and all the times and places it connects to.

The most accurate term for their role could be "Oracle"- They keep the rest of the Fenkhi'n connected to the Fen aware of what goes on outside the island- Anything and Everything they can see.

...There's rumours in the Fen that a few Syafen are able to see even further than normal, dreaming beyond the Median to see other Worlds beyond Alihnn- but of course, such things are impossible, and those Syafen have never been found. I personally consider them to be nothing but children's stories.

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