Nature Features
All esk have plants, fungi, or rocks as part of their form.
This is a species requirement. Only a few NPC lack nature features, otherwise all esk must have them. This includes Abnormals.
This is a species requirement. Only a few NPC lack nature features, otherwise all esk must have them. This includes Abnormals.
Acceptable types of nature features include:
- Plants (both wild and cultivated)
- Fungi
- Non-crystalline stones or minerals (should have a natural/raw and not geometric appearance; see our Stones and Crystals guide)
- And anything listed under "The Others" section below
Unacceptable types of nature features include:
- Fabricated objects or manmade materials
- Fantasy plants/fungi (you can only use real species)
- Animal-related traits or materials (feathers, honeycomb, bird's nest)
- Bones or other body parts
- Elemental features (fire, water, snow, lightning, etc)
- Plant-like animals (corals, sea anemones)
Restricted types of nature features include:
- Crystals are special nature features that can only be obtained by doing Transformations.
- Certain animal-related features like nests, fossils, and feathers can also be obtained by doing Transformations. They are also available as Abnormal mutations.
Nature features are a part of their spirit.
The plants and fungi found on esk are not actual biological organisms, they are a manifestation of the esk's spirit. The energy from an esk's transformation site becomes a part of them and expresses itself through the nature features. An esk's nature features are part of the esk's ghostly form and follow the same principles as the rest of the esk's body. They can phase in and out of solid form with the esk and they do not require physical sustenance. They are not planted into or feeding off of an esk, they together make up one being.
Some properties of the nature features are open to interpretation. Perhaps eating the fruit from an esk's tree will make you sick or an esk's leaves will shrivel and fall off if they are in a terrible mood — these are areas where players are encouraged to contribute original ideas to the lore. Here are some basic ideas that have already been contributed and a few guidelines about what isn't suitable.
Acceptable expressions of nature features include:
- Moving in ways that are natural for its form, like a fern unfurling or a flower blooming.
- Changing with the seasons, like changing foliage based on the time of year.
- Showing different stages of growth, like going from bud to bloom to wilting or growing fruit.
- Changing color in a way that is naturally occurring for that plant, like how a single hydrangea plant can have flowers in green, blue, purple, and pink or a species that changes color as it matures.
- Expressing emotion by drooping when sad or perking up when happy, etc.
Unacceptable expressions of nature features include:
- Moving in a "rubbery" way that contradicts the normal properties of the feature (like making rocks flexible) or moves them in an unnatural way (like using a branch like a hand).
- Changing into other species, even if it is a related species.
- Adding elemental features like having a plant be on fire or covered with ice without obtaining Elemental power.
- Changing color in a way that is not naturally occurring, like changing your esk's red rose feature into a white rose feature, changing cultivars, or using fictionalized colors.
- Moving the nature feature to other parts of the body or making significant design changes, these must be obtained through the Energy Exchange.
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You can place nature features anywhere on the body.
You can put the nature features on any body part and make them as large or small as you want. You can use nature features as large as redwoods and mountains or as tiny as little sprouts and pebbles. You can show an entire plant or just little pieces like leaves or seeds, it's up to you! |
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Parts of the features can float.
You can also have parts of your esk's nature features floating around their body but you can only do this if some of the nature features are connected to the body. If you have a single nature feature you can put the leaves on the body and the flower in the air, or if you have multiple nature features you can put one of them on the body and one in the air. You can't have all of the nature features floating off of the body without anything on the body unless you have an Air Plant Morph. |
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Plants, flowers, trees, and more!
Anything in the plant kingdom is acceptable. |
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Mushrooms!
Almost anything in the fungi kingdom is acceptable. |
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Rocks and minerals!
Rocks and minerals are allowed as long as they are not portrayed in crystalline or geometric shapes. They also should not resemble manmade objects by being carved or faceted — they must have a natural appearance. You can also use metals that are common in nature like gold and silver. Stone features cannot have symbols or patterns carved into them without purchasing it as an accessory modification in the Energy Exchange. The others!
These do not quite fit into other categories but are also allowed: slime molds, lichens, algae, and bioluminescent algae*.
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Why are rocks okay but not crystals?
Esk cannot manifest their own crystals, they have to receive them as a gift from the Earth after performing a transformation. Esk cannot start off with crystals or purchase them in the Energy Exchange. There is more information on crystals in other sections of this guide and players are welcome to create interpretations of the lore to explain why crystals are only linked to transformations. |
Broken branches, generic features, and other exceptions...
You can give your nature features more specific design aspects beyond just naming the species. If you want your esk to always have broken branches or always show the nature feature in a sickly or wilted state you can specify this in their ID info and it will become the esk's default manifestation. These esk could be shown with whole branches or healthy nature features, but it will be known that these whole or healthy states are transient and not representative of the esk's neutral form.
You are also allowed to use some generic terms for nature features that may not require a genus or species. Saying "dead branches" is acceptable for branches that would otherwise not be able to be identified without the leaves and you are welcome to use terms like "rocks" or "river stones" without mentioning the specific minerals that make up the stones.
Some exceptions to these rules may arise! As the game grows and players contribute more ideas there may be some new exceptions added.
Don't be afraid to make suggestions!
Nature features must be appropriate for the esk's environment.
Esk have an energetic connection with their environment that is strongest at the site of their transformation. When an esk is created they merge a part of their spirit with the boundary and this is reflected in the type of nature features that they manifest with. An esk with a river boundary might manifest with plants that grow in the water or on the riverbanks and an esk that was transformed in the desert may have cacti or petrified wood as features because these are found in those habitats.
Once the esk is created they can add new features to their form as long as they are appropriate for their biome. Once you assign your esk to a biome you can add anything from the biome to their form — it is only during creation that the boundary determines the features, after that it just has to fit the biome even if it is in a different region of the world or different type of habitat within the biome. After they are created and are free to roam their biome they can change their form based on their travels, but outside of their biome they are too weakened to accumulate new nature features.
Try to be cohesive and thoughtful.
It's easy to say that people can plant things anywhere or carry rocks to other locations, but we encourage you to make choices that reflect the actual ecosystems and make sense for the environments your esk may visit. Take this as an opportunity to learn something new about the natural world!
The TWWM team are not scientists. We are relying on players to make thoughtful choices with their plant selections, we are not going to quiz anyone on the geographic ranges or distribution of their plant selections.
The Developed biome has some extra flexibility.
If your esk has a garden boundary or lives in a greenhouse they might have a huge variety of nature features available to them, so this biome has a lot of freedom compared to the others. Developed biome esk can also use more human intervention in their nature features. Dyed flowers, carved pumpkins, bonsai, and shaped topiary are all primarily available to the Developed biome as a reflection of the spirit of this environment.
Biomes and boundaries are not rigid.
Overall we try to allow a lot of flexibility with how players interpret the biomes and boundaries when selecting their nature features. Just have fun with it! The TWWM team is always here to consult and guide you if you are ever uncertain about whether your choices are an appropriate reflection of the lore and game framework.
You can give your nature features more specific design aspects beyond just naming the species. If you want your esk to always have broken branches or always show the nature feature in a sickly or wilted state you can specify this in their ID info and it will become the esk's default manifestation. These esk could be shown with whole branches or healthy nature features, but it will be known that these whole or healthy states are transient and not representative of the esk's neutral form.
You are also allowed to use some generic terms for nature features that may not require a genus or species. Saying "dead branches" is acceptable for branches that would otherwise not be able to be identified without the leaves and you are welcome to use terms like "rocks" or "river stones" without mentioning the specific minerals that make up the stones.
Some exceptions to these rules may arise! As the game grows and players contribute more ideas there may be some new exceptions added.
Don't be afraid to make suggestions!
Nature features must be appropriate for the esk's environment.
Esk have an energetic connection with their environment that is strongest at the site of their transformation. When an esk is created they merge a part of their spirit with the boundary and this is reflected in the type of nature features that they manifest with. An esk with a river boundary might manifest with plants that grow in the water or on the riverbanks and an esk that was transformed in the desert may have cacti or petrified wood as features because these are found in those habitats.
Once the esk is created they can add new features to their form as long as they are appropriate for their biome. Once you assign your esk to a biome you can add anything from the biome to their form — it is only during creation that the boundary determines the features, after that it just has to fit the biome even if it is in a different region of the world or different type of habitat within the biome. After they are created and are free to roam their biome they can change their form based on their travels, but outside of their biome they are too weakened to accumulate new nature features.
Try to be cohesive and thoughtful.
It's easy to say that people can plant things anywhere or carry rocks to other locations, but we encourage you to make choices that reflect the actual ecosystems and make sense for the environments your esk may visit. Take this as an opportunity to learn something new about the natural world!
The TWWM team are not scientists. We are relying on players to make thoughtful choices with their plant selections, we are not going to quiz anyone on the geographic ranges or distribution of their plant selections.
The Developed biome has some extra flexibility.
If your esk has a garden boundary or lives in a greenhouse they might have a huge variety of nature features available to them, so this biome has a lot of freedom compared to the others. Developed biome esk can also use more human intervention in their nature features. Dyed flowers, carved pumpkins, bonsai, and shaped topiary are all primarily available to the Developed biome as a reflection of the spirit of this environment.
Biomes and boundaries are not rigid.
Overall we try to allow a lot of flexibility with how players interpret the biomes and boundaries when selecting their nature features. Just have fun with it! The TWWM team is always here to consult and guide you if you are ever uncertain about whether your choices are an appropriate reflection of the lore and game framework.
