Alraune

"It was then that we entered a clearing of sorts - for the first time in hours, sunlight had pierced the canopy and cast a soft light upon our surroundings. Amidst the moss sat two enormous flower bulbs. Upon approaching them, the petals had started shaking lightly before unfurling, revealing what appeared to be two humanoid women - or at least from the waist up..."

Physical Description

These beautiful men and women, humanoid from the waist up but veiled by large petals are known as alraune. Vines sprout out of the base of their bulb, which they use to absorb nutrients out of the soil. These vines are strong enough to allow for movement should the alraune uproot him- or herself. Smaller vines grow up out of the bulb, wrapping around their humanoid forms. Alraune often distinguish themselves from one another with various flowers and leaves that they allow to grow out of their upper half. 

Their skin comes in a multitude of green shades, although a light brown color is not uncommon in colder seasons when nutrients are scarce. 
Alraune's anatomy is far closer to that of a plant than a humanoid's. As a result thereof, their occurrence is limited to biospheres where the climate is temperate, supporting plant growth. While they are largely omnivorous, they are capable of generating energy for themselves through photosynthesis, which releases oxygen in the process. This process is especially useful in times of a food shortage. 

History

Alraune are born under rare circumstances; it is only when the potent magic from the Feywilds seeps into the material plane and binds the soul of a recently deceased humanoid to a flowers' seed that they come into existence. Once all of the flowers' seeds are released into the soil, chances of survival are of course small. The infused seed, however, is capable of spending a long time in a "resting" state, waiting for the opportune moment to start growing. Once the seed germinates, it spends the first year growing into a bulb. It remains in the bulbous state, ever growing until reaching maturity and flowering into an alraune at around 5 years. 

They do not practice history or keep written records of their exploits. Alraune tales are purely shared by word of mouth and often carry little significance. If anything, their existence is only recorded by the faint whispers of the forest. 

Society

Although they don't form societies or even groups in the traditional sense of the word, alraune are still a part of nature and are willing to share their territory with allies if they find that this could be beneficial to themselves. Should their domain become endangered, they will fight alongside others to regain control. Alraune regard Druids highly, finding their ways with nature inspiring and fitting. Among the classes, druids are popular for them, and alraunes mostly respect their ways with the forests enough to not meddle in their business. 

Alraunes tend to shy away from other races, hiding in the deeper parts of the forest - Should they come across a human it's often only from the treetops or as an inconspicuous form within their bulbs. There have been a few cases in which alraune have left the security of their forests with adventurers for a reason known only to them. It is possible that they left to gain experience and knowledge to bring back to their home one day because they have lost everything in a forest fire, or that their seclusion in an ancient forest is endangered. 

In the inns, towns, and fields near the vast forests that alraune call home you may hear whispers of stories where adventures were taken captive by the alraune - where they were entangled and slowly digested until not even their bones were left. It is also speculated that consuming humans might be an important part of creating an offspring for alraune, as their origin is connected to the deceased. 

Alraunes can be classified into three distinct strains: 

• Sunflower Alraune are usually good and gentle towards other races, bravely approaching them when they stumble into their territory. Their radiant smile and playful nature is their most common characteristic as well as their tendency to invite others to play in the sun. It is because of this that their relationships with other races are the brightest of all the strains.
• Rose Alraune, while not as friendly, are easily the most charismatic of the strains. This natural Charisma and ability to beguile humans make them significantly more dangerous than the cheerful sunflower alraune. They are prideful and romantics to the core, in search of dedicated and faithful humanoids that keep them company. Those chosen by a rose alraune are charmed and carried deep into the forest, where they worship and tend to the rose alraunes needs.
• Venus Alraune do not typically actively search for relationships with other races. They are the most territorial and predatorial of the three strains and seem to have a particular preference for meat. They are adept at stealth and mobility, hiding in the deep foliage in wait for their prey or swinging from the treetops and pouncing on their unaware victim.

Alraune Names

The alraune are not born with names, but borrow ones from gnomes, elves, plants of the forest and even simple concepts.
Male: Glaemir, Bryn, Columbine, Del, Eldon, Erky, Mandrake, Solar, Vega, Red, Blue, Azule, Mandarin, Oak, Birch, Bark, etc
Female: Breena, Carlin, Drusilia, Enna, Keyleth, Rose, Venus, Lux, Flora, Red, Blue, Azule, Ivy, Rosemary, Lily, Thorn, Umbra, etc

Alraune Traits

A race of plant-like flower-people. Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom score increases by 2. 
Age. As a sprouting seed, the alraune grow within the bulb of a particular flower for about 5 years depending on the favourability of the soil, after which they bloom into their mature state. Their bodies don't age after that but instead exhibit signs of age when they are unable to gain the nutrients they need. These signs manifest themselves as wilting vines, moulting leaves and browning skin. They can live up to 750 years before returning to the earth from which they were born. 
Alignment. The alraune are often feral and unpredictable, as wild as the forests they live in, and as such are almost always chaotic. 
Size. An alraune's height is anything 5 to 6 feet on average, and weigh anything from 60 to 120 pounds. Your creature size is Medium. 
Speed. Your base walking speed is 25 feet. 
Alraune Pollen. The alraune produce a powerful pollen with an innate property pertaining to each subrace. As an action, you can release a puff of pollen in a 10-foot radius around yourself or in a 20-foot cone, forcing all creatures in range to make a Constitution saving throw. The DC for this saving throw equals 8 + your Wisdom modifier + your proficiency bonus. On a failure, they come under an effect dependent on your subrace for 1 minute. An affected creature can repeat their saving throw each time they take damage. Once you use your pollen, you can't use it again until after you finish a long rest. 
Floral Rest. Alraune do not need to sleep. Instead, they can root themselves in favorable soil, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day and absorbing nutrients from the soil. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. However, if the soil is not favorable you require a full 8 hours of rest to gain the equivalent of a long rest. As an action, you enter this state, rooting yourself into a patch of soft ground. While in this state your speed is reduced to 0. You can end this state, uprooting yourself as a bonus action. 
Plant. Your creature type is considered to be both humanoid and plant, and you can attempt to hide even when you are only lightly obscured by foliage, heavy rain, falling snow, mist, and other natural phenomena. However, when you take fire damage, you are frightened until the end of your next turn. 
Natural Knowledge. As a part of the forest it is only natural for you to be knowledgeable about the wilderness. You are proficient in the Nature skill. 
Languages. You understand and can speak Common and Sylvan. 
Subrace. You can choose between Sunflower, Rose, and Venus as your subrace. 

Sunflower Alraune

Sunflower Alraune are as distinguishable for their generally bright yellow petals and taller builds as well as their friendly and kind nature. 
Ability Score Increase. Your Constitution score increases by 1. 
Calming Pollen. Creatures affected by your Alraune Pollen act as if under the effect of the calm emotions spell. When you use your Alraune Pollen trait, you can choose which of the two effects to use. 
Brave. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened. 
Solar Affinity. Of all varieties of alraune you are the most proficient at drawing energy from the sun. When you roll hit dice and you are in bright sunlight you gain a bonus to the number of hit points recovered equal to your proficiency bonus times the number of hit dice rolled. In addition, as an action, you can recover a number of hit points equal to your level if you are in bright sunlight. You can recover hit points using this trait once and regain use after you finish a long rest. 

Rose Alraune

Rose alraune have generally darker vines, small protruding thorns, deep red petals and their delicate figures are a testament to their manipulative and controlling natures. 
Ability Score Increase. Your Charisma score increases by 1. 
Aphrodisiac Pollen. Rose alraune produce a light sticky pollen that on contact with creatures acts as a strong aphrodisiac causing those affected by your Alraune Pollen to be charmed for the duration and regard you as a close friend as if affected by the charm person spell. 
Hopeless Romantic. As well as pollen, rose alraune can produce a thick and sweet nectar from their mouths. When it enters the body of a creature via ingestion they must make a Constitution saving throw against your pollen DC or fall unconscious for an hour. While unconscious if the target takes damage they can remake their saving throw to wake up. This property of the nectar disappears after an hour of being outside of an alraune's mouth. Constructs, undead, and creatures with immunity to being poisoned are immune to this effect. You regain use of this trait after you finish a short or long rest. 
Perfect Flower. You have a beautiful appearance, and a voice to match it. You are proficient in the Persuasion skill. 

Venus Alraune

Venus Alraune are smaller and quieter creatures, more solitude in nature than other strains, possessing long, dark vines. They have by far the most varied petal shades but all of them are generally very dark in tone. 
Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 1. 
Silencing Pollen. Venus alraune produce a transparent pollen that when inhaled causes creatures to become mute. Creatures affected by your Alraune Pollen can't speak or vocalize. Additionally, the pollen numbs the senses of affected creatures, causing them to have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks while affected. 
Natural Camouflage. When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to hide in heavy foliage, you are considered to be proficient in the Stealth skill if you are not already, and add double your proficiency bonus to the check, instead of your normal proficiency bonus. 
Vine. Your vines can be extended and retracted for up to 20 feet at will. You can use them to hang from trees while staying hidden, grapple targets at a distance, use and manipulate simple objects and such, however, they are not strong enough to use weapons.