Tk’abbir

Tk’abbir
Tk’abbir have been in Owasiwa from the moment the first souls found their first bodies. Tk’abbir, sometimes called Ticks or Teaks by others, are a bit of an anomaly among races. Tk’abbir are a spawned race, and their kind continue to spawn fairly regularly around plant oriented Behemoths and densely planted areas in general. Wild Tk’abbir, as called by outsiders, are when two completely normal plants in proximity of each other begin to develop a basic sentience. It is not clear what triggers this but it is a common enough phenomenon. As the sentience in the two plants grows, a bond forms between them, linking their souls together. Eventually, sometime when their sentience reaches a maturity that is somewhat equivalent to that of an adult in other races, an internal choice is felt in both of the plants. The choice always feels roughly the same among the pairs; Stay exactly as you are, or make a sacrifice for growth and freedom. If one member of the pair chooses to make the sacrifice, the choice is made for both. This choice causes their bound souls to merge into one, and the additional energy given off by this merger causes a rapid growth into new physical forms. The pair will take on forms similar to their type of plant, but will grow and become mobile. One member of the pair, the sacrificing pair, will grow physically larger and stronger than the other, but in doing so, loses much of their intelligence. The other member will grow more intelligent, gain the ability to speak, but be physically smaller and weaker.

Tk’abbir, being of one soul, cannot have secrets from one another. Their minds are always in unison, though many still choose to communicate physically with one another. Being so joined, if one dies, both die. Tk’abbir are not very common in Oasis, but are fairly common along the Lapis River, and extremely common within the Viridescent Shield.

Physical Appearance
Tk’abbir always come in pairs, though they do not have to have come from the exact same type of plant as each other. They will always have obvious physical characteristics of their plant origin, but their structural forms are as wide and varied as plants themselves. Some might be bipedal, others, quadrupedal, some might fly, some swim. It is also common for Tk’abbir’s appearance to change based on seasons, if such occurs in their origin plant species.

Psychology
There isn’t much terribly in common among the Tk’abbir beyond the desire to live among the heavily planted areas of Owasiwa and unyielding loyalty to their other halves. Beyond that, they are terribly varied and differing. Many of them in the Viridescent Shield will often be a bit harsher and battle hungry due to the nature of the environment, while those living along the Lapis River might be more peaceful. It should be noted that Tk’abbir pairs do not refer to themselves as we to outsiders, but always will amongst themselves.

Reproduction
Those called Wild Tk’abbir spawn as they gain sentience, but Tk’abbir can also mate among their kind too. Tk’abbir can have male and female sexes, as well as being hermaphroditic. Tk’abbir mating is an intimate affair involving at least two separate pairs, but can include more. It can come in many differing styles, depending on the physical structures of the individual Tk’abbir, though pollination and sexual reproduction are among the most common. Once fertilization is reached, seeds will be deposited into fertile soil and watched over by the parents. It should be noted that Tk’abbir cannot successfully mate within their same pair.

Aging
Tk’abbir can live for around 100 years, achieving maturity in 1 year. Tk’abbir that are born, instead of spawned, will always be born in pairs from a single seed. Many Tk’abbir will take on the signs of age common in plants, be it yellowing of leaves, loss of limbs, etc.

Abilities
Plant oriented nourishment – Tk’abbir can achieve nourishment from the sun, from water, and from the consumption of minerals. Some do this through temporary rooting in soil, others will physically consume soil, or traditional food.
Plant oriented regeneration – Tk’abbir can regenerate large portions of their bodies if they still have access to nutrition, sunlight, and water.

Languages
Tk’ab – A language made of a combination of spoken word and plant pheromones. This is a side by side language, so that one pair of Tk’abbir may speak simultaneously to another pair.

Tk’abbir Native – This language allows the Tk’abbir to speak through pheromones with the plants that they originated from. And while it is physically done through pheromones, their brains translate it into a context they understand.