innercactus | GW2 OC: Asteffiel (NO usually follows, but that isn't his name)

place for me to keep track of things.

THIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR LIVING WORLD SEASON 4 OF GUILD WARS 2.

Currently :
Nicknames
Random Headcanons + Sylvari Wiki Info
Asteffiel Appearance

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

innercactus

Asteffiel tends to manage to not grasp people's names anymore

Sylvari will be nicknamed based on what plant they most "resemble".

Flesh races are harder. Colors tend to be a thing there, as well as race. (hamsters, cats....)

From:

preciousmemories

shhh Tatara is a replacement for Vi

Aechmea Fulgens discolor albo-marginata so this

don't think Vi's called coralberry though pffft

that specific discolor is purple-y

Edited Date: 2015-01-26 01:19 am (UTC)

From:

eyesearingly

Pulmonaria like these.

Basically known for spotted leaves, some hair/spines, and pale blue-pink flowers.

... Aka a form of lungwort.

From:

innercactus

Flower to represent Mychaele - Hibiscus. Means delicate beauty. c:

From:

notsogrimreaper

Can't think of a particular plant, but Ryoji wears a lot of yellow and black, and tends to be energetic on the outside, and more melancholy inside. He will be super excited regardless of what nickname he gets though!

From:

innercactus

My first thought was clearly he is a bumblebee. Congratulations, bumblebee-

From:

notsogrimreaper

Oh goodness, he'll definitely love that.

From:

innercactus

Robin Redbreast -> Redbird. He tried.
Axel -> Apple. A at the begining, L at the end, and he's got red hair and green eyes. Totally apple colors.
Fenris -> Ferris. Ferrous was wrong, because Fenris ends with a "ris".
Landon -> Landing. Landon drives the ship. ITS TOTALLY CLOSE.
~~Colette~~ -> Sunflower.
Vanyel -> Handbell. Similar sounds for the win?

Edited Date: 2015-07-29 03:00 am (UTC)

From:

innercactus

For when I think of things that I should collect here
Will include other's headcanons and things off the wiki!

From:

innercactus

Straight from Wiki Stuff:

The sylvari are omnivorous humanoid plants. Some sylvari closely resemble humans but with a fey cast to their features such as tilted eyes and pointed ear tips; most display plantlike features such as hard wood for bone structure, have foliage and petals for hair, and bark acting as flesh. They glow during the night. Sylvari don't have hearts; golden sap moves through their veins instead of blood and pollen falls off of them as they move. They are much more slender than the average human and about a head shorter. Sylvari utilise photosynthesis as a "meditative supplement", but most of their nutrition comes from food just like any other race. They have fully functioning digestive systems and their excrement is something like mulch. Sylvari do in fact have thermoreceptors as referenced by a sylvari explorer in the Grove. She states that she dislikes Hoelbrak as it is too cold, however Explorer Syllia states that the cold does not affect sylvari.

Sylvari emerge fully formed from golden or cyan fruit pods which grow on the branches of the Pale Tree. While many scholars now speculate on the sylvari's humanoid appearance, the original explanation was that the Pale Tree based it on her knowledge of Ronan, creating an abstract image of human biology. Malyck, who was born from a different tree, cast doubt upon the accuracy of this explanation, and the matter is considered unresolved. Sylvari gender is selected by the Pale Tree prior to each individual's emergence, and is distinguished by the same general features as human genders, and although they can mate they cannot reproduce. It is unknown if the sylvari die of old age, as so far they have only died through violence, poison, or disease and show no signs of aging. Wounded Sylvari can regrow parts of themselves, though never to the strength of the original part. Whether this applies to limbs or just petals, is uncertain. They heal at the same general rate as humans; and Sylvari who suffer extensive wounds, like those of Malomedies, may scar forever. All sylvari have luminescent cells in their skin, causing them to glow in the dark.

Prior to emergence they share a bond through the Pale Tree which they call the Dream of Dreams. In this dream, a growing sylvari is exposed to the consciousness of the Pale Tree and the vast pool of knowledge accumulated by all previous sylvari. When a new one emerges, a portion of this knowledge remains with them, including basic wisdom and understanding from the Pale Tree and a small fraction of what other sylvari have seen and experienced, though this rarely includes specific memories. After emergence, the bond with the Pale Tree is weaker but it links all sylvari and, to an extent, other plants. On rare occasion, twins can emerge from the same pod and they exhibit a greater empathy toward one another.

The sylvari are immune to Zhaitan's magic in Orr. This was first thought to be because they were protected by the Pale Tree or the Dream, but in fact it was because they are already technically servants of Mordremoth, and dragon minions cannot be corrupted by other dragons.

Sylvari can be Awakened.

From Sylvari: Physiology

Edited Date: 2020-06-28 07:23 am (UTC)

From:

innercactus

Sylvari biology is very different from any other race. They do not have internal organs, but instead are formed of growing plant matter, sap for blood, leaves and bark for skin. A jaw, for example, can be formed by leaves, vines, or even shards of bark that grow and press together to form the silhouette, but if you look closely you can still see the fibers and holes of the structure. Instead of bones, an arm is a mass of tightly-woven stems and leaves that work together to do the work of such a limb.

Many scholars hypothesize as to why the sylvari look human-like at all instead of having a monstrous form, such as other “vegetable” races possess. Some suggest that the Pale Tree saw mostly humans during her youth. Individuals such as Ronan, who planted the seed, and others around the Pale Tree may have been physical role models for her eventual children. A popular asura theory is that the Pale Tree was planted on the graves of Ronan’s daughter and his ruined village, and their ”discorporate mass” was absorbed into the ground. The Pale Tree took nourishment from that soil, and therefore, the Sylvari are predisposed to be shaped in a humanoid manner.

Sylvari do sleep, and they can eat both meat and vegetables. They drink, as other races do, and they get tipsy on alcoholic beverages. They gain enjoyment from sitting in the sunlight—and it invigorates them—but can’t live on it as plants do. Their blood is a sticky sap, and though they can bleed, they do not have blood pressure or a pulse.

No one knows how long the sylvari live. The oldest of their race are the firstborn, all of whom awakened twenty-five years ago. Sylvari show little signs of growing old, and none have yet died of advanced age. Physically, sylvari are male or female, and the relevant external biology is accurate on both, but they cannot sexually reproduce as the other races do; they have no internal organs capable of creating children. Whether they have their own methods of reproduction outside of the Pale Tree has yet to be seen.

Sylvari grow their armor and much of their clothing. Their bodies create petal-like coverings, vines, and leaves that they shape into pleasing garments. When they wish to remove the garments, they simply shed their petal clothing as a human might cut their hair. Some sylvari wear armor made by other races or weave clothing in a more traditional manner, just out of preference. As an adopted custom, they cover themselves as humans do, concealing certain portions of their anatomy where it seems culturally appropriate.

from Dream and Nightmare

Edited Date: 2020-06-28 07:31 am (UTC)

From:

innercactus

Sylvari can cough and sneeze. There is a Sylvari who is allergic to cats (so they can have allergies). They can blush (go darker "skin" color "turning a darker green"). Have some sort of circulation (gravity? "kneading to get circulation back in her legs"). And yawn, so they breathe via some internal-y thing (layered, more delicate leaf section in torso for ease of air absorption?). fly trap, iboga, jacaranda, pitcher plant eat meat, so Sylvari aren't that weird!!! "she did not blink, and he wondered if the Sylvari did that to reassure the other races". "her eyes were open, and she had long since stopped breathing".

Being in the dark too long makes a Sylvari seem "off", returning to sunlight makes them "full of life" again
Ghosts of Ascalon / In Game NPC Chatter

From:

innercactus

Obviously, no bp/pulse means they don't have a heart organ, so instead they have a tree's vein structures. Grown clothing is technically already "dead", because bleeding clothing would contradict the "changing clothing is like getting a hair cut". Getting a leaf yanked off will sting a little, because it is attached, but not really hurt the way a hair-leaf yanked would hurt. (this is also why the midrib and veins of the leaves he wears is the same color as his skin-)

Growing clothing will make Asteffiel hungry - he did just suddenly put out a bunch of growth, it makes sense. Perfect for mornings, get dressed, suddenly in the mood for breakfast!

"About a head shorter" is bs, he's about average-tall height for both humans and Sylvari (and use of screen caps that the slider range for both Sylvari and Humans is basically the same, sorry ANet story writers). (5'10-6'3, maybe)

As for their lack of internal organs, but still breathing and eating, and with NPC chatter indicating coughing / sneezing, and the books agreeing with breathing as a visible thing, there's probably a similar structure to the human respiratory system in the head and to the throat (for coughing and sneezing). Either this connects to a cavity of leaves that have been designed for better air absorption (I am going to assume CO2, because plants breathe that. Deal with it-), or the layering visible on the Sylvari (and more pronounced with the glow) is the gaps into the protected "lung leaves", and the nose/mouth don't actually go further than the throat for air displacement via coughing.

This could mean that CPR from Sylvari doesn't work. Or maybe both of these are options and it changes based on how the Sylvari looks? And aqua-breathers get more complex for Sylvari or something, because I like that layering idea. /oops bodyhorror…

Either way, this version of "lung" wouldn't be as fragile as the human lungs – the sap just oozes anyway, so there wouldn't be a flood of bleeding cutting off the ability to get air, but drowning is still possible.

Because Sylvari need to eat and drink to survive, it's pretty clear that photosynthesis isn't viable enough (because they do get an energy boost from sunlight, so light does help, and because they don't have roots, they can't get nutrients that way), but again, lack organs for a digestive system, they have something that functions like a stomach. The Sylvari in the novel lists a few plants – venus fly trap, iboga, jacaranda, pitcher plants – that are also carnivorous. However I can't find how iboga eat (they are apparently a psychedelic though-) or how jacaranda do (there is very little on wiki on the 30some types of jacaranda, this is probably why, and my googlefu sucks-), so looking at pitcher plants and venus fly traps-
Pitcher Plants use a waxy interior so anything that falls in can't climb out, combined with: bacteria that is washed in via rain (unlikely), enzymes of its own (fairly likely), helpful insect larva that eat the food, and poo out the nutrients the pitcher plant needs (unlikely, but fascinating on a body horror level), or wild shrews, that fish out what falls in, eat it, and poo the nutrients into the pitcher (also very unlikely). Most likely to be some sort of enzymes and fluid, if go the pitcher plant route.

Downside of this route – making a Sylvari puke would be as easy as turning them upside down. Getting a hit to the stomach – wherever it is – is still very bad.

Venus Fly Trap – usually clamps shut because something tickled it, and continued struggling sets off "time to seal it and dump enzymes on it" reaction. It reads like it basically oxidizes the caught thing until its cells rupture, and mm tasty juices. When it gets nothing tasty anymore, it opens.

Downside – takes about 10 days, would have sealed off their stomach (unless they have multiple, like ten, and cycle through them-), and anything considered "inedible" would remain (insect chitin). Get to leave pellets behind like owls???

Drosophyllum showed up on searching "how do carnivorous plants digest" and offers a sticky surface that insects drown themselves on as they struggle free, which the plant then dissolves and absorbs.

I vote for a Sylvari having to chew a bit longer than a human, and having a "throat" that has the sticky substance that dissolves insects ala fly trap and drosophyllum. OKAY WE HAVE CANON ON WHAT HAPPENS TO FOOD AFTER THEY EAT IT, I guess there's magic plant nonsense involved for most food to turn into mulch

To be honest, it really doesn't surprise me about blinking. The eye and eyelid might just be made of a softer plant material with photosensitive cells to them, so they can see (eye), and movable because humans do that (eye and lids), so they can't dry out because they aren't.. squishy flesh-race eyes. They already have bioluminescent cells here and there soooo-

In terms of bark, I'd expect that they have a muted sense of touch because.. bark for skin, for the most part. Bark can vary, and for areas that need more tactile sense, probably a thinner bark, graduating to sturdier leaves and finally petals for say, finger pads.

Edited (oops canon info updated) Date: 2020-07-19 05:22 am (UTC)