Genesis and Lifecycle

Anthemia primarily spreads through pollen transmission, primarily affecting those who are badly hurt, chronically injured, frequently ill, and/or experiencing profound emotional pains, including loneliness and heartbreak. The vulnerable become infected by breathing in pollen released by other Petalkin. In united society, most Petalkin have magitechnological implants or enchantments that prevent involuntary pollen production.

The infection manifests differently depending on the nature of the individual's "hurt":

• Physical wounds:  Over 1-2 days, they stop feeling the pain of their wounds. Any persistent or new injuries after that point will bleed less and heal faster, along with bloodied plants growing from the wounds. 5-10 days after infection, with more severe injuries leading to faster transformation, they will no longer shed any blood and the blighting is complete. 

• Emotional wounds: Those afflicted by "heart-wounds" such as loneliness or heartbreak begin coughing up bloody petals within 3 days of infection. They gradually lose their sensation of pain along with the symptoms growing more severe over the course of 1-2 weeks, peaking during the last third of the timeline, where they will cough out full, clean flowers. After this, the symptoms eventually cease and the blighting is complete. If "heart-wounds" are concurrent with physical wounds, symptoms will follow the physical timeline with the addition of coughing up flowers. 

Anthemia has relatively low infectivity under normal circumstances, but Petalkin experience seasonal cycles where infection becomes more likely. During spring (and rarely during other flowering seasons), Petalkin experience a blooming cycle. This manifests differently for different individuals, including but not limited to the following possibilities: 

• The Petalkin becomes unable to suppress their blooming and releases significant amounts of pollen with higher infectivity than usual. 

• The Petalkin experiences something like a mating cycle, where they have increased urges to engage in intimacy and can release aphrodisiac aromatics when excited. These Petalkin will plant seeds in others' bodies, which become a dormant form of infection. If the individual experiences intense or lasting hurt, then the seed will activate and blight them. 

• The Petalkin's body becomes extremely fragile, leading to easily losing fingers and limbs (which grow back in seconds). Where their body parts fall, a small garden of Anthemia flowers will bloom indefinitely. 

The cycle manifests in ways the individual would be least opposed to, though it cannot be completely avoided. More details can be found on the blighted reproduction lore page. 

Petalkin typically have double to triple their original lifespan, though there are rare cases of extreme longevity. They maintain their youthful appearance until death, which feels much like becoming sleepier and sleepier each day until they lay down and cease to wake. They tend to be able to sense when their life is coming to an end. Once they enter their final rest, Anthemia flowers bloom and overtake their body. The body will be completely gone within a week, and the flowers that remain are referred to as an Anthemian Garden. These flowers are infectious, but less so than living Petalkin, and they cannot spread far from the site of where the Petalkin laid to rest.  

Characteristics and Abilities

The most distinct characteristic of Petalkin is their floral regeneration: all physical injuries result in flowers growing from their wounds instead of bleeding. 

• Growth can happen regardless of the kind of injury, including cuts (flowers from wounds), impact (flowers from mouth), and burns (flowers popping up on surface). 

• They may sprout flowers from their mouth and eyes when sad or emotionally hurt, instead of crying. 

• So long as the flowers/plants are still on their body, they can control them, using them for purposes such as self-expression, extra limbs, and weapons. 

• Flower types grown can be influenced by a Petalkin's personal understanding of floral symbolism.

• Flowers can be real or fictional, and have realistic or unnatural colors. Commonly, vines and leaves of plants grown have a particular color for a Petalkin. 

Petalkin do not have any sensation of pain, though they retain other sensations; due to their lack of pain, they tend to injure themselves easily. However, they have extreme regenerative abilities that allow them to recover from nearly any physical injury. 

• Their wounds heal within seconds to minutes, though full incineration or other similar obliteration can still kill them. 

• The flowers they grow will remain on the surface of their skin, though they can fall off easily as well. 

• Their lack of pain and quick regeneration tends to lead them to think little of injuring themselves to access their abilities. They may, for instance, cut the skin of their collar or arms to grow "clothing" made out of the material of petals and leaves. This clothing can have an appearance quite similar to normal clothing if the Petalkin practices with manipulating their plants. 

Petalkin do not need to eat, though they can; they are able to survive on photosynthesis and water. A little sunlight every day can sustain them, or they may bask in the sun for ten hours to last them several months. If they need water, they can injure themselves to grow roots that extract nutrients and water from the soil. During winter months or other times of dark and/or cold, Petalkin do not feel pain from cold or lack of light; they simply become sleepier and softer. They often gather in piles for warmth and mutual grooming (brushing hair, cleaning each other, etc.). 

In their base state, Petalkin do not necessarily have distinct visual characteristics. They can enter a blooming state, however, that has distinct characteristics. They can also manifest minor or specific characteristics of blooming at will, which include: 

• Petal-like "ears," with shapes and colors varying from individual to individual.

• Hair with colors of flower petals; this commonly affects base form for many Petalkin. 

• Eyes with unusual colors and pupil shapes.

• Hair that behaves like controllable vines, able to grow, shrink, and move at will.

• Flowers blooming in their hair. 

• Small claws. 

The flowers they bloom may also release aromatics based on their emotional state. These are magical-biochemical compounds that induce effects in other beings regardless of species, though they are much less effective for non-biological species. For example, a Petalkin can: 

• release an aromatic that improves mood when they are happy. 

• release aromatics that attract other Petalkin but repel others when they are sad.

• release a sedative aromatic when they are in extreme distress, which has a calming effect on themself and a paralytic effect on others. 

• release an aphrodisiac aromatic when they are aroused. 

The intensity can vary, with some individuals generally having more intense aromatics and some releasing lighter ones. They will only be released if flowers are present, such as if they were hurt or in their blooming state. Many Petalkin will manifest their claws to injure themselves if they want to manifest their flowers.