What is a flowermaid, you ask? Flowerkin are little humanoid critters who prefer a mixture of meadowlands and fairly open forests of large trees for their habitats. Their name is thought to have three potential sources: The first, and most likely, is that unlike most animals they have photosynthetic capability. On their backs are leaf-like organs which expand via hydrostatic pressure to form a flower-like structure when at rest during daylight hours to absorb sunlight. Their greenish skins, which become greener when exposed to the sun, are also marked with multicolored spots that resember flowers, and finally they supplement the energy they obtain from the sun by drinking nectar from the outsize flowers that are common in their world. These vegetarians also consume fruit, nuts and some vegetables, some of which they gather, and some they grow, and drink milk from the tiny goat-like creatures they graze in their meadows. Most are not particularly fond of grains but will eat bread if offered, particularly if the baked good in question is sweet.

In addition to be green and flowermarked, a silverly, translucent down covers the skin, and is especially thick along the spine and lower legs. There are facial markings which I haven't quide decided on yet. The tail, which gives the flowerkin excellent balance, is ringed with bands of two or three colors, and usually tipped with the darkest. The hair is bright and usually multicolored.

The hands are small and nimble. In motion, flowerkin hop rather than run, move swiftly, climb well, and are agile jumpers on the ground or in the treetops. Timid, they will run from a percieved threat but will fight if cornered. They bite hard, and a kick from flowerkin's sharp clawed foot is powerful enough to disembowel a human being. Their delicate, nervous natures make it very easy for them to faint when badly frightened, or die from stress in captive situations.

Flowerkin reproduction is marsupial-like, with the newborn spending up to a year in the mother's pouch. They have four teats; two in the pouch, and two on the thorax. A flowerkin mother may have a babe at her side still nursing, one in the pouch, and another inside. She can also control reproduction by dropping a small stone into her pouch. The stimulation it provides tricks the body into thinking there a baby in the pouch, so the baby in the uterus stops developing and remains in a static state within its mother's body until the object is removed. A pregnancy can be suspended this way for a decade or more without harming their offspring.

Hybrid Information: Flowerkin cannot cross breed with humans. Unions between flowermen and human women never produce offspring, and the offspring of flowermaids and human men fail to thrive, perishing a few hours after leaving their mother's womb. They can hybridize with with a closely related but carnivorous species (not yet named), but they do not do so willingly because these creatures are less intelligent, brutish and are more likely to seek flowerkin as food than potential mates. It is rumored they can also mix successfully with Ghostbirds, a large, winged, arborial, egg-laying people native to the densest forest, which occassionally take mates of other species due to the genetic conditions they can suffer from. Ghostbirds looking to cross out can usually court humans, elves or one of the many other beings they can mix with with more success than shy flowerkin.

As for Kiana her, she has magenta, aqua, violet and yellow markings. Her tail is white and aqua, it's tip purpleish. Her hair is flamigo red wit streaks of magenta and electric blue. Her eyes are gold.

Animal influences for this creation include the tree kangaroo, the sugarglider, and the ring-tailed lemur.