The Veluten are living fungal people who view the world through the lens of growth and decay. Emerging from the mulch of ancient forests; they provide a unique perspective on the cycle of life. They offer players a chance to embody a character literally rooted in the natural world; possessing an alien biology that turns death into a source of vitality.

Veluten possess rubbery; flexible skin that lacks any hair or a traditional skeletal structure. They rely on dense fibrous stalks and internal turgor pressure for movement. A broad fungal cap usually sprouts from the crown of their head; serving as a sensory organ and a collector of moisture. Their eyes are large; liquid pools of solid color without pupils; often matching the hue of their under-gill bioluminescence.

They operate through a collective biological memory known as the Root-Song. While each Veluten is an individual with distinct thoughts; they feel the chemical tug of the Mycelium Net; which allows them to share basic emotional states across their colonies. They value preservation and the recycling of resources; often appearing pragmatic to the point of being perceived as cold by shorter-lived species.

Most Veluten follow the philosophy of the Great Cycle; believing that death is merely the preparation for the next harvest. They lean toward Neutral alignments; as they view the conflicts of law and chaos as temporary disturbances in the soil of history. They rarely worship gods; preferring to revere the primal forces of decomposition and regrowth.

Their cities are grown rather than built; consisting of massive hollowed puffballs and reinforced tree roots shaped by centuries of careful cultivation. They do not use fire for warmth; instead relying on phosphorescent moss and bioluminescent spores to illuminate their light-less dwellings. Their homes are often found nestled in the dampest; darkest pockets of the world.

They are often viewed with suspicion by the surface races who fear the dark and the decay. However; they are steadfast allies to druidic circles and subterranean dwarves. They find elves to be far too sentimental about individual living things; whereas the Veluten focus on the health of the entire ecosystem as a single organism.