MORE THAN A NAME
The story of Budbun.
The Budbun line follows the flowering paths of Heartwood. Long petal-lined ears, a layered blossom tail, and lively hind legs develop alongside a generous support temperament; mature golden buds reveal the line's secondary Spark character.
Pollencross holds its relay when the orchard flowers and the far meadow flowers overlap. No one can set the date in advance. Gardeners watch the first Budbun disappear beneath the blossoms and return with its nose dusted in bright pollen. The youngest participants carry empty baskets, learning to walk beside the hares without bending the stems. Experienced Petalop choose their own jumps between stepping stones laid through the beds.
One season, the orchard bloomed early while the far meadow still slept. The relay became a waiting festival: baskets were repaired, stones were reset, and a Bloomleap kept visiting a sheltered patch beneath the northern wall. When that patch finally opened, pollen could travel through it in stages. The Floravel that now leads the spring circuit pauses beside the wall every year. The pause is part of the celebration, acknowledging that a successful relay depends on when the next garden is ready.
Origins & background
Heartwood's orchards and wild meadows do not always flower together. The line moves between them as blossom availability changes, carrying pollen in the fine growth around its ears and tail. Mature Spark buds gather a subtle visible charge, but gardeners value the creatures chiefly for careful movement. Their flower-shaped tail growth is part of the animal rather than a plant picked for decoration.
A PLACE TO BELONG
Life in Heartwood.
Flower meadows, sunny orchards, and sheltered pollinator gardens..
Behavior
Budbun greet familiar companions with short sideways hops and inspect flowers before landing beside them. Adults pause between visits to groom pollen from their faces. They avoid a heavily trampled bed and often begin a new route at the quietest patch of surviving blossoms.
Diet
Flower nectar, tender stems, fallen orchard petals, clover, and soft seed heads. They feed selectively, leaving enough flowering growth for insects and later visitors to use.
Place in the ecosystem
The line links isolated flowering patches that smaller pollinators rarely cross. Gentle traffic around established landing stones also concentrates footfall, helping the surrounding meadow remain varied and lightly disturbed.
Neighbors & bonds
Mossprig keep tall grasses from crowding the meadow's smaller flowers. Dewbulb maintain damp edges where late blossoms persist, and Fernip occasionally guide a traveling Petalop between separated gardens after the daylight routes become busy.
ONE BOND, FOUR CHAPTERS
The Budbun lineage.
Evolution combines experience with a meaningful milestone. A WildKin may keep its current form until its keeper is ready.
Budbun Current
A cream-colored hare balances on powerful little haunches beneath long green ears with copper petal insets. A compact purple flower surrounds its golden tail center. It explores through short hops, frequently stopping to investigate pollen caught on its own muzzle.
Petalop ↗
Longer ears bow above a more balanced upright body, and additional tail petals overlap into a fuller bloom. It develops dependable landing habits and begins connecting neighboring flower beds, waiting for companions to reach a clear stepping stone before moving again.
Bloomleap ↗
Golden charged buds brighten the tips of tall petal-lined ears. Its hindquarters grow stronger while the layered tail flower opens wider. This form visits separated patches with purpose, carrying the traces of one garden into the next while remaining attentive to a tired partner.
Floravel ↗
Broad shoulder petals join a fully layered flower tail beneath long, expressive ears tipped in gold. Its upright posture is poised rather than hurried. It organizes a flowering circuit through repeated visits, allowing sheltered late blooms to become useful links between distant meadow patches.
INSTINCT & ELEMENT
How it holds its own.
Pollinator Bond
The first support move used on a new ally each battle is slightly stronger.
Bloom Relay
GroveLeap to an ally and leave a blossom that restores a small amount of health.
A WildKin equips up to four moves. Its secondary element joins at Prime, alongside its signature move. Read the battle and evolution rules →
FROM THE KEEPER’S NOTEBOOK
Meeting in the wild.
- 01
Visit when orchard and meadow flowers begin overlapping.
- 02
Wait beside a clear landing stone rather than among the stems.
- 03
Restore a small flowering patch before asking a hare to follow.
“The relay's smallest participant carried an empty basket and looked disappointed. By afternoon, every flower she had carefully avoided was still standing for the next visitor.”— Hearthwild field notes