Writing Question... Cavalry Plants!

How about a short-lived animal that grows up from a pappus, the thing you blow off dandelions? The pappus falls to the ground and up springs your mount. The hero carries several flowers for use when they are needed.

Thanks everyone! I love some of the ideas you've given. Going to do more research and play with it, but some great suggestions that might crop up later.

Tao Wong

I get where you're going, but the units are more independent and required to move across a lot of ground which makes it harder.

Tao Wong

Hehehehe. Mushrooms. I haven't played with those yet....

Tao Wong

Oooh, tumbleweed and the dandelion seed are great ideas.

Tao Wong

Well Ents are slow but they do move

Donncha crowley

Ents from Lord of the Rings

Donncha crowley

As they develop or the commander's abilities develop, could spread mycelium across the entire battlefield or area for fast communications and knowledge of all ground based enemies as they move.

Richard

Benefit of restricting enemy movement or even pulling them underground to hide bodies.

Richard

I like tumbleweed. Giant version to break enemy formations and tangle them up.

Richard

Fast moving root or mycelium based unit? Big roots that curn the earth for the formation breaking component of cavalry. Small roots or mycelium based unit for the scouting and patrol aspect.

Richard

Giant boars and the nursery would be a glade with a stream?

Bobby Garman

I have followed a story where the MC has wood element calvary by have plants shaped like horses with riders. I feel like if you went that way, people might think you be copying that author's plot device. Story is Legend of Randidly Ghosthound. The riders are from a skill. MC ignores them most of the time, lets them develop on their own. Tumbleweeds that develop their own wind for movement could be fascinating. Never seen that in a story. Growing up in Idaho, wind blown tumbleweeds hurt when they hit you.

Being a desert rat: tumbleweeds are my go to mobile units.

personally I would find an elemental wooden horse kinda uninspired they would need something on top of it to be deadly so a horse centaur or really any beast form that is fast but has natural weapons, could be any form of fantastic beast maybe a unicorn with a lance, for an horn, or something like a large tiger, or stag. A tree sentinel from eldenring would be good kinda but not really fitting you from what I understand. Lastly when this is about wood or plant types two more ideas for plants. A fast growing plant with air born seeds a bit like paratroopers really or dragoon, something like accorn or dandelion. a unit that can deploy quickly. For quick charges I would say Tumbleweed or something that is highly elastic, and hardy like dogwood. A nursery, could be a nursery, or well a coldframe or raised bed maybe both get used sometimes to plant things earlier in the growing season.

Han Pol

As for the suggestion for name of place to grow wood elementals Play off of: Arboretum

Ideas: 1: use vines or algae to form horse/sea horses. 2: have flower rotate and work like helicopter or airplane to pull forward. This could also act as a weapon or umbrella for floating. 3: if it’s for multiple creatures. Maybe use mushrooms with a hive mind(one brain) so the cavalry thinks and works together in unison.

The Growing Grove for the nursery?!

Why could it not be a vine monster like kudzu that grows so fast and attacks quickly? Arboretum for a nursery?

Kyle J Smith

Maybe a living wood armor and/ or weapons? Conjured when needed? Would be very convenient I imagine. For the nursery, Mother Tree?

Andre A

Maybe a wood elemental creature like: https://magicuntapped.com/media/k2/items/cache/19f9cefdfb07230a68581d617885a3af_L.jpg or https://64.media.tumblr.com/25bb1866e16250051b3d584c191ff521/3e3b516900f693a5-3f/s540x810/35d4d453eda7f9f8a939e67394c0cf6bd8f79113.jpg Not sure about the nursery. Though the word nursery actually is used for plant nurseries. Maybe something with the word Arboretum in it (though that is something that is a collection of trees and not all plants)

Patrick