Sprout

Sprout is a character in Windrose Everlasting played by Piph.

Sprout is a one-month-old creature with shapeshifting abilities. It cannot speak, but makes noises and is literate enough to write simple phrases down for communication.

### Appearance

Sprout's default appearance is a black blob with stubs resembling arms and legs, and a prehensile question-mark antennae. It wears a porcelain-like mask with what looks like a face on it, but this is confirmed not to be its actual face. It apparently has at least some sort of mouth underneath.

### Backstory

Selene picked up Sprout almost immediately after it was born, taking it with her as she fled some authorities who were chasing her as Firefly. Whilst on a train, Sprout transformed into Ned the guard, startling Selene. He currently travels with her wherever she goes. His motives are unknown, although it is possible he may have simply imprinted on Selene.

### Relationships

Delphi - TBA

Julienne - TBA

Leven - Despite Leven's massive intimidating stature, Sprout is not afraid of Leven and will happily take bread from him, crawl around his workspace, or let Leven pick him up.

Selene - Sprout seems to view Selene as a mother figure, acting very much like a toddler in her care and always going to her when curious or confused about the world around it. He likes to ride on anyone's shoulders, but especially hers, because she lets him "pilot" her by grabbing her bangs like reigns. When asked where he was going after Crossroads, Sprout simply wrote, "Selene." It is possible due to the young age he was picked up that he has imprinted on her like a baby duck might imprint on a human or other animal.

Velvet - While Selene is Sprout's primary caretaker, Velvet is a bit like the more strict parent. She wants to make sure Sprout is healthy and is very distressed when Lunch starts bleeding black ooze. They are mostly on good terms but do have a bit of a genuine rivalry due to each other occasionally spotting the other doing something they'd rather keep secret.

Atticus - Sprout seems to like Atticus because Atticus will play with him and once gave him a lime. When transformed into Lunch, Atticus was unique in that he was the only one who thought Sprout ought to stay transformed in whatever form made him most comfortable, rather than being off-put by Lunch's grossness and strange behavior.

Alphonse - TBA

### Abilities

Sprout can shapeshift, possibly only into a semblance of people he has seen. In his normal form, Sprout has no evident powers so far.

### Ned

Ned is a "town guard" who acts like a tutorial NPC in a video game. He has no technical magical abilities, but can lock people into an overly-long cutscene or use his tutorials to distract enemies. He also has armor and a usable shield.

### Lunch

Lunch is a physically strong "bandit" filled with black ooze that comes out when stabbed. He reveals that he and presumably Ned are still aware of Sprout while transformed, as he references several times that Sprout is very unhappy to be in his form. However, he still believes the boss of Cronch and Gunch to be his boss as well, very enthusiastically greeting him after brawling against his robot.