“Ah, Swog, the Bloatborn’s secret to happiness…
If only humility were brewed the same way.”
– Councilmember Smarlu

In the extravagant world of the Bloatborn elite, the stoic SPOREBORN serve silently as gardeners, chefs, butlers, maids, chauffeurs and confidants… of the strictly one-sided variety, of course.

Endearingly known as “the help,” they prune hedges, fluff pillows, whisk soufflés, and concoct alchemical hangover cures with practiced invisibility, their spores involuntarily revealing emotions deemed grotesque by their corpulent employers.

Their origin remains a mystery, with no Pūka deity to claim them, a fact most Magonians never let slide, earning them labels like “Fungaloids,” a slur spoken with conviction even by strangers. 

By decree of the Bloatborn elite’s Council of Radiance and Panache (CRAP), the Sporeborn are forbidden from owning Bulas or property, tethering them to muck fields and servitude thinly veiled as ordained generosity from their “benevolent benefactors.”

“They’re simply too lazy to realize we’re not just stirring soup, but the pot too…”
– Erlu, Sporeborn Nutritionist

Rebellion is swiftly crushed, not just by threats of death but by a resigned embrace of their muted existence. Yet, when twilight falls, the Sporeborn retreat to the Heart of Thalu, a phosphorescent fungal favela and sanctuary where their community truly thrives.

Fungal festivals burst with vigorous dancing and communal storytelling of a life less seen, yet deeply felt. The festivities offer an escape from Muribog’s misery; because why not dance with despair? Which probably explains their slender figures, or perhaps that’s just malnutrition.

Here, the Council of Nine meditates on the frequent disappearances of their kin and quashes any whispers of uprising. Not that anyone tries; the Sporeborn’s acceptance of their subdued life is nearly absolute, save for the whispered “what if” shared through common roots.

Also known as: Tall grays, wights

Patron god: Unknown

Banner: The Vial Emission

Magonian region: Brackmire

Capital: Thalu

Legendary astra: Proctoss, the Bungal Glove

Notable figures: Councilmember Smarlu, Erlu, Telu & Avlu, Elder Ghulu, Elder Gromliss, Sebliss

Points of interest: The Heart of Thalu, Thalu Community College

Favored steed: Chiggypigs

Whomp’Em team: Not applicable

Inspiration and author’s notes

Sick of the CRAP? So are the Sporeborn. Subscribe today to make sure you don’t miss out my personal notes, inspiration and character design commentary behind the Sporeborn — to be revealed at a future date!