✿ charms & charmed
While all cossetlings can do magic, charms are a specific ability granted by a specific spell. Cossetlings with charms are considered to be apart of the Charmed subtype. These charmed cossetlings can do things those without charms cannot. What can they do? It can be quite varied!
✿ This page catalogs all available charms.
✿ charm: herald
Affects: Cosprouts
A herald is a cosprout infused with magic from a cossetling they have bonded with. As a result, their form changes to match the cossetling along with heightened durability, increased magic, and speech! (Although their speech consists of little warbles similar to animalese, they’re perfectly understandable to cossetlings and other cosprouts.)
Historically, a herald was meant to be a scout for space-travestying cossetlings and “heralded” their arrival to a new world. Nowadays, heralds are typically used as messengers and/or representatives for charmed cossetlings. They can also just be pampered pets.
Because of their nature, heralds can be used in prompt and gallery submissions instead of a cossetling.
Any cossetling can have a lamba herald with no item/pet requirement. This is because cossetlings have a natural affinity towards as lambas as, despite everything, they're sheep(ish) too! And lambas are not only the most common cosprout, they're also the easiest to befriend.
Because any and every cossetling can have a lamba herald, they're not considered charmed and would not get a gratitude bonus versus a cossetling with a non-lamba herald. Still, lamba heralds are heralds and can be used in prompt and gallery submissions instead of a regular cossetling.
Do note, heralds without an approved cossetling (CSP-###) are ineligible for prompt submissions that require a cossetling (or herald). Submissions to prompts with herald only base requirements or general gallery submissions are fine.
How to obtain:
Once you have a Sprout Manual, open it and select a binding charm for the cosprout of your choice. Once you complete the spell, go to the profile of the cossetling you want to give a herald to and select ‘Update Design’ under ‘Settings’ on the sidebar.
Click ‘Create Request’. Upload a transparent image of the herald under ‘Masterlist Image’ (credit accordingly), under ‘Add-ons’ attach your herald bell, under ‘Traits’ select 'Cosprout' under 'Species', and then the corresponding herald from the ‘Charm’ dropdown menu. Make sure to leave the listed traits as is!
Once you’re done, submit and wait for approval. After the herald is approved, they will be displayed under the 'Herald' tab on your cossetling's profile and then can be used in prompt/gallery submissions. Enjoy your new herald!
If you have a charmed MYO slot with a herald (Tier 2), select 'Submit MYO Design' under 'Settings' on the sidebar and the follow the typical steps as outlined in the MYO guide. Don't select a charm as that's meant for the herald itself! Once your cossetling is approved, their herald will be displayed under the 'Herald' tab as stated above.
If you have a tier 1 herald (CSP-###) and would like to submit their cossetling's design, select 'Update Design' under ‘Settings’ on the sidebar. Follow the typical steps but make sure to attach your MYO item under 'Add-ons'. Under 'Traits' select 'Cossetling' under 'Species', select 'Charmed' under 'Species Subtype', and deselect the herald charm by clicking 'Select Charm' under 'Charms'. Unless you have added souvenirs for additional traits, leave the listed traits as is!
Remember, the cossetling's design must be similiar to the herald. This means same flower/leaf, Watcher's Eye shape, traits, colors, etc. After all, heralds are meant to look like their cossetlings!
✿ More Information on heralds
Heralds are essentially custom cosprouts who match with cossetlings. This means a herald must look similar to their cossetling. This includes having the same color palette, patterns/markings, flower/leaf tail, horn change/addition, and small matching accessories. Heralds do not have a Watcher's Eye. Instead, the center of their flower/leaf tail has a symbol that's the same shape of their cossetling's Watcher's Eye.
Heralds can use the same traits as their cossetling friend and traits do not have to look exactly the same on a herald as they do on a cossetling. They could be minimal, maximal, or not appear at all.
Despite the new form, heralds must still look like cosprouts. When designing a herald, remember to avoid realistic and anthro depictions. The masterlist image can drawn by you or by another properly-credited artist. The transparent image should be .PNG and the herald should be fully visible. Shading/CG painting is fine.
Any cosprout (seasonal or not) can be a herald while special cosprouts cannot (as they've already changed their form!).
Though heralds can be redesigned while redesigning their cossetling, they cannot be replaced. (That would be mean...) As of right now, cossetlings can only have one herald so choose wisely!