ooohh can u share some of ur enderman headcanons (if u want) id love to hear them
Hey hey!! I would love to tell you some of my hcs :D This turned out a lot more ramble-y than just succinct bullet points, but... here they are~! 💜
- Ender pearls. What are they? Endermen sometimes drop them, and piglins trade them with players, presumably from nether-dwelling Endermen they've hunted.
- I hc ender pearls are a form of magic that makes up the "essence"/energy of an enderman -- when an Enderman is alive? Their pearl is not a physical object, but rather an energy flow that is part of their body's functions. Easy access to this abundant energy is what allows an Enderman to teleport, why they emit particles, why the Ender Dragon can breathe lasting, magical flame, etc.
- As we can see via an Enderman's purple eyes and purple particles, as well as the Ender Dragon's breath, active magic is purple. However, when an Enderman dies, the remainder of their magic coalesces and forms a solid, dormant pearl... which is teal.
- Having established these color points, may I bring your attention to the End Portal? And to Eyes of Ender? Both of these objects are mostly teal-colored, like the dormant Ender magic of an ender pearl. How is it, then, that these objects have powers? (Eyes of Ender float towards the portal/the End, and the portal is, well... a fully-functional, dimensional portal)
- I propose a sort of artificial re-activation of the Ender magic is possible: sudden, abrupt force which causes a small explosion of energy (AKA why chucking an ender pearl teleports you), or fire 🔥, which causes a more sustained re-activation and turns the magic purple again. Eyes of Ender are created by combining blaze powder with ender pearls, and the End portal sits over lava, which occasionally throws out embers. Creating a permanent, fully-stable dimensional portal takes a lot of OOMPH, so that's why 12 Eyes are needed to spark the energy. Eyes are also somewhat unstable on their own (sometimes they explode after floating, ey?) so take care not to jostle or bump them too roughly, or you may be in for a fiery surprise!
↑ This is the texture change I mentioned I my rambles -- just a little thing that looks pretty and goes with the "active Ender magic is purple" Lore :D
- On to physical ender pearls themselves!
- Ender pearls are a sort of..... egg? I guess? They are the method by which new Endermen are created. In order to naturally re-awaken an ender pearl, it must be patiently incubated in an active source of Ender magic -- like in a nest of Dragon's breath, or simply by being close to a live Enderman. Over time, as the pearl is incubated, it will grow a sort of... dark skin around it. This skin will continue to grow into the form of an Enderman until the body is large enough to sustain a stable flow of active energy. And then.... congratulations! Issa babby Enderman! 🎉🎈
- Unfortunately, sometimes things go wrong. As seen with Eyes of Ender, Ender magic is somewhat temperamental and fickle. Sometimes, things that shouldn't happen, happen. Sometimes, as an Enderman is dying, there is not enough magic to coalesce into a pearl, and the magic fades, and no more Endermen will ever be born of that pearl. Sometimes, there is Not Enough magic to bear an Enderman, and an Endermite is born instead (this is why Endermen are so hostile to Endermites -- that tiny, writhing, helpless creature on the ground was once their friend. They nursed that pearl, desperately, back into a living being... but their friend will never be again). Sometimes, there is Too Much magic, and a horrible terror like the Ender Dragon is born. Thank the stars that this is a rarity.
- Oof, okay, uh... that one was a bit intense. How about something light-hearted? Chorus fruit can be mashed down into a purple dye, and end stone is somewhat porous and holds the dye well without rain in The End to wash it out. End cities are much more prosperous and populated than what we see in-game, and are lavishly constructed with obsidian and this purple end stone (sorry purpur, but you are..... Not pretty), along with splashes of colors from dyes and various blocks Endermen have brought back from the Overworld. Each Enderman's home/nest is unique to them, as favored blocks and colors vary. If I had any building skills I'd love to build an example, but alas..................