In M'shinni culture, Firstmother was the title given to the humanoid women of the extinct M'shinni precursor species who first entered into a symbiotic relationship with plants. The descendants of the Firstmothers became a distinct species of sentient animals almost completely covered with moss-like plants.
Each Firstmother was the founder of a clan of M'shinni, called a Rootline. These Rootlines became the basis for the organization of M'shinni culture and politics.