Parlous Green

"Seems funny to say so, but one of the things I fear the most out here is not an animal or an automaton or anything like that. Nope, it's a plant. These dangerous little things are bloodthirsty, tenacious, and hard as all hells to kill. Plus, they move... well, I can't even figure it.""

- Unknown



Parlous Green are carnivorous, plantlike predators that feast on the thoughts of Ninth World residents.

Background
Parlous green are aptly named carnivorous plants that tend to attack with surprise like serpents, or at the very least like serpents with mesmerizing, thought-stealing eyes and flesh-dissolving tentacles instead of teeth. They live inside swam, bogs, and rainforests. Drawing their mass from the plant material and water around them, they'll usually start out as just a bit smaller than a human, but they can grow to twice that size or more over the course of an attack.

Parlous green reproduce through the devouring of the flesh intellect of other creatures. Within their roots, they grow pods in which some of these nutrients (as well as thoughts and memories) are transferred. Over time, a new parlous green develops within the pod, a plant saturated with animal biological matter and intelligence. Typically, the new parlous green will immediately attack its sire, and a pitched battle occurs, sometimes entirely beneath the ground. Inhabitants of regions where parlous green reside know hat a distant but feverish rumbling beneath one's feet, or even a stirring within the shallow waters of a swamp, might entail such a battle brewing. And they also know that means it's time to run. It's dangerous to get in the middle of such a struggle, it's worse to be the first prey for the victorious parlous green that emerges.

Motive:
Hungers for flesh and brain waves

Environment:
Wetlands and damp forests

Health:
18

Damage Inflicted:
6 points

Armor:
2

Movement:
None

Modifications:
Perception as level 7; hides as level 9 in murky, wet areas with plantlife.

Combat:
A parlous green will appear suddenly; rising up out of the musk in which it dwells, and all within short range who see it must make an Intellect defense roll. Those that fail will take 4 points of Intellect damage and stand motionless, staring at the parlous green's tri-lobed eye. (Victims can only take mental actions or make recovery rolls.) The effect will last until either the Intellect damage is restored or the parlous green is no longer within range or out of sight. Worse, those who are standing motionless lose 1 Intellect point each round they remain transfixed as the plant literally drains their thoughts. Those who succeed on their initial Intellect defense roll become immune to the transfixing effect for the rest of the encounter.

The parlous green attacks with its acid-coated mouth tendrils, which can inflict an additional 2 points of damage on a target not wearing any armor.

Once the parlous green is in attack mode, it will draw biological matter and water from the ground from the surrounding area into its forms, gaining 5 points of health per round. This can heal damage it's sustained, but the plant can also exceed its normal health total. It will grow in proportion to its increased health. If a parlous green is 5 ft. tall at health 18, it's 7 ft. tall at health 25 or so, and 10 ft. tall at health 35 or so. The creature can't sustain an attack longer than 10 rounds and thus must either feed or flee b the end of that period. When its attack ends, it will lose its additional health and mass.

If it needs to move around, the parlous green can sink down into the mire in which it festers and emerge from a different location with one mile, as long as that location is suitably wet and verdant. This movement will require the parlous green to spend 2 rounds (one to sink from its current position, the other to rise up from the new one) and to lose all additional health gained during the attack.

Interaction:
A parlous green is pretty crafty but also no more intelligent than an animal predator. It can't be reasoned with.

Use:
Inside the fetid mire of ancient residues mixing with water and plant matter, the parlous green is a perfect surprise for a group of explorers.

Miscellaneous
Braguon sometimes worship parlous green as demon gods. However, they'll usually get eaten for their trouble.

Swamp folk know that, although parlous green are dangerous, when they sink to the ground, they 'll leave behind a growing mass, liek a fleshy fruit, that can be harvested. This is referred to as a toothless husk and is both nutritious and tasty.