Mortasheen - Willoweird

"The Gorgon Tree"

CLASS: BOTANICAL

The eerie "fruit" that sprout from this squat, awkward tree-like monster are composed partially of animal rather than vegetable tissues, complete with their own crude brains and functioning, brightly luminous eyes. Any semi-sentient being meeting the gaze of these unusual growths or the Willoweird itself risks opening a telepathic link with the monster, and may find itself irresistably driven to sample one of these "fruits." Once consumed, these terrible organisms spread their parasitic tendrils throughout the body and rapidly convert the outer flesh of the host into gnarled, leathery wood until completely immobilized. Imprisoned in their own bodies, victims eventually take root and can survive for decades off the nutrients in surrounding soil. These unnatural "trees" are the primary food source of the Willoweird, which drills into the victim with a long, rasping tongue to drain body fluids.

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ART STUFF:

Killer plants are a basic staple of monster design, but I always found them very difficult to come up with ideas for. To round out the creature types I'll be trying to do at least a handful of them.