Bring me a shrubbery...

UNDERGROWTH (#26/31, #300/365) [TTHA]

Appearance: This curious carnivorous plant resembles a leafy bush that will begin to quiver when approached by potential prey. Long thorn-clad creepers will then shoot out to grab prey and drag it into the creature’s screaming feeding-pit, at the centre of the ‘bush’.

Distribution: Plains, hills, wilderness and jungle across southern Khul

Effects: Once slain, the digestive juices of the Undergrowth’s feeding pit can be collected to concoct a vial of Weak Acid. It cannot dissolve metal, but if thrown at an opponent in combat (requiring a successful Test for Skill), will cause 1 stamina damage on impact and a further 1 stamina damage per Attack Round unless they spend an Attack Round wiping it from their body.

Cost: City 5gp, Town 7gp, Village 9gp (per vial)

Availability: Rare 

UNDERGROWTH (#27/31, #260/301) [OOTP IV]

 

SKILL: 4

STAMINA: 9

ATTACKS: 4

WEAPON: Vines (as per Small Claw)

ARMOUR: Light

DAMAGE MODIFIER: None

HABITAT: Plains, Hills, Wilderness, Jungles

NUMBER ENCOUNTERED: 2-12

TYPE: Plant

REACTION: Hostile

INTELLIGENCE: None

 

Signs of incipient Chaos mutation are ubiquitous across Khul, emanating out from the Wastes of the Chaos at the dark heart of the continent. A particularly common manifestation is the omnipresent proliferation of people-eating plants, such as the hideous UNDERGROWTH. This curious carnivorous flora resembles a leafy bush that will begin to quiver when approached by potential prey. Long thorn-clad creepers will then shoot out to grab the prey and drag it into the creature’s feeding pit, at the centre of the ‘bush’. 

Whoever loses two Attack Rounds is tossed into the spiky pit where they take automatic Very Large damage every Attack Round until they or the plant are dead. In addition, the Undergrowth will emit a howling scream for every Attack Round that a victim has not been stuffed into its feeding pit. All present without ear plugs must reduce their SKILL score by one due to the horrible grating noise made by the plant-beast’s constant shrieking. 

The Undergrowth is found across southern Khul, from the  kingdoms of Kazan and Zamarra, through the wild gullies and far-flung oases of the Scytheran borderlands, to the realm of the Inland Sea, including the dense jungles beyond the city-state of Shurrupak. Throughout these lands wayfarers should be on constant lookout for clumps or glades of bushes that all begin to quiver the moment they pass by!