Page 215 - Monster Manual Expanded III Dragonix

Orcwort Hive Mind. The orcwort sends its wortlings to scout the region

The dreadful orcwort is a carnivorous plant usually found in within 10 miles of the orcwort, like an ant queen sending its
temperate forests, jungles, and heavily-wooded bogs and swamps. ant workers to scavenge for food. The orcwort acts as a central
The orcwort resembles a massive tree with gnarled and twisted communication hub for all the wortlings, all linked and acting
branches. A giant maw full of sharp teeth lies on one side of its as a single entity. Once a wortling finds suitable prey, such as
trunk, with thick roots that look like spike-covered tendrils framing a humanoid settlement, the orcwort makes all the wortlings
the tree's base. Hanging from its branches, protected by the dense, converge toward that area. The wortlings, acting like a raiding
bushy foliage that forms its canopy, are 3-foot-long, purple, pear- party, descend on the settlement, incapacitating and capturing
shaped objects known as wortling pods. as many creatures as possible and carry them back alive to be
Hibernating Predator. The orcwort is dormant for most of the devoured by the orcwort. The process is repeated until the orcwort
year. It awakens in the middle of spring and sleeps again by early has fed enough or it is time for it to hibernate. The orcwort then
autumn. When it is dormant, it is almost indistinguishable from a uproots itself and wanders for days until it finds a suitable spot to
normal tree. When it awakens, it becomes a dangerous predator. hibernate. Once it reaches its dormant state, the wortlings become
Over several weeks, it will start to bear wortling pods. The orcwort inanimate and die. It is possible that a single orcwort can wreak
can produce up to 60 pods during one period of activity, and once havoc on several settlements during a single period of activity.
mature, the pods fall to the ground and break open, releasing the Monstrous Partnerships. An orcwort is usually a solitary
wortlings. In combat, the orcwort can defend itself by unleashing creature. On rare occasions, an orcwort may cohabitate with
roots that entangle and grasp at its enemies. The orcwort then hags, harpies, kapres, malignos, quicklings, and tikbalangs, who
attacks with its tentacles, which it uses to bludgeon and grab protect it during its dormant state. In return, these creatures take
prey. Those unfortunate enough to get caught by its tentacles are the spoils of those the orcwort has eaten and loot and ransack
brought to its venomous maw to be eaten and swallowed. whatever village or settlement it has decimated.

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Bestiary