Shambler
"Damn it all ta 'ell, what is that wretched stench!" Coris hissed glancing about the marsh through the fog "That nae be a troll, it be putrid 'nough but less meat and swampwater an' more fermenting an' rottin' plants!"
Vondiras allowed a small smile across his thin lips, as the elf carefully notched an arrow. Despite the danger, it was amusing to hear his tough dwarven friend complain so. "Rotting plant matter my friend. Putrifaction, a deep abundance of it, more than normal for a marsh or swamp, far more indeed. Make ready, we've a shambler nearby. Perhaps more than one."
Dragging itself into view comes this seemingly amorpheous mass, a creature of root, vine, thorn and limb that seems to ooze vile fluids and obvious puss like substances. The stench of putrifaction is strong enough you can taste it as the creature shambles and shudders forth, leaving a trail of sickly sweet sludge and slime behind it like some foul rotting plant like slug creature. As it shambles forward, the rotting vines and treelimbs begin to reach forward, unfurling, as if intending to assault and engulf you.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The anatomy of this strange undead plant entity is not fully comprehended or understood. It does seem to have a physical form of sorts, and the need for water and plant roots on occasion, but it will only do so amongst putrifying peat, plant matter and animal parts. They are generally quite large and formed from a mixture of various plant parts, and held together with soil, long dead organic matter, and an excessive amount of Lobhadh. They are a rather unique creature a sort of strange hybrid of an undead and plant type entity, though lacking any true like....higher intelligence. There are no real visible sensory organs or the like. No eyes, no ears or or anything of that ilk.
Generally shamblers will be composed of thick thorn vines, branches, and reeds, all intermingled and entangled together in a vague block like shape, an amorpheous mass.
Generally shamblers will be composed of thick thorn vines, branches, and reeds, all intermingled and entangled together in a vague block like shape, an amorpheous mass.
Biological Traits
Shamblers, in their nature as undead and plant creatures are entirely immune to any sort of poison, necrotic or cold damage or effects, and seem heavily resistant to any sort of sound or electrical based magick or phenomenon. Due to their seemingly mindless nature they are more or less unaffected by any sort of mental assault. They produce this foul necrotic ooze like substance that they excrete, leaving a trail behind them as they travel. This rather necrotic and toxic sludge is thick, glue-like and highly toxic and dangerous. It is a hazard to be around, notably dangerous to try and walk through as well. This substance does not last very long, the viscosity of the substance fading swiftly as any water within it is absorbed by the soil. This leaves behind naught but the dried out mostly rotted organic material in clumps. These clumps are highly toxic as well, though stable, if thrown or stepped on they can kick up some toxic dust and spores that really should not be breathed in.
Genetics and Reproduction
Unknown, we simply do not understand how they come to exist. Some think such entites come to exist whenver large swells of Lobhadh burst in the Aether, spilling briefly into the Material Realm, and that flood of rebirthing energy grabs and flows into rotting plant matter around, congealing it and pulling all these things together with soil and muck to birth this twisted amorpheous being. This theory is generally at current the accepted one, though by no means is it the only one.
Ecology and Habitats
Shamblers really only occur in marshes, fens and swamps, and there are scattered and rare reports that they may appear in jungles and rainforests, though by and large these are second hand, and unsubstaniated.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Other than water, it would seem these creatures feed off of highly rotting organic matter, both fauna and flora. Again, very little is truly understood in this regard however.
Additional Information
Uses, Products & Exploitation
Though they are dangerous and unnatural entities needing to be destroyed, the corrosive and toxic sludge they ooze from their bodies can be harvested from their corpses, collected, and refined into a rather efficient fuel, a flammable substance favored for oil lanterns as well as certain mechanized uses in engines as an alternative combustion fuel for lower work load applications.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Shamblers only occur in exceedingly damp, dark and overgrown regions like swamps, marshes, fens, and the deepest and least explored areas of jungles and rainforests. They are generally only found in places that are overgrown, with plenty of stagnant water, and layers of dead or dying plant matter. They form in places with thick vegetation that have plentiful death and decay, born from the excess of Lobhadh.
Average Intelligence
They seem to have no real sense of well sentience. They have no real signs of actual intelligence or sentient ability, so far as can be understood. They exhibit no behaviors to suggest any real measurable higher intelligence at the very least.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
It is unclear how these creatures track anything about their surroundings, or have any awareness at all. They may be able to sense movement through the ground, via the rotting and corrupted roots systems that it shambles around upon. Other theories suggest that it has a natural senstivity to life, to living creatures, though this seems unlikely. Another theory is tied to water, the idea that they are drawn to water, which does not seem out of place given they are by far most common in swamps and marshes.
Shambler Base Stat Sheet
Scientific Name
Botanica Corpselia Veningartius
Lifespan
Unknown
Average Height
2.13-2.89 meters (7'-9'6")
Average Weight
300-400 kgs (661.7-881.8 lbs)
Average Physique
A shuddering, shambling mound of thorny vines, rotting swamp plants, mud, sludge, and bits of trees, branches and dead wood. The mass of rotting vegetation seems to move with sudden jerking motions, no stability to the motion. Oozing from the mass, a trail of liquid is left behind. Toxic juices and sludge that drip and flow from the creature leave a trail of dangerous and highly toxic corrosive slime that is a hazard to step in, move through or be close to.
Geographic Distribution
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