Shambling Mound
In the heart of the untamed wilderness, the
Shambling Mound emerges as a nightmarish
embodiment of relentless vitality and rotting,
natural malevolence. This vine-bodied creature
remains unsatiated as it eats, regenerates, and
grows stronger.
A Shambling Mound is a lumbering monstrosity formed from
decaying branches, vines, rotting remains, and moss sewn
together by malevolent sorceries. Its main body and legs seem
to be amalgamations of unnatural growths and entwined
vines, while “limbs” are created by more flexible creepers.
Its size can vary, with some supposedly growing even to
the height of a tall tree. Yet, the most unsettling aspect is its
constantly shifting, shapeless body, pulsating with an eerie,
unseen energy.
Slow but unyielding. A Shambling Mound prowls the wilds
with a lumbering gait, its every movement accompanied by
the stench of damp decay. It seeks living prey with an insatiable
hunger. Fire, typically a bane to most creatures, does little
to harm it as the creature is made of rotting plants. Getting
too close to this monstrosity is perilous, as it can ensnare its
victims with its strangling vines and razor-sharp thorns. If
caught within its clutches, the unfortunate victim is dragged
into the mound's core, where they will either be suffocated
or crushed by vines. That way they later become a macabre
addition to its ever-growing mass.
A fearsome encounter in the wilds. Shambling Mounds
are most commonly encountered in the heart of untouched
wilderness, often lurking in the darkest, most secluded corners
of marshes, swamps, and dense forests. They are particularly
drawn to places where nature's decay is most pronounced. Their
gruesome presence is a testament to the untamed, primal forces
that govern the wilds, instilling fear in those who dare to venture
too deep into the realm of the unknown.
Mysterious origins. Nobody knows who or what created these
beings… or even if they are beings at all. While many say that
Shambling Mounds are the embodiment of nature's anguish
and anger at the ones who disrupt it, others trace their origins
to a wholly unnatural source—yet another failed experiment
that escaped from the Dragsa laboratories. Some even claim the
creatures are the manifestations of the dark magic of the Disciples
of Chaos. One thing is certain, the origins of Shambling Mounds
are shrouded in uncertainty.
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