The Spores of a Fallen Star
Ten years ago, an asteroid fell about a mile away from a small backwater village. This “fallen star”, as
the peasants called it, bore spores of an alien fungus, which survived the crash. Soon, a strange
mushroom of a greenish purple color started growing where the asteroid had landed. At first, the
villagers did not notice the mushroom's appearance, but over the years, it grew to gigantic proportions,
until it became visible from the village's fields. By and large, the peasants were wary of the alien
mushroom and, suspecting witchcraft was to blame for its growth, dared not approach it, but a few
curious, brave or foolish ones went close enough to see it. By their accounts, it had now grown to a
height of over ten feet, and smelled of a sweet yet unknown odor. Herbalists and other scholars came to
the village to examine the fungus every now and then, but none could identify it. Indeed, there were no
others of its kind on our world. All of them agreed that the mushroom was harmless, but there was one
thing they never guessed.
The mushroom's roots had grown far and wide underneath the earth, and last year, they reached the
village's fields. The roots contaminated the land under which they had spread. All food grown on the
blighted land infected the adult males with a peculiar disease. The sick would not suffer any symptoms
at all, and would not even notice they were ill in any way, until they conceived a child. Indeed, within a
year after their birth, the body of the diseased men's offspring would dissolve into a sentient, flesheating,
greenish purple ooze. Quite a few of these abominations appeared throughout the village in the
last several weeks, driving their parents to despair and insanity, and the population at large to panick
and violence, until most of the people left their cursed village, never to return. Only the poorest of the
poor remained, having nowhere to go, to fend off the ooze creatures coming out of the fallen star's
crater after nightfall. Some of the remaining women are pregnant, and nobody knows what to do about
them, let alone that the men among them are to blame. They correctly suspect the alien mushroom is
the cause of their village's woes, but those who tried to destroy it never came back...
Any adult male who eats food grown on the contaminated fields must make a saving throw versus
Poison or contract the disease described above. Sick characters will not know that they are sick, and iff
asked, will insist that they are feeling fine. Any child they conceive next will become an ooze creature
1d6+6 months after their birth. The mushroom itself is just that, a huge, ten foot tall greenish purple
mushroom. It is immune to all damage from cold- or fire-based attacks, as well as blunt weapons such
as maces, clubs and hammers. All other attacks will cause damage as normal. Once a day, usually after
suffering damage, it will blow a cloud of spores upon all characters within melee range, who will be
forced to make a saving throw versus Poison to avoid breathing the spores (characters who cover their
mouth and nose in advance are safe and do not need to roll). Those who breathe the spores will be
forced to defend the mushroom, going as far as fighting to the death to protect it from destruction.
Victims can make another saving throw if their comrades restrain and try to reason with them. The
mushroom is a Chaotic entity, and reacts to magic and holy water accordingly.
The ooze creatures share the same immunities and weaknesses as the mushroom, but they do not blow
spore clouds when damaged. They are also Chaotic entities, and react to magic and holy water in the
same ways as the mushroom. During the day, they gather around the mushroom, and prowl the village
at night in search of prey.
The Alien Mushroom: Armor 15, Move 0', 6 Hit Dice, 20hp, Morale 12, Alignment Chaotic. Spore
cloud once a day, 10' radius. Infect land, 1 mile radius. Immune to blunt weapons and cold- or firebased
attacks. 500xp.
The Ooze Creatures (3d10): Armor 15, Move 60', 2 Hit Dice, 10hp, digestive secretion 1d6, Morale 6,
Alignment Chaotic. Immune to blunt weapons and cold- or fire-based attacks. 50xp each
(Posting this kinda late. I thought I did, but I guess I never got around to it )
Last edited by barondutremblay (2015-09-10 05:47:04)