Armillarid
by Cab Davidson
| Stat | Myconid | Myconoid* |
| Armour Class: | 7 | 4 |
| Hit Dice: | ½* | 20* |
| Move: | 120’(40’) | 60’(20’) |
| Attacks: | 1 weapon | 2 punches |
| Damage: | By weapon | 4d8/4d8 |
| Number Appearing: | 0 (10d10) | 0 (1) |
| Save As: | NM | F20 |
| Morale: | 6 (12) | 10 |
| Treasure Type: | Zero | M |
| Intelligence: | 6 | 16 |
| Alignment: | Chaotic | Chaotic |
| XP Value: | 6 | 4500 |
Armillarid myconids grow from the biggest dead trees in the most ancient of all woodlands, said fallen trees housing their parent myconoid. Said myconids have two roles. Firstly, at any and all costs they defend their parent myconid from anything that may harm it, being willing to sacrifice themselves to do so (having a morale of 12 in this situation). Secondly, they seek out the largest, oldest, most bulky tree in the woodland as the next host for their myconoid. Tendrils of bioluminescent mycelium slowly grow through the leaf litter from the myconoid to this tree to guide more generations of myconids to it. The myconids are not desperately intelligent, but they possess superb powers of stealth (surprising foes on a 1-5 on 1d6) and observation, and will patiently watch their target tree, for years if necessary, learning how any allies the tree may act (dryads, elves, etc.) and when necessary killing them such that they can ultimately kill the tree at the right time. After which point, the parent myconoid rises from the ground where it resides and walks, dead tree trunk and all, and grows into the new dead tree, where its life force then resides. Between these regeneration events the armilarid is not harmless, and is a major killer of mature trees, which it attacks with its glowing tendrils feeds from. But it is only the largest, most ancient trees that are considered worthy hosts for the consciousness of armillarid myconids.
The myconids themselves are small, being no larger than around 2’ tall, appearing to be small, honey coloured gilled gilled fungi with a pair of piercing, beady eyes on the front edge. The myconoid appears as if a huge, fallen tree trunk covered in such mushrooms, until such a point as it is either threatened or it is time to move to a new host tree, at which point it stands and walks to the new site. It is not rapid, but can swing two massive fungal arms at foes, inflicting terrible damage, and at any time can pluck up to 2d10 young myconids from its body and hurl them into combat (up to 6 per throw). Armillarid myconids can only be struck by magical weapons, are immune to all missile fire, and take only half damage from edged weapons. Consisting of typically degraded and largely sodden wood, they do not (like many wood based creatures) have specific vulnerability to fire based attacks.
The armillarid myconoids are rarely seek to fight, but if threatened can be roused to do so. They especially esteem the wood of treants, and such prey are considered a particular prize. Certain elven legends talk of armillarids attacking trees of life, indeed some trees of life are understood to have been lost to such attacks. The powers of an armillarid in control of such a tree are almost incalculable.
The science bit: Armillaria mellea, the honey fungus, is a terrible pest species in some forestry plantations. It does indeed send bioluminescent tendrils of mycelium out across the forest floor, which can attack and kill trees, that then serve as the substrate for more mushrooms to grow on. Delicious in dishes when you can slow cook them, some folk find them a little indigestible. Not one for a novice to pick because they can be incredibly variable in appearance. How could I not include this nasty little tree predator among the myconids eventually?
Came up with this one just today after seeing my first honey fungus of the year. The image below is one I found last year. Often when you find it, you find A LOT of it.