Mushroom Ogre

The mushroom ogre is a fungus that eats people and animals. Growing under Gallows Trees or cemeteries, after two weeks, it is about 6" (15 cm) high; it uproots itself and becomes a carnivore, growing very quickly (six month to full size). At first it eats mice and birds, then rabbits, cats, dogs, and finally people, when it reaches its full growth.
It looks like at giant mushroom, 2-hex radius and eight feet high when the cap is pointing upward. However, the cap can swivel to point in any direction, and a hideous face appears on the top. (A baby ogre can be identified by the ugly face on top of an otherwise normal mushroom). It cannot stand fire, or any drying conditions, and will not approach within 3 hexes of campfire or 1 hex of a torch. Fire does double damage to a mushroom ogre. It has no limbs to grapple with, just small feet to run on. It is active most times, except the heat of the day. It never goes into direct sunlight, as it would lose 1 HT per minute if it did so.
A dead mushroom ogre should be burned to keep it from releasing spores. The bases of gallows-trees (including livin trees used as hanging sites) should be checked regularly to prevent the growth of these horrors.
Category:Myth
Category:Plants