ECOLOGY

Environment temperate forest or plains
Organization solitary
Treasure none

Verdurous oozes are animate masses of protoplasm of a sickly green hue. At rest, their flat bodies stand roughly 5 inches tall and can stretch out to a wide diameter, their surfaces blossoming into what look like thick tangles of mossy roots and gnarled vegetation as they lie still. Known to emit invisible but dangerous chemicals, these masses of slinking muck cause nearby plants to writhe and coil as if alive, while shocking animals into a temporary but deathly torpor. As such, they rarely must hunt to find food, instead sensing passing creatures and preying upon them after they succumb to the oozes’ sleep aura. Always ravenous, the powerful acids that comprise these oozes quickly dissolve the flesh of their meals.

A verdurous ooze typically weighs 300 pounds and can easily spread to fill a 5-foot-square area. While moving, such crawling muck rises only a few inches tall, though its structure might grow and boil up to a height of 2 or 3 feet if left undisturbed for a matter of days. Spontaneously grown structures collapse and melt back into the ooze’s body as soon as it begins moving again.

Ecology

Verdurous oozes settle in locations with abundant food, rarely moving far except to feed upon comatose prey that has come too close or to reproduce. Verdurous oozes primarily gain sustenance from the small birds, mammals, and insects that fall prey to their sleep aura, but also prove well suited to devouring larger creatures that fall asleep nearby.

Every 2 or 3 years, verdurous oozes collect deep in forests and swamps, clustering in secluded locales tainted by reeking natural compost or the escape of natural gases from the land. As many as 10 oozes might gather during one of these grotesque moots. To reproduce, four verdurous oozes merge to become a greater verdurous ooze. Greater oozes are far more active and hungry than their lesser kin, constantly wandering, feeding, and growing. After several months, the greater verdurous ooze splits into 10 to 15 new verdurous oozes. These new verdurous oozes grow to full size within 6 months.

Habitat & Society

Verdurous oozes primarily live in temperate forests and plains among high grasses or cultivated crops, though they might also be found in warm plains and jungle environments. As mindless creatures, they pay little attention to others of their kind, save when drawn to reproduce. A notable fact about verdurous oozes is that they beneficially impact nearby plant life; their secretions act as a kind of natural fertilizer. Trees, grass, flowers—all flora benefits from the existence of a nearby verdurous ooze. Over time, this can lead to an increase in the fauna in the area, as they seek to enjoy the rich, lush plants that make up their diet and in turn become prey for the stealthy ooze. Thus, another sign that a verdurous ooze is, or has been, in a particular area is the skeletons of animals that it has consumed, which are left behind once the flesh has been absorbed. Resourceful evil humanoids sometimes take advantage of verdurous oozes’ relative lassitude and difficultly escaping from simple pits or other containers, trapping them near the entrances to their lairs. In such instances, the oozes’ chemical secretions provide an extra defense for those aware of their presence and the dangers of coming too close.