Weeping Hydra

My dearest Hugo,

I write this in desperation. You were once my friend. You knew me better than anyone, had listened to me without doubt or concession, making me stronger for it. We sought out each other’s hearts and found mirrors to our own, where all else there was nothing. I found a comfort in that. A warmth that spread hope across the landscape of our souls like the rising heat of the sun, itself a blanket, insulating us from fear. Protecting us from sin.

But with you dead, that hope is gone.

I’ve seen such awful things my friend, things too horrible to describe even to your memory. Was it a mercy you were killed by these grotesque creatures coming from the scattered inkblots between the heavens? From somewhere inside those unending depths above us, where its creeping darkness is pinned in place by stars along a cosmic sea? Horrors beyond the reach of the divine had met with us, to whisper and infect the secrets of death into mortal men. It is too late for me – my veins are bloodless, the itch of madness claws at the back of my eyes. My faith has eroded, becoming instead the voices that beckon me towards an unknown fate.

I missed my chance while you yet lived, so here I say, from deep within my bottomless heart;

Farewell.

-A message found beside the headless corpse of
an unknown cleric

What They Are

Weeping Hydras are a hivemind species of parasitic creatures that came to our world from the depths of space. Collected data and field research has unearthed very little about their culture, if indeed they have anything of the sort. What we do know is their intent; to propagate their species – to pass on their genes. At the heart of this infection lies the Corpse Matriarch. In appearance, the Matriarch seems a large tree with many branches, on which hang the heads of its first victims. A Matriarch’s bark resembles callused skin, it’s vines more like bloody red veins, it’s patches of hair substituting for moss. Found in cemeteries and graveyards, a Matriarch grows deep it’s fetid roots to feed on the bodies buried there. This in turn, is what supplies the fruit on its branches. Each head grown speaks as they did in life, retaining their memories and catalogue of knowledge worth lifetimes. Whether puppets of the Matriarch or true reincarnations remains a mystery.

What They Want

Matriarchs want only to obtain more bodies for it’s unholy garden to feed upon, and to this end they have but one option. By planting a head into the earth, a Matriarch may grow a full body for it. These Corpse Servants resemble their victims in all ways but for two exceptions; that they are pale as the moon and entirely covered in fungus, save for head and hands. Corpse Servants are able to blend in seamlessly to any community, at any level. Once infiltrated, they will begin abducting innocents, vomiting a string of fungus laden organs into their mouths once isolated, causing them to expire from poisoning.

Afterwards, they lop off the heads and bury them in the ground up to their ears. Only their faces may be seen pointing at the sky above. In this state, the heads are referred to as Corpse Lilies, whom sleep until interrupted by passersby. While asleep, the Lilies grow a body, becoming a Corpse Servant if undisturbed. Sometimes, Corpse Lilies are planted in remote locations, or layed out as traps. It might be that adventurers stumble across a Corpse Lily and agree to it’s plea for freedom. That they dig out the creature, only for the wretch to jettison a plume of yellow spores from its mouth in an attempt to infect them with its disease. Fully loosed from its soil, a Corpse Lily still without a body has only its head completely intact, with many-headed flowers of vibrant colours pushing out their eyes, a large trail of organs hanging from the stump of its neck riddled with fungus.

Armed with this knowledge I beg you fair traveler; beware. Beware old battlefields and abandoned mausoleums. Beware the kindly stranger hiding behind a smile and promises of reward. Beware the innocent, whose gaze will turn to daggers that carve out canyons across your back as soon as it’s turned. Beware, and be safe.

Monster Blocks

Corpse Lily Armor 12 // Move 30ft // 1 Hit Dice // 10hp // 1 Attack Bite 1d6 / Breath Weapon 2d4 save against disease // Morale 12 // Special Flight 30ft.

Corpse Servant Armor 14 // Move 30 // 2 Hit Dice // 16hp // 2 Attacks Claw 1d6+1 save against disease // Morale 8 // Special Vomit Organs to force a strength save or suffer poison.

Corpse Matriarch Armor 18 // move 0ft // 3 Hit Dice // 40hp // 3 Attacks Branch 1d6+3 / head lob 1d6+3 30 ft distance // Morale 12 // Special Root Barrier / Erect a 15ft wide, 15ft height barrier of roots anywhere within 10ft // Decrepit Hymn / All heads shriek in unison, make a wisdom saving throw or be put to sleep.

Disease Blood Pulp | Incubation Period: 4 hours, Intervals: 6, Infection time: 2 days