Zons (5e PlantFungi)

Zons

Physical Description

They appear as stalkless blackened onions that grow above the soil underground, with a very thin root that lifts up when the soil is of poor quality, allowing them to roll free and reroot elsewhere. They do not produce flowers nor leaves, but rather possess a dark veiny outer layer that absorbs energy from heat.

Stories

Children tell stories of zons coming to them in times of loneliness to play, the validity of the stories however is up to debate.

Ecology

Zons are rolled around by many creatures, whether bored or simply due to walking by them briskly matters not, they cause the zons to roll around in search of better ground to latch into. Fanged carrots will snap off the roots of zons that burrow too close to them, and many hard-toothed vermin of magical gain will rip into their inner layers for a hearty meal.

Growth and Harvest

Zons start as small shimmering white balls that fall off of the roots of other zons as they travel. Soon they wriggle into the ground and begin to grow darker and larger, but do not produce more seedlings until they've grown fully blackened.
Zons require an arcane presence to grow, such as the ambient magic of the Underdark, in order to sustain themselves, otherwise occasional watering and soil with a few minerals within is more than enough to satiate them.

Edibility

Any mature zons' inner layers can be eaten and provide much the same nutrition of onions, however seem to pull minute amounts of heat from one's mouth and throat when eaten.

When serving zons they are usually fed as part of an after-dish, salad, small soup, or dip when eating especially hot or spicy food.

Preservation

Zons are easy to preserve after harvest, simply deny them water and wait for the root to lift up, then place inside a basket off the ground and they will last 1d8 + 2 months before they start to go bad.

Other Common Uses

The inner layers of zons are eaten, however the outer layers can be reprocessed with specialized equipment and be used to create insulation for buildings and clothes to protect against the heat.

Relevant Items

Zons-layered cloth is blackened and occasionally shimmers from within, and is favoured by explorers as material for clothes for its heat-absorbing qualities. When ripped it creates a malodorous stench that can give your position away to beings that track by scent.

Zon Traits

The onions of the darkest depths.
Age.
Size.
Underdark Region. Zons are native to the Underdark.
Farm Crop. Zons are grown and cultivated on farmland.
Wanderers. Zons uproot and move when the soil they grow in is of poor quality. An uprooted zons has a movement speed of 1 foot.

Random Height and Weight

Base Height	Height Modifier*	Base Weight	Weight Modifier**
0′ 2''	+1d8 + 1	6 lb.	× (1d12) lb.
*Height = base height + height modifier **Weight = base weight + (height modifier × weight modifier)

Suggested Uses

Uprooting zons as a sound distraction for an escape or to confuse a blind monster that hunts by sound.

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