Aura of Devouring Decay. A 30-foot radius aura of necrotic energy surrounds the Ancient Tenebralis Bloom. Creatures that start their turn in this area must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or take 6d8 necrotic damage and have disadvantage on all saving throws until the start of their next turn. This damage bypasses resistance and immunity to necrotic damage.
Infernal Maw. Grappled creatures take 4d8 necrotic damage and 3d6 acid damage at the start of their turn.
Shadow Meld. While in dim light or darkness, the Ancient Tenebralis Bloom can Hide as a bonus action and has advantage on Stealth checks.
Corrupted Growth. When reduced to 0 hit points, the Ancient Tenebralis Bloom releases a burst of necrotic energy. All creatures within 30 feet must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw, taking 10d8 necrotic damage on a failed save, or half as much on a successful one.
Burrowing Ambush. The Bloom can burrow into loose soil or soft terrain as part of its movement, leaving no trace of its passage. While burrowed, it is considered heavily obscured and gains advantage on its next attack roll. It can burst from the ground as part of an attack, making a Snap Bite or Tendril Whip attack with an additional 4d6 piercing damage.
Hellish Resilience. The Bloom has resistance to fire, necrotic, and cold damage.
Eyes of Decay. The Ancient Tenebralis Bloom has developed glowing, sinister eyes that grant it darkvision out to 120 feet. These eyes can see through magical darkness as though it were dim light.
Telepathic Influence. The Bloom can communicate telepathically with any creature that understands Common or Sylvan within 120 feet. It uses this ability to manipulate or lure prey, often speaking in cryptic whispers.
Multiattack. The Ancient Tenebralis Bloom makes three attacks: one with its Snap Bite and two with its Tendril Whip.
Snap Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target.
Hit: 4d12 + 7 piercing damage plus 4d8 necrotic damage. If the target is grappled, the attack deals an additional 3d6 acid damage.
Tendril Whip. Melee Weapon Attack: +13 to hit, reach 30 ft., one target.
Hit: 3d10 + 7 bludgeoning damage. The target must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or be pulled 20 feet closer and grappled (escape DC 19).
Shadow Burst (Recharge 5–6). The Bloom releases a pulse of shadow energy in a 60-foot radius. All creatures in the area must make a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or take 8d10 necrotic damage and be blinded for 1 minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at the end of its turn to end the blinded condition.
Vile Lure. The Bloom emits a mesmerizing glow. All creatures within 60 feet that can see it must succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or be charmed for 1 minute. While charmed, a creature must move toward the Bloom on its turn. This effect ends if the Bloom damages the creature.
Grasping Shadows. The Bloom summons spectral tendrils in a 15-foot radius. All creatures in the area must succeed on a DC 19 Dexterity saving throw or have their speed reduced to 0 until the end of their next turn.
Lure Prey. The Bloom emits a faint hypnotic glow, forcing one creature within 60 feet to succeed on a DC 19 Wisdom saving throw or move 10 feet closer on its next turn.
Tendril Snare. When a creature moves within 30 feet of the Bloom, it can use its reaction to make a Tendril Whip attack against that creature.
Flicker of Shadow. When targeted by an attack in dim light or darkness, the Bloom imposes disadvantage on the attack roll as shadowy tendrils obscure it. This can be used once per short rest
The Ancient Tenebralis Bloom can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the options below. Only one legendary action can be used at a time, and only at the end of another creature's turn. The Bloom regains spent legendary actions at the start of its turn.
- Tendril Strike. The Bloom makes a Tendril Whip attack.
- Necrotic Pulse (Costs 2 Actions). The Bloom emits a wave of necrotic energy in a 20-foot radius. All creatures in the area take 4d8 necrotic damage and must succeed on a DC 19 Constitution saving throw or be stunned until the end of their next turn.
- Darkness Unleashed (Costs 3 Actions). The Bloom creates an area of magical darkness in a 30-foot radius centered on itself. The darkness lasts for 1 minute or until the Bloom dismisses it as a bonus action. Creatures inside the darkness take 2d8 necrotic damage at the start of their turns.
Description
The Ancient Tenebralis Bloom is the colossal and final stage of the Tenebralis species, reigning as the apex predator in colonies of its lesser kin. These immense, plant-like monstrosities are rarely found in isolation, instead taking root at the heart of vast Tenebralis Bloom colonies. These colonies often spread across cursed forests, shadowed marshes, or desolate ruins, forming sprawling ecosystems of decay under the Ancient Bloom's malevolent influence.
While the lesser Tenebralis Blooms act as hunters and sentinels for the colony, the Ancient Bloom serves as its centerpiece, growing larger and more destructive as it consumes life and corrupts the land around it. It is both the core and protector of the colony, maintaining its dominance through sheer power and the corruption it spreads.
The Ancient Bloom thrives on the vitality of the environment, sapping life from its surroundings to sustain its massive form. Its aura of necrotic decay ensures that the land becomes inhospitable to all but the most resilient or corrupted creatures. With its strategic cunning and immense strength, the Ancient Tenebralis Bloom is not merely a predator—it is the embodiment of natural destruction, governing the colony and extending its blight far beyond the reach of its tendrils.
Adventurers who venture deep into Tenebralis colonies to face an Ancient Bloom must contend with not only the apex predator itself but also the swarms of lesser Blooms that surround it, creating a layered challenge that only the most prepared can hope to survive.
Appearance
The Ancient Tenebralis Bloom is a terrifying blend of beauty and horror, standing tall with its massive, fiery bloom at its center. Its vibrant petals are streaked with deep purples and fiery orange veins, glowing as though molten energy courses through them. The petals flare outward like a crown of flames, drawing the eye toward the heart of the bloom, where a massive, gaping maw resides. This maw, lined with jagged, tooth-like thorns, radiates a burning orange light that pulses rhythmically like a beating heart, emitting an unsettling hum of energy.
Clusters of small, glowing eyes are nestled among the petals, glowing like embers. These eyes grant the creature exceptional vision, piercing through darkness and magical obfuscations with ease.
The Bloom’s lower half is a network of thick, root-like appendages, each as wide as a tree trunk and writhing with unnatural life. These roots anchor the creature to the ground but can lift and shift its massive body, enabling it to move with surprising grace for something so large. The roots exude a sickly green mist, and their sharp tips gleam with venomous ichor, capable of piercing steel and crushing stone.
From its sides extend massive tendrils, pulsating with the same fiery energy as its core. These tendrils end in glowing, claw-like tips, which emit bright flashes of light when attacking. The tendrils writhe and whip about constantly, exuding both strength and flexibility, making them perfect for ensnaring and pulverizing prey.
The creature’s presence is overwhelming, radiating an aura of necrotic energy that visibly withers plants and erodes the ground around it. The corrupted environment surrounding the Bloom only adds to its terrifying visage, as everything nearby seems to decay and crumble in its wake.
Behavior
The Ancient Tenebralis Bloom is a calculated and patient predator. It prefers to hide in shadowed, desolate areas where its camouflage is most effective, striking from ambush with its immense tendrils and devastating necrotic powers. It rarely charges headfirst into battle, instead using its environment to corner and trap its enemies, making use of its Burrowing Ambush to reposition itself with deadly precision.
When confronted, the Bloom uses its Aura of Devouring Decay to weaken enemies while unleashing relentless attacks from its tendrils and maw. Its Vile Lure draws in prey, ensuring they cannot escape its reach, while its ability to create magical darkness ensures that enemies remain disoriented and vulnerable.
The Bloom is not a mindless creature. It possesses a sharp cunning and often utilizes its telepathic abilities to intimidate or manipulate foes, delivering cryptic threats and false promises that undermine morale. The Bloom’s overwhelming presence makes it a devastating opponent in any encounter.
Unique Features
- Aura of Devouring Decay: The Bloom radiates a necrotic field that saps the life force of all creatures nearby, weakening their defenses and hastening their defeat.
- Immense Size and Strength: The Ancient Bloom’s massive tendrils and serrated maw allow it to deal devastating damage at close and long range, making escape nearly impossible.
- Telepathic Manipulation: With its telepathic reach, the Bloom speaks directly into the minds of creatures, taunting or deceiving them to gain a psychological advantage.
- Ambush Predator: Using its Burrowing Ambush, the Bloom can reposition itself to gain the element of surprise, ensuring it always has the upper hand in combat.
- Environmental Corruption: The Bloom’s mere presence corrupts the land around it, leaving a lifeless wasteland in its wake that ensures its dominance over the area.
Adventurer’s Warning
The Ancient Tenebralis Bloom is the pinnacle of danger in the natural world. Its size, power, and devastating abilities make it an adversary even the most experienced adventurers should fear. Its ability to manipulate the environment and wear down opponents with necrotic energy ensures that every battle against it is a grueling war of attrition.
Defeating the Ancient Bloom requires not only strength and resilience but also ingenuity. Adventurers must plan carefully, for its corrupted domain offers no refuge, and its tendrils and maw leave no room for error. To face this towering predator is to confront nature’s darkest and most destructive form, a challenge few survive and fewer still conquer.
Comments