Wandering Mushberts
3D printable miniatures for D&D and tabletop wargames
Mushberts are curious creatures - not in that they exhibit curiosity, but rather in that they are odd. They resemble a cross between a crab and a mushroom and are so named for their dialect, which seems to consist entirely of the word ‘bert’.
Mushberts don’t usually see more than one major battle - partly due to their insuitability to war, but also due to their slow marching speeds and short life-spans. Those that do survive naturally climb the hierarchy, gaining better nutrition and increasing their life expectancy.
Sporelings
All new or non-distinguished Mushberts are known as Sporelings. They are largely inept, but not unwilling to charge into battle. They use their claws to nip at their foes, although these are not quite as effective as you might initially think - the claws more closely resemble the spongy texture of a mushroom rather than the hard chitin of a crab.
Some Sporelings try to stand out by bringing special trinkets into battle, which surprisingly do a great deal to embolden their comrades. These may be fancy leaves and/or flowersthat they have grabbed along the way (which others rally behind like a battle standard), or peculiar instruments that seem to create the basis of their battle songs. However, with each Sporeling singing a different song simultaneously, and where the only lyric ever being used is ‘bert’, this cacophonous din is largely incoherent.
While constantly travelling, Mushberts will commonly develop allergies to their new surroundings, despite their lack of any kind of sinus system. This often leads to unexpected benefits to the Mushberts, as the resultant sudden explosion of a spore cloud sneeze can be quite toxic to most creatures. As such, bringing along a Sporeling with a bad case of the sniffles is seen as a good omen for battle.
Sporeling Champions
Sporeling Champions have seen a battle or two, and as a result, have had access to a richer nutrient supply when travelling. This usually leads to their dominant claw becoming stronger, firmer, and oversized. They are still more eager than skilled, and often charge into battle while ‘berting’ loudly.
Funglords
Funglords are much bigger than regular Sporelings, and as a result, can drain the surrounding nutrients much more quickly. This often leads to a bloated figure and a farmore resilient body.
Funglords generally only live as long as they do because they have learned to lead from the back, allowing the Sporelings to wear out their enemies before joining the fray.
Truffle Sharks
Truffle Sharks are voracious, shark-like creatures that appear to swim through the air between one and three feet off the ground. They can jump - or ‘breach’ - past this three-foot layer, although they lack the ability to ‘fly’ beyond it. Truffle Sharks bite and gnash at their foes with large teeth, but like other Mushberts, they lack the anatomy to swallow food. Rather, all of the nutrients wither out of whatever they hold in their jaws, and the rest crumbles to dust when it is dropped.
To say that the Sporelings are ‘riding’ the Truffle Sharks seems academically inaccurate, as it would be more apt to say that they are simply ‘holding on’.
Grimstone Snortles
Grimstone Snortles are hulking beasts as big as an ogre and resemble a bipedal tortoise. Although their thought capacity seems dull, they are incredibly strong, and can wrench huge rocks from the ground and hurl them at their foes.
While they are hulking brutes on the battlefield, they appear far more demure when travelling with the colony, constantly watching their footing to avoid standing on Sporelings.
Funghis Khan
Funghis Khan is thought to be the oldest living Mushbert and is five or possibly even six years old, making him five or possibly even six times older than the average Sporeling.
During this time, Funghis Khan has been able to absorb enough magical energy from his surroundings, making him quite an adept spellcaster. He has been known to shake the earth, absorb elemental attacks, and even summon an eerie, dull light to sear his foes.
Funghis Khan is always accompanied by a small, brightly colored Truffle Shark (presumably named Bert), which has the tendency to harrass enemies with a toxic bite, setting them off balance. It is not known if the shark is able to teleport short distances, or if it is just very good at quickly darting back and forth across the battlefield.