| Mandrake | |
|---|---|
| |
| skill | 5-10[1] |
| stamina | 3-10[2] |
| Habitat | Settled (Old World) |
| Number Encountered | 1-6 |
| Type | Monster/Plant |
| Reaction | Unfriendly-Hostile |
| Intelligence | High |
A Mandrake is a type of Plant/Monster in the Fighting Fantasy franchise.
Description[]
in its true form, a Mandrake looks like a mass of plant material with a roughly human-like shape, with root-like appendages, standing at a man's height.[3] They can sprout tentacles and roots at will, and possess pulsating veins transporting their blood through the body.[4]
Origin and Distribution[]
Mandrakes are usually found only in the Old World. Their origins are unknown, but it is known that they can occasionally persuaded to work as agents for evil beings with considerable magical powers. With their shape-shifting power, this usually poses little effort on their part. However, Mandrakes are very chaotic, and if not properly supervised they can go rampant, spreading uncontrollable chaos.[5]
Mandrakes usually operate by kidnapping people for procreation. They usually produce a breeding pod or cocoon, which they hide in a secure locale until the "parents" have captured a suitable victim, which is then brought to the pod. Once the victim makes physical contact with the pod, the fledging Mandrake begins to assume the former's physical appearance and traits, like the voice.[6] For some reason, only Humans and human-like creatures are assimilated this way; any other creature is merely drained of its life in order to sustain the budding Mandrake until it is ready to "hatch".[7]
Their shapechanging ability and their intelligence make Mandrakes extremely efficient infiltrators and hunters. However, despite their cunning, they have several distinguishing traits which can be used to easily tell them apart from normal Humans and Humanoids (see Special Abilities, below).
Special Abilities[]
As described above, Mandrakes are able to perfectly duplicate the appearance and physical attributes (i.e. skill and stamina) of their victims.[8] However, there are several traits which can easily reveal their true nature to a keen observer. First, while they may perfectly duplicate a person in appearance, they cannot assimilate their memories and usual behavior, which tends to spook people closely associated with the Mandrake's duplicated victim.[9] They also have not red, but green blood, which is easily revealed when they are sufficiently wounded.[10] Lastly, their true form can be seen in a mirror's reflection, which does not react to their current disguise.[11]
In conventional combat, Mandrakes are all but unkillable. They can be attacked with weapons, but the best one can do this way is temporarily stun them by reducing their stamina below 0.[12] The only known weakness of the Mandrakes is a high vulnerability to fire, which can easily destroy them.[13]
Known Mandrakes[]
- Ennian, Burgomeister of Gornt[14]
- the troupe of the Circus of Dreams[15]
- a replica of Karam Gruul[16]
Further Notes[]
- The Mandrakes are clearly based on the "pod-people" of the Invasion of the Bodysnatchers films, which could provide a source of further Non-canon information about the behaviour/motives of the Mandrakes.
- Apparently, the Mandrakes were to take centre stage in the unpublished Stephen Hand Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Blood of the Mandrake and, had it been published, we would doubtless know more about these sinister creatures and their unfathomable motives.
Further Information in Canon[]
More information can be found at:Source[17]
Legend of the Shadow Warriors
(para9, para17#, para31, para39, para51, para55#, para77*, para84, para85, para91, para104, para107, para116, para130, para147, para148, para157, para158*, para165, para174, para179, para184, para197, para204, para207, para214, para228, para231, para239, para252#, para255, para268*, para280, para2
84#, para300, para302, para315, para319, para325, para347, para362*, para371, para376, para387*, para398)
The Fighting Fantasy 10th Anniversary Yearbook
(pg189)
Moonrunner
(para76, para88#, para244, para272*, para342)
Warlock Issue 7
(pg30 (28), pg33 (73), pg34 (73#))
Bloodbones
(pg4, para100, para227, para239, para287)
Notes[]
# - denotes a reference with statistics
* - denotes a picture
Appendix[]
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 317
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 17
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 362
- ↑ Moonrunner - 88
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 231, 300, 398
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 85, 371
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 387
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 85
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 231, 398
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 84, 252, 376, Moonrunner - 76
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 362
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 84, 376
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 147, 197, 204, 239, 325; Moonrunner - 88, 244
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 158, 362
- ↑ Legend of the Shadow Warriors - 17, 147, 268, 325
- ↑ Moonrunner - 88, 244
- ↑ Complete list of references catalogued by FF Titan Herbal