Obliviax

Obliviax, also known as oblivion moss, was a dangerous variety of moss.

An alternative name coined by adventurers, memory moss, was derived from the fact that this plant preyed upon the memories of other creatures.

Description
This moss grew in small thick patches, measuring around in length and weighing around. These were reminiscent of a sort of luxurious carpet, the color of tar or pitch. Leaves and flowers grew on them that were of a similar hue. A smell similar to damp, loamy earth emanated from them. When lacking memories, their bodies somewhat quivered.

Behavior
This variety of moss had an average degree of intelligence. They harbored an innate hatred of mobile creatures, making them always aligned towards neutral evil.

Biology
The obliviax spread by means of spores and the production of these required exposure to daylight, though not sunlight. It was capable of moving, but this was at a very slow pace.

Abilities
The obliviax could sense the approach of any creature within of them,  as their whole bodies were a primitive form of sensory organ that could ascertain the location of other creatures by means of scent and vibration. A form of blindsight.

They uniquely possessed the ability to steal the last twenty-four hours of memories from other intelligent creatures within that range. Through this ability they could even steal memorized spells. They preferred to steal the memories of any wizards present, followed by clerics, other forms of spellcasters, and then non-spellcasters.

This ability could not penetrate through lead surfaces. The victims of this memory stealing would act baffled and disoriented, having a blank space in their memories. Some scholars claimed that this loss of memory was somewhat temporary. Saying that specialized memories would not take long to return, more mundane ones would return after a few hours of rest, and a select few random ones could take weeks to return.

It was possible to regain the stolen memories by an obliviax by eating it, though there was chance of becoming very ill from doing so as the moss was somewhat poisonous. One could even gain the memories of other creatures and their memorized spells by eating an obliviax. However, these would fade from the mind after twenty-four hours. Destroying a patch of this moss would not return any stolen memories nor would eating a mossling. Some claimed that if a victim destroyed a mossling before they ate its parent patch, then the stolen memories could not be regained outside of a wish or miracle spell. Though others who have encountered these creatures claim otherwise.

Combat
If attacked after having stolen memories, an obliviax would grow a small imitation of the creature whose memories they had stolen to defend them. This imitation, known as a "mossling," remained attached to the obliviax and was capable of casting any memorized spells they had stolen. These mosslings also shared their parent patch's innate hatred of mobile creatures and possessed any stolen memories.

History
Some believed that this variety of moss naturally evolved upon the grave of some powerful spellcaster or in the ruins of a wizard's tower.

Obliviaxes were one of the many monsters kept within the city of Kuo Meilan's subterranean zoo. By 1362 DR they were still found to dwell within it.

From 1357 DR to 1368 DR, giant leeches could occasionally be found in the sewers beneath Waterdeep.

Ecology
While they were aware of other obliviaxes near them, these creatures would make no effort to aid their kin. Rather they compete with each other for prey.

Diet
This moss was vitalized and nourished by the mental energy of the memories they stole from other creatures. They favored the memories of intelligent creatures over base animals, with the memories of creatures who tended to have long lifespans being considered a delicacy. Such as eladrins, elves, and devas. Besides that, they subsisted upon soil and water, much like any other moss.

Habitats
An obliviax could be found in a wide variety of habitats with a temperate or tropical climate. They could not abide cold climates, deserts, or overly damps environments. They preferred environments that had a good balance between dry and wet seasons. An obliviax was rarely ever found in subterranean areas, unless brought there by another creature, since the lack of daylight prevented them from reproducing.

They were commonly found growing growing upon high branches, fallen logs, tree trunks, or rotting leaves. Rarely, small colonies of them could occasionally be found inside dimly lit caverns or tunnels. Areas in which there was a large abundance of this moss tended to remain lost, forgotten, and unmapped.

They could be found within many of the medium woods of Daggerdale, Cormanthor, and Shadowdale. Particularly the Border Forest and Vale of Lost Voices. They could also be found in parts of the lands of Cormyr, Sembia, and the Dalelands. In south Faerûn, they could be found in the Thornwood.

Beyond Toril, this moss could be found in the subarctic forests of the planet Oerth. Outside of the Prime Material plane, giant-sized obliviaxes inhabited the realm of Jubilex and the forests of the Feywild.

Relationships
Some evil-aligned creatures were known to place this moss outside of their lairs to act as guardians. Some dryads and treants were known to cultivate any that grew close to them as a form of protection, hoping that any who stumbled upon their lairs would never remember how to return.

Some cults of the demon lord Zuggtmoy were said to work with obliviaxes, promising them bodies to move around in. The lesser deity Eachthighern would use a benign strain of oblivion moss on those who turned down his offer to be a white horn knight before his herald returned the candidate back to the Prime Material.

Some spies were known to carry them around in boxes of lead, using an obliviax to steal vital memories from unsuspecting targets.

They were one of the many species of sentient plants that the priesthood of Rillifane Rallathil were particularly known to seek out and destroy.

Usage
This moss could be distilled into a potion of forgetfulness. By contrast, their spores could be distilled into an elixir that would restore the memories of the forgetful or senile.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * The Throne of Bloodstone • Curse of the Azure Bonds • Black Courser • Dungeon #29, "Ex Libris" • Dungeon #73, "Mere of Dead Men: Eye of Myrkul"
 * Card Games
 * AD&D Trading Cards