The Mandragora is a sentient and mobile plant species that can potentially be encountered in Squaresoft's 2000 Final Fantasy IX Sony Playstation video game. They prefer to temporarily root in forest glades and on windswept plateaus where they can get plenty of the sunlight that they require to photosynthesize energy. Behavior-wise, these maniacal herbs seem to derive enjoyment from causing mischief and injury. Mandragorae seldom pass up an opportunity to harass anyone or anything that wanders into their territory, even foolishly targeting organisms many times larger than themselves (like dragons) that they have little chance of defeating.

Despite their small size, Mandragorae have several dangerous offensive options at their disposal. The shriek of these leafy miscreants is infamous, and with good reason: anyone who hears the ear-splitting wail will be struck dumb. This is a particularly hazardous situation for mages, because they will be unable to chant the words to any of their spells until the condition is cured. All Mandragorae produce delicious chest nuts, and they delight in hurling them at their opponents with alarming accuracy. While the seeds only sting initially, as the Mandragora becomes injured, the creature is able to impart some of its pain, through a kind of little-understood empathy magic, into the kernel. So, the closer to death a Mandragora gets, the more dangerous its missiles become--even a mighty foe can find itself felled by the tiny chest nut of a dying Mandragora. Finally, by channeling water up from the earth on which it stands, through its roots, a Mandragora can unleash a devastating blast of Blizzara ice magic that can freeze flesh solid almost instantly.

Like most flora, Mandragorae burn easily. In addition to destroying them outright, open flames can sometimes be employed to frighten the vile vegetables away. Mandragorae are also more than a little demented, so any attempts to befuddle their already scrambled minds with the Confuse or Berserk status effects are ineffective.

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Materials:
Newsprint, tissue paper, white glue, wire twist ties, acrylic paint, super glue, gloss nail polish, and plastic (transparent base only).

Dimensions:
9.8 cm/3.9 in. x 3.5 cm/1.4 in. (widest point x highest point)

Articulation:
The four large leaves have bendable wire running through their entire lengths, which, in addition to preventing them from ever wilting under their own weight, allows them to be repositioned/bent into different configurations.

Time:
One afternoon on June 12, 2011.