Madcap Magus
The madcap magus padded leisurely through its garden, staff in one hand and watering can in the other. It bent to stroke the leaves of the kale, lettuce, carrots, and other leafy greens. It hummed softly to itself as it used the watering can to moisten the soil.
The sun shone down from a blue sky filled with soft, white clouds. The forest that surrounded the madcap's garden and hovel whispered in the breeze. It was a beautiful summer's day, with no portent of the danger that was coming.
A thrashing in the underbrush. The madcap magus turned. Five humanoids dressed in the armor of the Chaos Legion strode out of the woods at the edge of the clearing.
“What's this?” one of the armored men said.
“Myconid,” said a woman with a dismissive wave of her hand. “They're harmless.”
“Ugly little bugger, ain't it?”
One of the legionnaires, a burly hobgoblin and the largest of the bunch, grunted. “Get it outta here. Kill it. Whatever. I don't want it around while we're setting up camp.”
They drew their weapons and stomped across the clearing toward the garden and the myconid.
The madcap raised its staff and let the magic of the earth flow through it. The staff began to glow.
The Chaos Legion goons froze and tensed.
“Brace yourselves!”
“I thought you said that thing was harmless.”
Sprouts burst from the ground at their feet and bloomed into a patch of pink and white flowers.
The goons stared. Then they burst into laughter.
“See?” the woman said. “Harmless.”
They began advancing once more, brandishing their weapons.
“Mushroom stew, anyone?”
The madcap magus thumped its staff on the earth. The noses of the Chaos Legion goons began to grow, sprouting tiny branches and leaves. They cried out in surprise.
“I'll eat the damn thing alive. Get it!”
They broke into a run.
The madcap magus thrust its staff skyward. It flared with a bright-green light.
And the five Chaos Legion goons exploded in a spray of gore. Blood and guts splattered across the grass, the garden, and the myconid.
Silence filled the clearing once more. Somewhere in the distance, a bird chirped.
The madcap magus wiped at its face and peered around at the carnage. Its eyes twinkled. No need to worry about fertilizer for awhile. Madcap magi are wild mages of the myconids, a species of sentient, mobile mushrooms. Their magic is unpredictable, with oftentimes erratic and random effects.
While most practitioners of magic attempt to harness and control the elements, madcap magi believe this dampens the elements' potential. Instead, they've learned to channel earth mana through their bodies and their staffs without restrictions, letting it run its course, come what may.
While this gives them a level of power unachievable by other magic users, it also sometimes fizzles out, backfires, or results in something entirely unexpected. Madcap magi are willing to accept the consequences, believing the rewards of unbridled magic outweigh the risks.