Festoad

Festoad is a Toad-based character created by @FUSIONISA on January 12, 2023. He is the main antagonist of his setting, being an AU of the original Super Mario Bros.

Appearance
Festoad is based on Toad's debut in Super Mario Bros., which explains his color scheme. He has many red, bloodshot, and occasionally conjoined eyes across his cap, a large, crooked grin almost at all times, and an penty of slender fingers. There is also a large eye on his chest. His faker form, Hoaxshroom, has a skin tone more accurate to the original, though instead he constantly gives a smile without teeth. In this form, his cap lacks any spots. Throughout his phases, his skin tone darkens and his body becomes more and more torn up.

Overview
Festoad is the result of a parasite found in Bowser's Castle quickly latching onto Toad and grabbing complete control of him, both physically and mentally. Toad is powerless to its grasp and abilities, the organism digging holes through his eyes and working all the way up his cap. Festoad is a being that is determined in his goal, infecting any living thing he sees and doing anything he can to grow and gain more power. He won't stop until he is fully finished, and he will continue to grow and evolve until it then.

Biography
With waiting for Mario to save him from Bowser's fourth castle, Toad finds himself catching an unknown virus, coming from an unidentified fungus within the cracks of the stony floor. The fungus takes no time when it comes to intruding his body and infecting him, burying into his eyes first and making them into bare sockets. It quickly works its way up to his mushroom cap, rewiring his brain and more or less just installing itself in his mind and body, taking over completely in a matter of minutes. A new body to claim as its own, it begins to make some adjustments, starting with its new appearance, growing a new pair of teeth and removing the spots, just to outright give the impression to someone that something was wrong with this new Toad.

This form, Hoaxshroom, stands with his hands behind his back, smiling unnaturally wide. Typically Toads were rather blank-faced (in this particular game, at least), not much when it came to expression. Having a newfound identity, he comes to his "captor," Bowser, and immediately ambushes him before Mario arrives. He's not so much as given shred of mercy as Hoaxshroom's teeth sink into his stomach, coughing up a swarm of fungal offspring inside and making the Koopa King the first victim of his.

It was exhilarating, pulling this off on what was once such a tough, intimidating foe. He needed this feeling more, and so that's what he makes into his goal: making great use of his body and newly-formed mandibles to make the Mushroom Kingdom his own.

Instead of a battle waiting for him, Mario comes across Bowser's mangled, fungus-growing corpse, shocked and confused at what could have done this. If it was beyond his sworn enemy's power, then it must have been truly WICKED. It's up to Mario to pick up the axe he's used to slay Bowser in the past to kill whatever this monstrosity was.

Little does he know, said monstrosity, known as Festoad, only becomes stronger and stronger as this journey goes on, the revealing of his true form becoming more and more apparent as he evolves over time. It's when he becomes Shroomrot that he's at his most intense, despite being stationary and located deep underground, in a location where more of his species will be bred and thrive.

Abilities

 * He has the ability to infect any living being he comes into contact with, biting chunks off his victim and spitting offspring into the wounds caused.
 * He is asexual, and can reproduce on his own. He reproduces through methods of transmutation, consuming Super Mushrooms and creating them into his own offspring.
 * He is able to create bodyguards for himself, being broader, taller, and nude versions of Festoad. They are known as Kingshrooms, due to their immense thickness (named after the king oyster mushrooms). Despite their bulky appearances, you're able to take them out if you're smart and fast enough, them being slow, both physically and in wits.
 * He is able to bury into and burst out of the ground, being how he plants himself when it is Shroomrot. He mainly just does this for fun, though.
 * He can remove its cap at will, being something of a panic mode. This is Festoad in his quickest, yet most vulnerable state.
 * All of his eyes are functional, and allow him to see many angles around himself. They lack eyelids, and do not need to blink.

Weaknesses

 * His cap is his weakest spot, being where the parasite truly resides.
 * His chest eye is also a good weak spot, especially since he can't cover it up very well.
 * He tends to be kinda cocky, making unnecessary risks as a result.
 * His Corruptoad form has more exposed tentacles, and has many more eyes, more targets being available.

Trivia

 * He constantly speaks in ALL CAPS.
 * He voice is similar to Toad's, though being more crackly and gargling.
 * His cares about nothing but itself and its offspring. Its offspring carries the same mindset.
 * His body is filled with nothing but fleshy and slimy tentacles, excluding the eyes and teeth.
 * He does not like eating meat, and really just uses his teeth for hurting his prey.
 * All of his tendrils come from his cap.
 * It is uncertain whether Luigi is alive or not in this universe.
 * Festoad goes by the pronouns he/it.
 * He's most likely to backstab you, don't trust him.
 * If Festoad were to have a favorite song, it would probably be FREAKOUT by 1 800 PAIN. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=musLpq_oMuQ CAUTION: SONG IS EXTREMELY LOUD. LOWER VOLUME BEFORE CLICKING LINK.

W.I.P
This page is a work in progress, and parts of it may be changed. :P