Spider Climb. The aartuk can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.
Multiattack. The aartuk makes two Branch attacks, two Radiant Pellet attacks, or one of each.
Branch. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit:8 (2d6 + 2) bludgeoning damage.
Radiant Pellet. Ranged Spell Attack: +3 to hit, range 60 ft., one target. Hit:7 (3d4 + 1) radiant damage.
Tongue (Recharge). The aartuk tries to use its gooey tongue to snare one Medium or smaller creature it can see within 30 feet of itself. The target must make a DC 11 Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target is grappled by the tongue (escape DC 12) and pulled up to 25 feet toward the aartuk. The tongue can grapple one creature at a time.
Aartuks are intelligent plant creatures that live to wage war. Beholders destroyed their original home world and scattered the survivors across the Material Plane. These survivors formed small nomadic cells.