A Field Guide to Fungi (version 1.01)

Introduction

This guide is intended to serve as a non-comprehensive reference to the Fungi race and will be updated periodically. It provides brief characteristics to allow you to further understand the Fungi and also to differentiate Fungi from non-sentient, edible mushrooms. Although the Fungi are most commonly located in the Toadstools, many can be found throughout the Runiverse. DO NOT eat any mushroom unless you are absolutely certain of its identity: many mushroom species look alike. Some species are sentient, parasitic, highly poisonous, psychoactive, hallucinogenic, or all of the above. Proceed with caution.

Genesis

The Manitari (“Fungi”) are sentient fungi that grow predominantly around the Toadstools. At almost a billion years old, the Manitari are considered by many to be the oldest non-deity race in the Runiverse. Each Fungus in their natural state consists of two parts - an underground network of threads called mycelium, and the above-ground fruiting bodies, which are more commonly known as mushrooms. The mushrooms are very colorful, and, in many instances, enormous. The Manitari appear to be harmless at first glance. However, they are parasitic, and many of their forefungi’s objective was to colonize the Runiverse by forcefully taking control of humanoids in order to further develop their society. While a majority of Fungi no longer practice this, many people of the Runiverse are still wary of them.

“Syndesmos”

The process of a Fungus bonding to a host is called syndesmos. There are two known ways Fungi can accomplish this - by getting ingested by a host, or by a large mushroom attaching over the head of a host. This process only affects humans and other humanoids. Whenever syndesmos occurs, the minds of the two beings coalesce, meaning the personalities and memories of the two beings merge together. In some cases, the Manitari becomes the dominating personality. In other cases, the host maintains almost all control. Fungi also develop their facial features during syndesmos.

Depending on the subspecies of Fungi, either the host remains alive throughout the bonding or the host’s brain dies during syndesmos. In cases where the host remains alive, the host can be returned to its original form by drinking antifungal potions or by detaching oneself from the Fungi. Detaching can only be accomplished through either electromancer magic or by modern surgical intervention.

In the days of old, Manitari would commonly lure, entrap, or otherwise force people into parasitizing them. In modern times, a vast majority of Fungi only practice voluntary or fortuitous syndesmos. People who are terminally ill have traveled to the Toadstools in hopes of turning into a Manitari in order to cheat death. Some have even voluntarily offered themselves to be turned into Manitari due to their religious beliefs. Most commonly, however, Fungi come across people that unknowingly ingest them for their magical properties despite many headed warnings.

Language

In their natural state, Fungi communicate with one another using electrical impulses through the ground. For hundreds of millions of years and before attaching to the first host, the Manitari developed a rich, non-verbal language consisting of thousands of words. After the first syndesmos occurred, their non-verbal language began converting to spoken and written language. Some of these words have been further translated to commontongue. A few basic translations are as follows:

Athiktos - the fruiting body in their natural state, unconnected to hosts

syndesmos - the process of uniting with a host

Exo Apo - the Toadstools, where the Fungi are from

fithalis - Mazis that share a common Mitriki

Manitari - another name for the Fungi race. Fungi and Manitari are interchangeable

Mazi - Fungi that are connected to hosts

Mitriki - the sentient, underground network of threads called mycelium

mycorrhiza - roots that attach to the host’s central nervous system

Xeno - any race that is not a Fungus

Names

Many Fungi names such as Poomu, Shoomer, Truffkin, etc. are common tongue versions of their Manitari names. Many Fungi do not like their common names and prefer to be called by their traditional names. All known translations are as follows:

Agaricus - Agaricus

Alice - Thavma

Amani - Amani

Amantia - Amantio/Amantia

Beefie - Vodino/Vodina

Buttons - Fermou

Cap - Kapako/Kapaki/Kapaka

Chanterelle - Kanth/Kantha

Cordy - Cephal/Cephali

Conker - Kato/Kata

Death Cap - Telos/Telas

Enoki - Enoko/Enoki

Foongie - Talan/Talon/Talin

Funguy - Leonardos/Leonardas

Gilly - Sario/Saria

Goomer - Angeio/Angeia

Griff - Oki/Okia

Hedgie - Ichi/Icha

Hongo - Antiguo/Antigua

Inky - Melano/Melani

Moddles - Chatarum

Moldie - Adio/Aidias

Mooli - Leri

Morella - Morella

Mushbutt - Kolo/Kola

Mushloom - Aargal

Mushmush - Stomar/Stoma

Mushy - Strimo/Strima

Musky - Mos/Mosa

Mycho - Mycho/Mycha

Poomu - Oprano/Oprani/Oprani

Pooroo - Mantili

Porto - Toua

Puffball - Fousko/Fouska

Reishy - Lingzhi

Shaggs - Das/Dasi

Shimeji - Shimeji

Shroomer - Ogon/Ogona

Spore Boy - Sporio/Sporia

Stalk - Kotsan

Stewie - Rypas/Rypani

Stinkie - Osmos/Osmee

Toadie - Vatro/Vatra

Truffkin - Ytano/Ytanie

Waxy - Kiro/Kirodi

Anatomy

As stated above, a Mitriki consists of mycelium and mushroom(s). Mycelia can be as small as only a few millimeters thick, or it can grow for miles long underground. Similarly, its fruiting mushroom can be only a couple inches tall, or it can grow over one hundred feet high. Thus, Fungi are some of the smallest beings as well as some of the largest beings in all of the Runiverse.

The anatomy of a “Mazi” consists of the mushroom head in addition to the host’s entire anatomy. The Mazi connects itself via the host’s central nervous system through roots called mycorrhiza. Matriki’s mushroom heads are spongy and therefore are not very susceptible to blunt damage. However, many are quite flammable.

Diet

Mitriki break down and absorb surrounding organic matter into nutrients that can be absorbed and used as nourishment. However, Mazi will continue to eat and drink whatever the host’s diet consists of.

Reproduction

Both Matriki and Mazi reproduce by releasing colorful spores, which spread through the air. When the spores land on a suitable surface, they grow underground into new mycelium. However, the climates of most areas in the Runiverse outside of the Toadstools are unsuitable for Matriki spores to grow.

Mazi can also mate through their host’s natural mating process. If an offspring is conceived, it will be that of the host’s race.

Relationships

The Mitriki and Mazi’s bond is akin to that of a parent and a child. Once detached and then connected with a host, Mazi will often continue to express love and affirmation towards their "parent." Mitriki and Mazi are also able to and routinely do communicate non-verbally with one another after syndesmos.

Although Matriki are sentient, they do not possess many other traditional emotions, including sexual desire. Therefore, many Mitriki are either sapiosexual or asexual. Conversely, Mazi express physical attraction and will often mate with other Mazi but may also mate with other humanoid races.

Historically, Fungi have had an ambivalent relationship with the rest of the Runiverse. On one hand, the Manitari needed other races to further develop their society. On the other hand, they have been hunted for the medical and psychedelic properties of their spores for tens of thousands of years. The race of Hunters, in particular, have been known to especially love the taste of Fungi. Many people from around the Runiverse remain untrusting of Fungi because of how Fungi have historically subjugated other races into becoming one of them. A lot of Fungi similarly resent other races due to those people hunting and eating them.

Government

Fungi are the Runiverse’s oldest and truest democracy. Every Fungi, whether it be a Mitriki or a Mazi, is allocated one vote no matter how small or how large it is. Fungi elections are a time-honored tradition, and, despite Fungi’s controversial history, are known to be particularly honest and lawful. Fungi belong to different political parties based upon their personal beliefs. The more known democratic parties include the Armilla, Astero, Cyttaria, Entomo, Hypomy, Malass, Metarhi, Pneumo, Ophio, and Tricho parties. Fungi are free to change parties after each election cycle.

Death

Fungi are almost always buried in the ground after death. Cremation is heavily disfavored by many Fungi. It’s an important part of their culture that the mushroom head is returned back to the Toadstools upon death in order to be buried among their ancestors and become sustenance for the Runiverse. Fungi will often return the deceased host’s body back to its place of origin.

Religion

While each democratic party has different values and beliefs, most Fungi practice some nature-based religion or no religion at all. Because they’ve witnessed countless religions come to rise and fall throughout their race’s existence, many Fungi are skeptical of religion as a whole.

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