Species Name: Myconid, Fungus People, Mould People
In the last days of Atlantis, an enormous amount of magic was expended during its final invasion. Vast devastation was wrought on the known world, with forests blazing up, and islands sinking into the sea. Eventually Gaea became aware of the savage conflict. Shocked by the destruction, she gave sentience to a grove of trees (the original Throne of Trees). For thousands of years they acted as guardians of the earth and all the different forms of life which inhabit it. But the Parliament only existed in the Grove of Serenity, in between space and time. There were human agents who could act on their behalf in our world, and of course the elementals, but the Infernal forces seemed to be gaining ground. Eventually the decision was made to seed Earth with a new race; a sentient plant life. The Myconid are an offshoot of that seeding.
Type: Humanoid Fungi
Physical Traits: Myconids resemble walking toadstools in human form. Their flesh is bloated and spongy and varies in colour from purple to grey. Their wide feet have vestigial toes and their pudgy hands have two stubby fingers and a thumb on either side. Their bodies are made up of effectively identical cells; the lack of distinct bones or muscles means that no matter the degree of damage, a wound to any part of the body heals exactly as easily and quickly as any other part. Myconid tend to wear long, loose, draping, dark clothes.
Height: See table below
Weight: See table below
Abilities:
Myconids also have the ability to spew forth clouds of special spores. The
number and kind of spores increase as they grow. As each Myconid advances to
another size level, it gains the ability to spray another type of spores, and
the number of times per day that each spore type can be emitted also increases.
A Myconid can emit each of its spore types a number of times per day equal to
its CON. These spore types include
the following:
•Distress: This spore type is used to alert other Myconids to danger or a need
for aid. The cloud expands at a rate of 40 feet per round, expanding to its
maximum of 120 feet in three rounds.
•Pacifier: This type of spore cloud may be spewed at a single creature. If the
creature fails its saving throw vs. poison, it becomes totally passive, unable
to do anything. The affected creature only observes; it is unable to perform any
action even if attacked. The range of this effect is 40 feet. The duration of
this effect is a number of rounds equal to the Hit Dice of the Myconid.
•Hallucinator: This type of spore is usually used in the melding ritual, but a
Myconid can project them at an attacker. The spore cloud may be shot at one
creature, and if that creature fails its saving throw vs. poison, it suffers
violent hallucinations for a number of turns equal to the WIS of the Myconid. Hallucinating creatures react as follows (roll 1d20):
D20 Roll Reaction
1-10 Cower and whimper
11-15 Stare into nothingness
16-18 Flee shrieking in a random direction
19-20 Try to kill the closest creature
The range of this effect is 40 feet.
Mobility: Legs
Sensory Organs: Visual
Communication: Vocal
Reproduction: Asexual reproduction creates a genetic duplicate of the original, while sexual reproduction creates genetic variance as normal.
INT: 3D6, WIS: 3D6, STR: 3D6, DEX: 3D6, CON: 4D6, CHA: 2D6, MR: 2D6, HPs: CON +D20
Orbit/Climate: See Earth
Feeding Habits: They digest cellulose instead of just the simple nutrients of plants. They eat dead things, living far away from the sun. They need little water and no light - nothing but dead matter and air. In this way, Myconids are closer to true animals than any other life form on the planet. Myconids tend to be one of three things - predators, scavengers, and parasites. They grow fungi, which later decay, and the Myconids feed from these soil nutrients.
Lifespan: 200 years
Technology: 2
Culture: Xenophobic but passive. They are cautious creatures that deplore violence; Myconids have no desire to conquer anybody and would prefer to be left alone. A Myconid has a deathly fear of sunlight and will not willingly travel to the surface world. The exact effects of sunlight on a Myconid are unknown, but they must be highly detrimental for the fungus men to fear sunlight as they do. Myconid society is based on “circles”, extremely tight social groups that are linked by group work and melding sessions. Myconid circles usually consist of 20 members: four of each size. Each community consists of D10 circles. Each circle’s day is rigidly structured: eight hours of rest, followed by eight hours of farming the fungus crops, followed by eight hours of melding. For the Myconids, melding is entertainment, worship, and social interaction combined. The fungus men gather in a tight circle and the elder Myconid release rapport and hallucinatory spores. The entire group then merges into a collective telepathic hallucination for eight hours. Myconids consider this melding to be the reason for their existence. Only distress spores will bring a circle out of its meld before the eight hours have elapsed. The Myconid king is always the largest member of the colony. It is also the only Myconid that is not the member of a circle. The other Myconids regard separation from the circles with horror and pity the lonely king. The leadership role is thought of as an unpleasant duty, almost a condemnation. However, when the old king dies, the strongest Myconid always assumes the role of the new king. The king must remain outside of circles to retain objectivity and to pay close attention to the duties of leadership. The king animates guardians for the colony so the Myconids need not commit violence. It coordinates the work schedule and pays attention to affairs outside the colony that could affect the fungus men. The king also practices fungal alchemy, brewing special potions that may be useful in times of trouble.
In general, Myconids are a peaceful race, desiring only to work and meld in peace. There are no recorded instances of disharmony, or any sort of violence or disagreement between Myconids. If forced into combat, they avoid killing if at all possible; violence adversely affects their melding. Accord has never been reached between Myconid and humanoid. Each views the other as a disgusting threat; humanoids see Myconids as ugly monsters. Myconids view humanoids as a violent, insane species out to conquer anything in their path, destroy anything they can’t conquer, then go back down the path to make sure there isn’t anything they forgot to destroy or conquer. Myconids find it difficult to believe that humanoids are not going to immediately use violence against them, and so they are very reluctant to deal with them. Given population pressures in the underworld in which the Myconids live, further conflicts seem inevitable. If the Myconids are approached in peace, it is possible that they will communicate, though they will be suspicious.
Myconids live in underground regions, which are large cavernous underground areas that range in size form a large cavern complex to an entire secret continent beneath the ground. Myconids try to find isolated spots away from civilized areas. These communities will usually be near water, for they like dampness. Work details sometimes patrol the area, looking for signs of battles and unburied dead, which they bring to the king to animate; these are the only Myconids that will be found outside of their lair. A Myconid community is arranged around mounds of moss-covered stones, on which the circle members sit when they meld, and on which they sleep. There will also be a large garden area; the Myconids feed on water and small fungi, and the king uses the garden ingredients to make his potions. Dead Myconid kings are buried with honour beneath the mounds, while dead Myconids are buried near the gardens.
They spread their colonies through vast networks of
underground tunnels, trading the rich compost they produce as a waste product to
farm communities on the surface. When a Myconid colony grows too large, it either
goes into a cannibalistic civil war or starts strip-logging the surface to get
new compost-ready materials. Despite their various drawbacks, their position of
relative safety in the world has led to them being the pre-eminent culture of
scholars. Myconid have the most sheltered and protected of societies, getting
exposure to the outside world only if they get exiled or join a merchant caravan
to the surface. This protection, however, facilitates and incredibly stable
society, allowing for an enlightened and scholarly society to come to be.
Myconid
have a heavily socialist society, distributing what's necessary to everyone.
Those best suited for it work in the acquisition of organic materials for
sustenance, while the entire rest of the culture form a massive collective of
arcane and mundane scholars.
Relations: Myconid tend to be seen as one of two things by the world above:
either parasites to be shunned for their ghoul-like consumption of dead matter
or valuable trade partners who will trade valuable compose for waste matter (in
the end, one's trash is the other's food). As such, the Myconid form trade
alliances with those willing to deal and ignore and avoid those who are not.
Myconid also trade their arcane knowledge to earth elementals in exchange for
protection of their trade caravans.
Government: Monarchy
Population: 1,164,410