#fungal faun

[snejkha]

Lute doodleries

[emahriel]

fungal body – circle of spores/faun exprmt

[literary-illuminati]

2024 Book Review #14 – And Put Away Childish Things by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This book I basically came across by chance. Or, well, not exactly chance, but I’d never even heard of it before until I checked what Tchaikovsky books my local library system had copies of and saw it. Which in a sense is a terrible way to come into this – it’s an incredibly dramatic swerve from any of Tchaikovsky’s other stuff that I’ve read – but coming in totally blind pretty much worked, I think. Genuinely very fun read.

The story follows Harry Bodie, a children’s TV presenter facing down middle age with a career that’s never really lived up to expectations. Somewhat desperately, he signs on to a tabloid-ish program about digging into the family tree, hoping to use the residual fame of his grandmother and her fairly famous and successful series of postwar children’s fantasy novels as a career boost. Instead he gets his face rubbed in the fact that his great-grandmother is only recorded as an indigent madwoman, and the famous author was born in a sanitarium. That the famous Underhill stories were, in fact, based in large part on delusions told as childhood fables and family histories.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, the stories turn out to be less delusional than previously reported. Bodie is in quick succession accosted by a faun, approached by a suspicious PI, and kidnapped by a surprisingly moneyed fan-club-cum-occult-coven. Soon enough he’s getting his first taste of Underhill first hand – or, at least, what’s left of it after a century and change of economizing and entropy.

I’m on record as being fairly dismissive about the whole category of ‘stories about stories’, and I guess I need to eat my words a bit because I actually really enjoyed this. To an extent that’s probably just because it doesn’t get too meta – storyland is a work of deliberate artifice, the stories themselves don’t shape the world or do magic, it just generally never tries to get too cute or didactic about it – but still. This is a book where the hero at one point describes his situation as ‘Five Nights at Aslan’s’ so there’s no real principled distinction for me to cut here. One of the main characters is literally a folklorist.

Though, it’s less about stories than one specific story in particular. The unremarkable schlub plucked out of their mundane life and told that they’re special, that they’re the hero or the true heir and possess some inherent numinous essence that makes them the most important person in the world. This is a terribly appealing story, and one Harry feels the lure of very keenly – he’s self-aware enough to say quite clearly that he goes back to the frozen, decaying world full of half-dead monsters less out of morality or rationality than simply because it was a place where he mattered, for good or ill.

It’s probably not reading too deeply into the book’s themes to note that the story is a lure in a fairly literal sense, or that the true heir is destined to ‘save’ the world by being hollowed out and possessed by those who came before them.

Of course as much as this is in conversation with Narnia et al, it owes at least as much to whole genre of ‘what is nostalgic children’s property, but fucked up?’ creepypasta. Fairyland is choked with fungal growths and creepy, staticy not-snow. The scampering, troublemaking faun is miserable and worn out with bad knees. The Best Of All Dogs is a rotting, terrifying hellhound. There’s even a titanic evil scary clown. Aesthetically the book owes far more to r/nosleep than Lewis Carroll.

Harry himself is an absolute delight as a main character. By which I mean he just sucks so bad, but in very mundane and endearing ways. Who among us can not relate on some level to a failing middle-aged actor who always made a point of not trading on his family name but is secretly pretty resentful it hasn’t helped him more? He refuses the call to adventure then decides his life’s kind of shit and he’d rather get stabbed to death by goblins, so he comes crawling back and begs for a second chance. He’s left a glowing magic sword that will defeat all enemies, but it’s stuck in the body of one of his kidnappers so he just runs screaming and it spends the rest of the book in an evidence locker somewhere. I love him.

I really have no idea to what degree it was intentional, but it also does rather muse me that – okay, you know the standard bit of feminist media analysis where male characters are the actors, while female characters are generally walking set decoration and plot devices? It really deeply amuses me that Harry spends the better part of the story as a magical blood bank getting led around or terrified and awaiting rescue, whereas Seitchman (our counterfeit PI/folklorist) repeatedly forces herself into things through obsessive research skills and a complete disregard for her own safety (and at one point an enthusiastic if unpracticed willingness to sword people). Though to be clear this was mostly amusing to me because it was absolutely never highlighted or commented upon.

This is probably the first book I’ve read that’s recent enough to be set during lockdown without really being a COVID novel, if that makes sense? You could set this the year before or the year after without really losing much, and it lacks the ‘this was written in quarantine’ vibe of a lot of books I read last year. But it definitely adds a sense of specificity and timeliness to it that I rather enjoyed.

So yeah, do not open it expecting anything like Children of Time, but good book!

[crystal-grotto]

It was evening, the sun was setting and things were dying down in the city and the woods, and it was the perfect time of day for a mossy faun to go walking right in the middle of the woods to go catch a few fireflies for some activities he had planned later on tonight, he had a few caught already and had them in a jar that illuminated his face in the ever-growing darkness

When it came to sunset, it was not only the fairfolk who sought the forest. Trolls, hidden in the earth, came out when the twilight deepened to roam - as well as scavenge, hunt, and explore. Hagel, as usual, had her hooves in the grass as soon as it was safe to do so. She was on her usual quest to resupply stock of the fungal variety - large puffball mushrooms.

She'd a particular spot she frequented to find them.

It didn't take long to get there, but that also meant it stuck her right next to... a strange form. Red eyes blinking in the gloom at the shadow moving after winking bio-lights, heavy horned head cocks to the side as pale pupils followed the other. What was this?

[words-and-threads]

So here's an explanation nobody asked for: Tommy Stray the first was a character for a post-apocalyptic LARP that I stopped playing before I got to bring her in. Her mutant healing ability, when discovered, set off a chain of events that ended with her leaving her childhood home in the middle of the night and setting the barn on fire on the way out. From that we get her recklessness (because she can always heal), anti-authoritarianism, dislike of bigotry and dogma, and spitefulness. Her hedonistic streak was partly the effect of another in-game culture and partly rebellion against her religious upbringing. Her fondness for guns and explosives is mostly just stolen from Jinx, one of the character inspirations, and also because I needed to choose combat skills for the actual game.

That baseline has been the blueprint for a dozen other characters.

- Bg3 sorcerer Tommy is one of the closest, with the inciting incident of her life being her magic rather than mutation but with similar results.

- Changeling Tommy used to run with a bunch of Mafia brats in the 50s before being kidnapped by the Fae and turned into a snake for 60 years. She fully believes she is too lucky to die. She was another LARP character for a while. At some point I realized he should actually be a trans man.

- space Tommy has a space fungal infection that gives her healing powers. It will also consume her if she doesn't feed it enough. Same bad family as the mutant and sorcerer variants. She is pretty good at fixing things, it's basically her only virtue.

- werewolf Tommy is the shittiest werewolf in his family and he's pissed about it. He's also trans which has given him more things to be pissed about.

- Toni aka Little Ton was a peasant, then a soldier, then a gladiator, now an odd job scumbag specializing in violence when available and courier services most of the time. They are 5 foot nothing and 70 percent rage by volume.

- Faun Tamlin is another LARP character, this time in a fantasy setting. She's a faun who was raised by bandits, poorly enough that she interrogated and murdered her...well let's say adoptive mother before escaping. Sees people as either predators or prey and considers herself ruined by her upbringing, unable to live safely among the prey but not cold enough to be happy with the predators.

- Tony is a space version of Tamlin, still a faun or at least a faun-like alien. Trade space pirates for bandits and swap the gender and they're basically the same.

- Halfling Tamlin is another bg3 Tav, not much different from the faun so far except that she's a bit more at home in cities.

[hybbat]

Do you have a favourite(s) faun(s) (or other OC of yours) that you've made so far? And if so, anything about them you like in particular?? :0

9 characters I love and wish I did more with:

You'll otice that quite a few have complex designs that are had to just doodle with. I'm not very good at simplifaction.

For most of my fav character designs there isn't one singular appeal point but more the way everything comes together imo. I think good legs and hips is the running physical trait while a good monster design that still looks very monstrous but retains a human face and relative body shape is key. Something floral or fungal as a theme is also an easy choice.

[beetlemug]

Leshy as a cute little faun since his act two sprite simply looked like a lil critter

-ik hes a fungal forest grandpa, ill draw him as how he actually is... One Day

[creepy-crowleys]

Mission Log: Mortal Sins

Objective: Investigate Halt Orochi operation “the Breach”. Halt Vampire Crusade. Recover subject “Emma Stone” - still missing

Location: Carpathian Mountains, Romania - Points of Interest: Harbaburesti (village), Iazmăciune (village, cursed), Roman Baths, Network of Soviet-era bunkers (Red Hand)

Investigation Summary (2 of 3):

Week 7: Forest of Hunters (August 20 - August 26)

Once Facility-9 was secure, I returned to work on the region-wide ward with Zaha.  It was completed on August 21 and remained stable for the duration of the assignment.

With the farmlands protected, I proceeded through Bacaș Tunnel to the forest where the rest of the Drăculești camped.

Much of the week was spent familiarizing myself with the people and area while the Drăculești’s leader, Milosh, attempted to find more information regarding the prophecy on which their order was founded.  During this time, I came across another of Zorlescu’s Morninglight members that he’d abandoned in the field, Alina Florea, and convinced her to join me at the Drăculești camp as a medic in exchange for our protection.

Week 8: Rot and Decay (August 27 - September 2)

The week continued much the same as the previous week ended, focusing heavily on acquainting myself with the Drăculești and surrounding forest.

One of the areas I investigated was the home of Olga and Silviu Dimir, mother and son farmers and butchers.  Exploration of their land and the Soviet bunkers beneath revealed them to have abandoned traditional livestock in favor of butchering supernatural creatures - ghouls mostly, though captive and deceased fauns and blajini were also discovered on the grounds, as were human remains in the ghouls’ feeding troughs.  

The decision was made to shut down their operation. Olga and Silviu remain unaccounted for.

Towards the end of the week, I was informed of the existence of possible unfamiliar creatures spreading through the forest seemingly alongside the infection that had been reported earlier.  Of particular concern was that they were beginning to encroach on the local power and water purification plants.

The creatures were determined to be a previously unidentified Filth strain that manifests through fungi to create more animalistic and, more importantly, mobile forms.  Both infection sites were cleansed of their presence and returned to normal function.

Week 9: In Memoriam (September 3 - September 9)

The next areas of interest I pursued were the nearby Drăculești graveyard where several of Dracula and some of his most loyal followers were buried and the cursed village Iazmăciune.  The village, once a seat of Dracula’s power, was lost to Lilith and Mara’s followers after he failed to kill Mara the first time.  Dracula slaughtered all of the village’s inhabitants when he returned and they were sealed to their fates as Deathless by Cucuvea in the aftermath.  

Like the other locations Cucuvea had sealed, the wards on the village were beginning to fail.

Much of the week was spent containing and pacifying the souls at both sites, during which I also recovered the key to what was believed to be Dracula’s tomb.

On September 4, I learned that two of the Drăculești I had been working with went missing the night before.  They were discovered to have been captured by werewolves.  While we were able to bring both of them home, one had contracted lycanthropy and was unable to be treated.  Andrash Blaga was euthanized in the early morning of September 5.

Week 10: Apa Sâmbetei (September 10 - September 16)

Using the key I recovered from Iazmăciune, I returned to the Drăculești graveyard to open the tomb marked with the same emblem, believing it to be Dracula’s.  Upon entering though, the tomb was discovered to be empty of remains.  The tomb did contain a reference to Dracula’s prophecy however in the form of a carved stone book.  

I took a photo of the book to a woman staying across the lake from the Drăculești camp, Anastasia, and the sapient wagon she travelled in to have the text translated.  The text explained that, in order to defeat Mara, Dracula would need to be called back from death using the combined power of the Apa Vie and Apa Moartă - the Waters of Life and Death.  The Apa Vie was traced to a nearby spring, but the Apa Moartă proved more difficult to locate.

During the course of my search, I encountered the Iele, a Romanian legend, and assisted her in protecting parts of the forest from the fungal Filth that had begun to spread there. I discovered the Apa Moartă spring not far from the area.

I delivered both waters to Dracula’s true tomb beneath the chapel of the Drăculești graveyard only to discover that I was still missing a crucial element: half of a silver egg that Dracula had entrusted to the so-called Eagle of the old legend.

Week 11: Requested Time Off (September 17 - September 23)

See attached permissions.

Returned to active duty September 22 to assist with removing Alina Florea and other lapsed Morninglight members from their systems.

Week 12: Myths and Legends, Angels and Demons (September 24 - September 30)

I received a tip from Cern early in the week about two possible candidates for the missing Eagle as well as the site of another possible disaster, the village of Rândul Jadului.

The village was gone by the time I arrived, a Hell incursion burning through most of it and the demon army destroying what was left.  I was able to successfully repel most of the invading force and close the rifts they came through, though a large rift under the village’s tavern remained.  I crossed through it in hopes of requesting Theodore Wicker’s assistance in closing it and to get updates on his war efforts in Hell.

The civil war was still raging on my arrival, and I offered Wicker my assistance in taking back the Infernal city of Sheol.  The battle culminated in a confrontation with the fallen angel, Eblis, whom I successfully defeated.  Despite the victory, Wicker and his followers have since disappeared.

With the Hell situation relatively stabilized, I returned to working through a number of local stories in hopes of tracking down the missing pieces of Dracula’s prophecy.

On September 30, I learned that the leader of the Drăculești had information relating to the identity of the Eagle and kept it from me out of personal dislike of the man.  I met with the Eagle, Octavian, later that day.  

Octavian initially refused to assist in defeating Mara, citing his frustration with his role and desire to finally be allowed to die.

Week 13: The Trials of the Dragon (October 1 - October 7)

In search of alternate methods to defeat Mara, I decided to attempt the Drăculești’s Trials of the Dragon.  Attempts ran into the next week and all I gained was official certification as a vampire hunter.  

I also may have activated a natural global defense system with the Iele’s help.  Research as to what exactly I accomplished is ongoing - See file on ‘Singing Stones.’

Week 14: The Dragon’s Egg Completed (October 8 - October 14)

On October 9, Emilia, the daughter of the Drăculești’s leader, went missing.  It was eventually discovered that’d she’d gone to Octavian herself in hope of convincing him to help.  She succeeded.

With the second half of the silver Dragon’s egg, I returned to Dracula’s tomb and collected his soul from the Apa Sâmbetei, then proceeded to the foot of the Carpathian Mountains in my pursuit of Mara.  I was quick to learn that the mountains were the heart of the vampire’s operations, and began work to destabilize them.

[snejkha]