#like that fungus that controls ants

[yfantis]

Cringetober - Day 4

Fursona

It’s me! In a way…

[splicejunction]

like i realize i always end up talking about this but someone did invoke comics in the replies so i feel like i'm allowed. but the fact that i don't think i've even seen shatterstar in the background of a panel in a pride issue in like 2 years is insane to me like that man has been written as gay since 1994 if you trust the word of god (fabian nicieza) (which i do) but like. whatever. i don't read modern big 2 comics anyways so it doesn't even matter. or maybe he doesn't show up because he sucks and is lame and i have some kind of Shatterstar Brain Fungus like i was thinking about him while getting infected by whatever that thing is that mind controls ants and now the fungus is obsessed with sword and eye and haunted doll and the number seven and its incurable so i'm just going to be like this until i die and everyone around me is just going yeah man sure he is kind of a haunted robot doll angel made out of dogs blood and white plastic and radio waves because they don't want to anger the fungus and cause me to go on a killing spree or something

[princessnijireiki]

anyway our CNS & brains are pretty complex, like we've barely figured out getting people with partial spinal cord damage back driving their own bodies + when we do it's still a roll of the dice & the processes are not all well understood... encephalitis can caused locked-in-ness like with sleeping sicknesses, akinetic mutism, etc where the body itself is not physically incapable of movement & action, but nothing is out there that jumps in and takes over from a driver who's paralyzed or asleep at the wheel... that's not actually a thing, it's fun speculative fiction but not representative of reality— so really, no worries lol

[futurebird]

The case for domesticated ants.

Domesticated bees are incredibly useful. They pollinate many crops and produce honey. But what could domesticated ants do for humanity?

Ants are much stronger than bees and come in a wide range of sizes. They can be kept healthy on an inexpensive a diet of feeder insects and plant sugars. Ants are fastidious and pay attention to details. They would be excellent for agriculture. Weaver ants are already used for pest control in orchards, farmers place silk cocoons in the trees to attract queens and connect the branches of adjacent trees to help the ants expand their territory. The weaver ants naturally attack most arthropods that enter the tree.

But what if ants could also help with tasks like controlling unwanted weeds? Some species of ants grow fungus gardens and practice weeding to keep the gardens free of inedible fungi and plants. Ants that live in mutualistic relationships with trees and gourds meticulously trim and kill all unwanted plants that grow near their host plant. Domesticated herbicidal ants could collect seeds from weeds and clip seedlings.

Ants could also be used for pest control in enclosed spaces. Army ants sweep over the forest killing most arthropods in a region. What if they could sweep over your apartment, or restaurant every few weeks and eliminate unwanted guests?

Larger ants could be used for search and rescue. Equipped with small trackers or cameras (The larger ants could wear the cameras) they could sweep over a destabilized building and find missing people.

Ants could also help with fiddly sorting tasks, anything that involves putting little objects in piles.

They are also very good at finding leaks.

Really the future is bright if there are more ants in it.

[ablobwhowrites]

Say your latest post and I immediately LOVE it!

I started to think, what if that y/n meet the vehicon y/n and since you says that that y/n would similarly act or be like cyn from MD, I immediately think of that y/n to used callback ping on vehicon y/n, like tried to take their body and used it for like some kind of sacrifice or a new body for Unicorn.

I like making y/n get even more suffer from their alternative self (•v•) 👍

Possessed y/n would have a hell of a time even taking vehicon m/n or y/n but if possessed y/n was able to then basically it would be then rippin and taking m/n's human body out as a tribute to Unicron as I said they are actually a fucking lunatic. Also they would try to do with other y/n's or m/n's who weren't as 'devoted' to Unicron as them and basically want to be in Unicron's good favor even if it kills them, also when I was making vehicon m/n, he actually died while being fused into the chassis of the vehicon and brought back as as zombie but I scrapped that idea, he got very very lucky dice roll fr.

But also if possessed y/n where to be freed from Unicron’s control, y/n wouldn’t remember what happened and most likely not know what happened due to it kinda being more of them being controlled by Unicron kinda like a how that one fungus controls ants when they get infected. Also was thinking of kinda like how ice king was going insane because of the crowns control and thinking maybe y/n found some kind of headpiece or something from unicron and it slowly possessed them. Don’t know what you guys think cause I take inspiration from a lot of stuff and also take care of yourselves guys! Drink water and stay healthy, thanks for listening to my yap session

[pichoshaw]

The kingdom of Fungal Life 

When we think about the natural world, our minds often gravitate towards lush forests, vibrant flowers, and majestic animals. However, lurking beneath the surface and often hidden from plain sight is a kingdom of life that is as essential as it is mysterious: fungi. These remarkable organisms play a crucial role in the ecosystem, contributing to processes that sustain life on Earth. Let’s delve into the captivating world of fungi and explore their diverse and critical roles in nature.

Fungi belong to their own kingdom, separate from plants, animals, and bacteria. This diverse group includes yeasts, molds, and mushrooms. Unlike plants, fungi do not perform photosynthesis; instead, they obtain nutrients through absorption. They secrete enzymes that break down complex organic matter into simpler compounds, which they then absorb. This mode of nutrition classifies them as saprophytes (decomposers), parasites, or mutualists.

One of the most vital roles fungi play in nature is that of decomposers. They break down dead organic material, such as fallen leaves, dead trees, and animal carcasses. This decomposition process is crucial for nutrient cycling, as it releases essential elements like carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus back into the soil, making them available for plants and other organisms. Without fungi, these nutrients would remain locked in dead matter, disrupting the balance of ecosystems.

Many fungi form symbiotic relationships with plants through structures known as mycorrhizae. These fungi colonize plant roots, extending far into the soil and increasing the surface area for water and nutrient absorption. In return, the fungi receive carbohydrates produced by the plant through photosynthesis. This mutualistic relationship enhances plant growth, resilience to stress, and nutrient uptake, illustrating a remarkable example of cooperation in nature.

While many fungi play beneficial roles, some can be pathogenic, causing diseases in plants, animals, and humans. For instance, the fungus Ophiocordyceps infects ants and other insects, eventually controlling their behavior to facilitate spore dispersal. In plants, fungi can cause devastating diseases like rusts, smuts, and blights, affecting crops and natural vegetation. Understanding these pathogenic interactions is crucial for managing agricultural health and preserving natural ecosystems.

Beyond their ecological roles, fungi have significant applications in medicine and biotechnology. The discovery of penicillin, derived from the mold Penicillium, revolutionized medicine by providing the first effective antibiotic. Fungi also produce other medically important compounds, such as immunosuppressants and cholesterol-lowering drugs. In biotechnology, fungi are used in processes ranging from fermentation in food production to the breakdown of pollutants in bioremediation.

Fungi exhibit a stunning variety of forms and colors, particularly noticeable in mushrooms and molds. From the luminescent glow of bioluminescent fungi to the intricate patterns of mushroom caps, fungi contribute to the aesthetic diversity of nature. Some fungi even exhibit bizarre and fascinating behaviors, such as the slime molds that can navigate mazes or the cordyceps fungi that create “zombie” insects.

[necromancy-101]

I read a lot of articles and get a lot of cease and desist letters about how necromancy is immoral and dark and oooh so scary and evil. Let me walk you through why it isn’t.

In today’s lesson, we’ll be discussing why necromancy isn’t violating any “sacred natural order” or some bullshit like that. I think a common misconception people have with necromancy is that it violates some principle that dying things stay dead and that to change that would be an affront to god or something.

For one, most forms of necromancy are just utilizing a corpse as a tool, comparable to making armor out of dragon hide or lopping off a gorgon’s head to use as a weapon during battle. Such things aren’t taboo in society for some reason, as though holding up a woman’s head during battle wouldn’t be considered barbaric, or wearing the skin of a dragon wouldn’t be insulting to the creature in death. Such things are commonplace because of the GLORY that comes with them. Heroes decide to defile corpses in these ways and become legends because of their unique equipment. When a necromancer uses those corpses in their entirety as tools, they’re shunned because animating an inanimate object is unnatural.

What happens when I cast an awakening spell on the gorgon’s head? What happens if I cause the dragon armor to gain life and move preemptively to protect its wearer? Both of those can be done using non-necromancy spells. Relatively easily, too.

Moreover, Druids- at least the ones in my area, don’t have a problem with necromancy. Particularly because it’s not unnatural- fungus has evolved to bring ants to life and control them like zombies. The only difference between that and necromancy is how they go about it, so it doesn’t violate any law of nature- as nature itself has an example of necromancy.

Anyway, feel free to debate with me by reposting or smth. I enjoy a good discussion about ethics. Ultimately, it’s up to you whether or not you choose to practice the dark arts, but don’t force your way of life onto others. That can be said for everything, really.

[glassandhamsandwich]

Tell me Glass, what is your interpretation of the shape/infecteds? Yap about it to me pls I love <3333333 listening <333333

YAYYYY OK!!!! I'm so sorry this is probably going to suck to read because I kept going back and forth between topics....

So I think that the way the shape works is basically like that fungus that infects bugs like ants and stuff, controlling the infected like the fungus does as a way to benefit its growth and spread. But when you get infected it's also almost like getting rabies and every bad emotion you've ever had just completely decks you in the face and it's extremely confusing.. so you just act on whatever feeling is the strongest and stick with it.

Not only is it incredibly confusing but it's also physically painful.. aside from the obvious pain from turning into a big freak.. all of the infected are experiencing the worst migraine ever and all have a bunch of different symptoms and are just having a terrible time..

some specific symptoms -

Muir : basically is just feeling like a deer with cwd because that's what I based him off of.... forever hungry and thirsty and stuff like that

Trots : crazy fatigue and malaise- also not a physical symptom but his behavior changes all the time. Some times he'll be aggressive and sometimes he'll try to stay away from you as much as possible

Rennick : bros got covid 19 basically

Addair : frequent vomiting and dizziness

Gibbo : entire lower half of his body feels like it's asleep.. like pins and needles

Also the reason my designs don't have any absorbed people is not only because I am really lazy and didn't want to have to draw them all the time.. but now it's because I'm going to say that when they kill people, instead of absorbing them they bring them to the main part of the shape for the shape itself to absorb (and by they I mean Addair he's literally the only one who's doing what he's supposed to be doing for the shape). It's like plant food for it.

While they are really confused, the infected are still conscious enough to be on the receiving end of a conversation.. they may or may not be able to respond in a coherent way. Just depends on the moment.

The only way to get rid of the shape is to physically destroy it.. so like if you tried REALLY REALLY hard you could cut it down with like an axe or something.. or you can just blow it up I guess.

.

Ok my brain is very scattered today I can not think of anything else to say.... sigh... guess that means you'll just have to ask me more questions..... /hj/nf

Also I could talk about my "fix it" au if you want to here about that but also it is currently not very well fleshed out because it started as me just being really self indulgent with the infected because I like them all a lot.....

[jazzzzzzhands]

Ok FOR REAL Theory Time!!! Gonna be massive spoilers plus mention of bugs/fungus! So I'm calling this the Mold Theory And what is the Mold? It's the black stuff under Home! (Mold under a house is very suiting, right?) The Mold has contaminated Every single thing that the Restoration team has found! The team talks about the envelopes, the antiques, and the artwork found for Welcome Home and how it is alwasys Wet and covered in Grime. The stuff that is "Growing" all over the found items... Staff must wear gloves or they will get covered in it

You can see it all over the gloves, the Walls, and even the Website Itself! It's also been shown on the restored art prior to the update. But one unfortunate person seems to have touched it. and that is.. The Question Answerer! (The head person of the Restoration team is also most likely infected) Now what this Mold does is, It seems to have an effect of the person's mental state. Causing them to see and hear things, as well as having lucid nightmares and an overwhelming urge to draw spirals. From the very moment of contact, it seems to have effect "When I Unwrapped the first letter, I felt it. I heard it. Open Open Open. I want it out, I'm Going to get it Out" Instant Hallucinations and Obsession! Now I'm going to be Comparing this Mold to a Real fungus called Cordyceps, or the Zombie-Ant Fungus. It is a fungus that can control BUGS (familar themes right?) and take over their minds, forcing them to act unnaturally and wander far in order to spread itself! ~Similarily~ this Mold can take control of the Host's mind as well. The "Spores" that it is trying to spread are the drawings of the spirals/eyes. And the more eyes are Drawn, the more Wally can SEE. Wally has made it truly apparent that he can see us through any rendition of his eyes. "I've seen you every time you've looked into my eyes" "I have more eyes than I did before, you know how to draw eyes You draw mine, many times. I know it is thanks to you, Neighbor.. That I can see.. but it is still.. I can't see" He is giving us instructions.. "You have work to do" -Giving us instrustions on how to draw an eye... "Please Open, Let me In" Now I find this last instruction very funny He doesn't say "Let me Out" No... He says "Let me IN" Into What? What are we Opening? Our doors?Our EYES? our Mind? our Heart?? I think that could be exactly it!!! Letting him.... into You!!! (The collective You) Isn't that Funny? A Funny little thought?! The Puppet becoming the Puppeteer! ooh hee hee hoo hoo I think I'm very clever about that! But there are so many themes of Strings/Control/Scripts That I simply couldn't help myself! Now does that mean I think Wally is Evil? Absolutely NOT I LOVE Wally, and hey, what's a bit of mind control between Neighbors? <333 I'll borrow a cup of sugar and you can borrow my sanity! That's what Neighbors are for! <3 Jokes aside, No I Do NOT think Wally is Evil!! No, he might become a Puppeteer over the Real world... (and It might be for good reason, to save his friends and himself) but he is still very much a Puppet himself. Literally and Figuratively, And the Real Mastermind behind the strings is... Home!

Afterall? Isn't that where the Mold is coming from? From Down Below? Below Home?

This image gives me BIG TIME Obediance vibes Reporting/Worship/Subjugation I very much see Wally as the Lure of a very big Angler Fish.. The bait, the perfect little puppet that has captured our hearts and led us by the hand into Welcome Home. Isn't that very much how it has gone in real life? (Oh I KNOW I got the Mold BAD!!! ahahaha) (I can't stop drawing himmm!!! :3c ) But this is where my rambling stops, Until Next Time! I will just say that: The Relationship between Home and Wally (And by extension, YOU) Is a Strange one for sure! And I cant wait to see it further! And Just one more extra note on this whole Fungus thing.. Did you know that the BIGGEST Organism on the entire Earth.. Is a Mushroom? It is because they are connected through their Roots... (Down Below) and Houses kinda are shaped like musrooms... I will Leave it at That! Ahahahaha!

[titleknown]

KAIJUNE 2024 #2: SPACE ODDITY

-D- This is Major David speaking, come in ground control, I have lost co-ordinates of my location over.

-G- This is ground control. Describe your location Major David, over?

-D- It appears to be jungle, based in fungal life. Lifeforms resembling terrestrial "stinkhorn" fungus, flourescent mushroom caps, psilocybin. Bioluminescence prominent. Breathing is labored, apparattus appears to be intact. There appears to be moving entities, over.

-G- Describe the moving entities, over.

-D- They are like... ants, some of them riding larger metallic creatures.. Majority appear to be retreating. Some of them are approaching, request per-

-There is static, temporarily, for one hour and twenty-nine seconds-

-D- Contact re-established, approaching entities hostile, used secondary sidearms to dispatch most aggressive, foliage regenerating from stray fire, permission to continue-

-G- NO. I mean, permission denied Major David. Orders to retreat given. Over.

-D- Retreat initiated, entities pursuing aggressively. God, these things don't fucking let up, do they Tom? Over.

-There is static, temporarily, for three hours and five seconds- 

-D- Retreat enacted. A few of them follow, but I think I've crushed 'em. I am out of rations. I have a feeling. An urge to [SPEECH INDECIPHERABLE], permission to do so? over.

-G- Permission granted.

-D- Oxygen tank on standby mode, filters at 10% capacity. Still breathing. Biological consequence of this world noted? Over. 

-G- Noted, over.

-D- Sleepy. But cannot sleep. It's too bright. The days go on and move, but it's too bright. Over. 

-G-.[Sound of shuffling papers] Easy Dave, Major David, easy. Just. breathe. think about your breathing. your lungs taking oxygen. your heartbe- believing you can get home. Just stay with me. Breathe. Breathe. Over.

-D- My heart. My heartbeat. I can't feel my heartbeat. All I can feel is my [SPEECH INDECIPHERABLE]. I feel. I feel...

-there is a ten second pause-

-D- Ground control, is my wife there. I can hear her there. Permission for her to speak. Over.

-G- This is ground control. Your wife is not in the room with us. Keep breathing. Over. 

-D- Tom, I mean ground control, I can hear her. I can hear her saying things about me. Is she angry with me? She is screaming at me. 

-Increasing sound of respiration-

-D- I've been gone for so long, so long, she sounds like buzzing, she sounds like insects, she- she-

-G- YOUR WIFE IS DEAD. I cannot keep this charade going any longer Dave, she is dead! You ate her when you came back, because you came back wrong, and we've all been living this lie to keep you out of everyone's hair. I stayed on because I thought I... I... 

...I thought that we could save you.

-The sound of a chair being flipped in the background is heard-

-G- Oh, don't look at me like that, you can keep this shit up if you want to, it's another fucking loop, I'm done, I'm fucking done! Over!

-D- I... ate her?. Oh god. Those weren't bugs. Those were people. and that jungle. And these hands. these aren't my hands. Where are my hands?! why can't I feel my fucking hands. This isn't my face, this isn't my face, I feel my face, I feel it, I feel it, I feel it inside me, I feel the [SPEECH INDECIPHERABLE], it is-

[Static for exactly ten hours. There is the sound of screaming intermittent. Matches David Thomas 50 % of the time, Alice Thomas 20%, 25% Mixed unknown, 5% amplified anaerobic respiration]

-D- This This is Major David speaking, come in ground control, I have lost co-ordinates of my location over.

[CURRENT LOOP: 513. RECORD LOOP TIME: 91 DAYS.]

-----------

Ability Notes: Along with whipping fungal tendrils on one of his hands, he is able to produce an extreme variety of fungal toxins, as well as produce "cannonballs" of fungal matter fired by spores. Also is able to heal by way of fungal metabolism, as well as infesting larger organisms with his parasitic spores, though this is more localized; temporary and less... extensive than his case.

Bonus Trivia: The type of fungus infesting poor Dave is... not normally this physically and psychologically extensive in its effects, nor is it permanent like this. There are multiple factors involved in this, one of them Liquid Miracle in his ship but also multiple others (including at least one other paranatural cause).

This is very likely due to a failure by his high command, if not an actively malicious effort to use him as a guinea pig gone wrong, though we cannot say for sure. Those files are classified if not destroyed, but DW Devlin has been digging...

-----------------------------

So, this one actually started as one of my earliest sculptures for Kaijune, and again was kind of a sonovabitch and a slow project due to the nature of building up all those layers of epoxy putty and some ill-fated experiments with model magic.

I was going for that classic trope of "astronaut who came back fucked up" with a side of "person fucked up by fungus" ala Jamila for the former, Matango for the latter and The Quatermass Xperiment for a bit of both, a classic trope I think I at least did visually decently.

And yes, me not doing the song reference by naming the main guy Major Tom was intentional, I worried that might be a bit too on-the-nose. though, then again I tend to never not be on-the-nose, so I may not be the best judge of that.

...And, in Kaijune tradition, this character and all related narrative elements are under a CC-BY 4.0 license, as long as I, Thomas F Johnson, am credited as their creator. Have fun!

[myownwholewildworld]

was it the ants biting her and the whole getting an infection from it??? That has to be it!

I’m so glad she’s immune tho, I was really hoping for it but can’t ever trust you lovely writers to not break our hearts hahaha! I’m so happy she’s better and her and Joel are still together 🥺

ANON MAY I KISS YOU?? PLEASE??

okay i’m going to take this opportunity to talk about something i’ve been dying to since "wherever you go" came to my mind 😭

short answer: YES!!!! 🙌

long answer: when i first posted chapter 1, i only thought of this story as a oneshot. and then i watched a video narrated by the lovely david attenborough where he talked about cordyceps (for those who don’t know, cordyceps is a real fungus!) and ants. my imagination started flowing! that was when i knew i wanted a protagonist who was immune, but unlike Ellie, it was not from birth, but acquired by being bitten by ants.

to summarise the video (this is the one, it’s super interesting so i do recommend watching it, the photography is incredible, like all bbc documentaries), cordyceps infects ants and can kill whole colonies, which is what happened with reader’s terrarium. she picked ants off her yard that had been exposed to cordyceps and brought them to her colony, dooming the whole community in the process of doing so. cordyceps attacks the brain’s motor ability of ants, forcing them to walk back to their colonies to die nearby and spread the spores of the fungus. from what i read too, the host is apparently still fully conscious of what they are doing, but because the fungus literally controls their motor skills, they are unable to stop themselves. this would mean that people infected with cordyceps would be aware of them attacking other people but couldn’t control themselves. how fucking wild is that???

in chapter 8, i wrote: “my parents didn’t even let me have a look at it [the terrarium].” the reason for this is that, if you’ve watched the video, reader would have seen fungi literally growing out of the dead ants. if i had mentioned that, it’d have been a straight giveaway that i wanted to avoid lol

so yes, basically reader is immune to cordyceps because she had already been exposed to it as a child when the ants bit her. it was a milder mutation of the infection though (milder but she still spent 2 weeks in hospital fighting for her life lol), which allowed her immune system to build up the immunity that would protect her in the future. being bitten now would have been like getting a top-up vaccine, hence why fighting the infection didn't take her 2 weeks this time round.

and that’s the story, sorry for all the yapping! but as a scientist myself, i found the whole thing so fascinating! 🤭

thank you very much for the lovely ask and for reading about these two lovebirds! i’m eternally grateful that you were happy about how the chapter turned out! it’s people like you who make me want to quit my job and just write till my fingernails bleed 🥰 much love and forehead kisses to you, lovely! 💖

[eddwardtheseventhspacewizard]

Can’t sleep, gonna rant about Sozo.

Also this is a long ass post and I tried my best to break it up. It’s mostly speculation about menticide tbh.

So I’ve been thinking about how the menticide is obviously based on cordyceps, we already know that but, I was thinking about how when he becomes Sozonius he has no memory of what happened while he was infected. The thing is cordyceps doesn’t actually control the brain really. It more so cuts the brain off from the rest of the body and controls the body. In fact there was a study focused on the mandibles of infected ants and there was fungus in them and affecting them. It’s because the cordyceps will make an ant move to a higher space under a leaf or something and then the ant will clamp down on it so even after they die they stay firmly in place and the fungus can fully mature and spread more spores to the unsuspecting ants below. Fungi are very picky about temperature and that’s why they move to a higher space. That’s also why cordyceps doesn’t infect humans. Also the ants infected are typically carpenter ants.

Anyway back to menticide. I believe the menticide is not entirely dependent on a host for spreading spores. While the shrooms we pick in Anura very well could’ve sprouted from corpses (maybe even ones sacrificed to Heket) we can take them back to our own farm and grow them no corpses required and I doubt they’re catching spiders at night. They don’t get quite as large as the ones in Anura though. It could be that those ones are years old but I doubt that because Sozo. There could also just be more desirable growing conditions in Anura leading to the larger fungi which is much more likely I think. Those growing conditions may or may not include a sacrifice but the most we can do right now is speculate and headcannon.

I also would like to think that our followers end up being fine after the brain washing ritual because they take smaller doses (much smaller than Sozo takes) and due to the cool down they take it way less frequently. Also the position of the cult in that sorta valley region likely does no favors for the menticide, this can be backed up by the farm as I mentioned just before.

I think Sozo’s followers end up being “fine” after his rituals because they themselves are mushrooms. Not just mushrooms but clearly also menticide. I put fine in quotations because there is an implication of cannibalism but also we get to commit cannibalism in our cult too so it probably actually is fine in the game. Anyway I don’t think a menticide mushroom would infect itself but that does bring to question why it would brain wash itself and why there even are shrooms with brains in the first place.

I saw another theory (I don’t remember who posted it, I’m so sorry) that proposed that the Mushroomos may be the result of sacrifice in Anura. Remember when I mentioned the shrooms there and how they’re larger? Maybe some of them do sprout from corpses and if left to grow they gradually become more humanoid and then eventually, Mushroomo. Maybe the shrooms we collect already produced a Mushroomo. I don’t know but there’s some interesting speculative biology there. I’m still not sure why the menticide has any effect on them though seeing as Dr. Sozonius mentions that they offered him some. That kinda implies that they already ate it unless they intentionally infected him. But why would they do that?

What would be the motive? Is it because he’s an ant? Are ants better hosts? Did that want him to spread the spores? Why wouldn’t the Mushroomos use his corpse for anything? Is it respect? Is it disrespect?! Why where we able to plant a mushroom get an ant and then remove the mushroom from the mushroom ant!!?? Is that guy in our cults really Sozo or does it just believe it is Sozo?

There were no signs to show Sozo was old. It is undeniable that Sozonius is elderly. Maybe the menticide does have some anti-aging properties but as soon as the shroom is removed the affect is reversed. Maybe it also has healing or regenerative properties. Maybe that’s why we were able to “grow” Sozo. Maybe that’s why his follower form is also so small and lacks some limbs (totally not just a convenient game design thing or anything lmao) anyway I think when we remove the shroom from Sozo’s head it does have him on it so when we plant it it regenerates him from that little bit. That does technically make him a sorta clone seeing as his corpse is still back at Spore Grotto. This theory also means that if he stayed in the ground a bit longer then maybe his whole body would’ve gone back to how it was before. Or maybe not though. Maybe the regeneration from the menticide is limited. Maybe it would still regenerate him out of the ground but we removed it so he won’t fully grow back now (keeping with 100%ing the story of course. I know some of you don’t because you think Sozonius is boring, which is sad but fair. From a story perspective though the lamb does cure him though so I’m going with that)

Also if ants are better hosts and they wanted him to spread the spores imagine if accidentally got his whole colony killed. I’m starting to enter fanfic territory lol.

Sozo manages to spread the menticide and gets his colony wiped out. He either has a higher tolerance or compatibility or something or the Mushroomos are intentionally keeping him alive. I don’t know why. Uh cheap answer is vague prophecy I guess? Anyway you know when you read Sozo’s mind while he’s in jail and he thinks “ where is Mimi?” I don’t have a screenshot rn sorry. But who the fuck is Mimi? And imagine the devastation Sozonius would feel knowing he got them killed. Sozo and Dr. Sozonius remind me of Ice King and Simon so like what if Mimi is almost his Betty or something?

Oh shit! I almost forgot about how I mentioned that cordyceps doesn’t actually control the mind but menticide does. I just thought that would be interesting to explore because what if Sozo what still somewhat conscious as Sozonius while having no real control over his body. Terrifying as shit.

[hybbat]

Tbh posts about animals that describe humans form animals' perspectives as "eldritch gods" or anything of the sort are so obnoxious and arrogant. Like a cretaure doesn't comprehend another creature interacting them non-violently or have pattern recognition. Humans might be a bit strange but animals mingle/help/parasitize each other constantly in nature.

There are entire bird species whose survival strategy is to have other bird species raise them. There are open ocean fish who stop off at reefs specifically to be cleaned by smaller fish, same with megafauna and smaller animals who eat their ticks. Ants farm fungus and spiders keep pet frogs. Crows and wolves, and coyotes and badgers, and deer and birds, they all work together. All sorta of burrows created by one animal are taken over by other animals. There are bugs and plants who have developed mutual relationships. There are all sorts of ecosystems heavily shaped and controlled by certain organisms.

It is not special to interact with other creatures outside eating them. We are not incomprehensible elritch beings looking in from the outside, we're just weird apes who use tools and make things and are open to interaction, we are part of the ecosystem too. The only animal that doesn't see humans as another animal is humans.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

How would you explain the Sculk?

I guess more specifically how would you make it make sense

I've always seen it as some kind of fungus/mold

Had to look this up because I didn't know what it was lol. In the future it helps to add the source as well as the name of a thing because I am not well versed in every bit of media.

Sculk appears to be a minecraft thing. I don't play minecraft (I tried it for like three days back in 2012? I think? Only on creative mode. I've never had a computer strong enough for even the old version of minecraft tbh) so I don't really know anything about the sculk beyond what the minecraft wiki says!

Just from the way it looks and the effects listed, it does seem very fungal, aside from the shrieking. But since the shrieker blocks react to a certain level of vibration/touch (?) It could be that this is the fruiting body of the fungus and it is perhaps filled with air pockets that let out a loud noise when they're popped. This could also be the source of the sonic attack from the sculk warden, which looks to me like a cordyceps situation. A creature, humanoid in this case, is infested with the sculk fungus and becomes entirely controlled by it.

Fun fact, they've discovered that cordyceps doesn't actually alter the way ant brains work, but rather it grows through their bodies and controls their movements. Terrifying.

Anyone who follows me and know more minecraft lore than I do is welcome to add their own thoughts on this one.

[xaeyrnofnbe]

ok so i haven’t talked about these guys AT ALL on here, despite these creatures being a creation of mine i’m very fond of. the main reason i haven’t shared anything about them is that up until this point, i’ve never had a solid design for them. at least not on i’ve been satisfied with.

the Xerex-1 are an artificial form of life, starting out having been created and essentially piloted by a sentient kind of fungus, but have since evolved into singular functioning creatures built off of a symbiotic relationship. the intelligence has passed on to the Xerex, while the incredible connection and communication abilities remain fungal, though are utilized entirely by the hosts. the Xerex operate much like a colony or hive of insects, with a single “queen” in charge of each colony.

the body itself is large, about 7 feet at the height pictured in the above illustration. the skin is scaly, though not especially rough. (the hide is very strong, though.) the dancing bioluminescence on their brows, antennae, wings and frills are always at least subtly visible, and grow brighter and flash with more intensity when agitated. the antennae and nose are both incredibly sensitive and receptive to smells, sounds, and specialized fungal signals. interspecies combat is highly uncommon, but friendly headbutting matches are aided by the short, sturdy horns on the back of the head, along with a thick forehead.

individuals do have their own will and thoughts, but can transmit complex messages through touch alone thanks to the interconnected fungal network that inhabits their bodies. they can also send remote signals through the release of spores. the queen of a colony, unlike her workers, can control other individuals using spores, or touch if a stronger connection is needed.

the dragonlike forms are referred to as Xerex-1. this is because there are other forms the Xerex can take. the consciousness of an individual, if the body is destroyed or otherwise damaged beyond repair, can essentially eject itself from the body using specialized spores and either settle somewhere to regrow, or find a new host. it is not uncommon for multiple consciousnesses to inhabit the same body. the free-floating, ghostlike spore form is referred to as Xerex-2, and if it inhabits a host that is unlike it’s original form, it is referred to as Xerex-3.

Xerex society is rather complex, what with their borderline psychic connectedness. they live similarly to humans, really. they have their own lives, and hobbies, even relationships. human ideas of sex aren’t really a thing when it comes to both the sex of individuals, or for procreation. similarly once again to the ants or bees of earth, most Xerex would be perceived as either sexless or as female, and lack genitalia. all reproduction occurs through the fungal network. babies simply grow out of the ground.

unfortunately for the Xerex, their home planet is very harsh, home to mostly fungi, large and small, and the occasional weird bug-looking thing that bites or stings or pinches. because of this, they have begun to exhaust their world of it’s already very limited resources, and a particularly ambitious colony have taken to the stars to search for a new home. it just so happens that earth is the most promising location, and it’s dominant species just so happens to make for fantastic hosts. (this is the basis of an old story of mine.)

as always, my asks are open, and i’m more than happy to respond to questions and other ideas.

[final-girl96]

Ageless Secrets Chapter One

August 2007

It's been almost two years since the outbreak. The government, now known as FEDRA, finally had quarantine zones that people could go to. They had them set up a year after the outbreak happened. The QZs were in a lot of the major cities, New York, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, they were all over the place. Right now we were making our way to Boston. We tried getting in the one in Detroit, going all the way back home but it was clear it wouldn't happen as soon as we got there. The road to the QZ was backed up for miles. So we turned around and headed for the one in Ohio but that too was out of the question.

We then decided to just keep going. There was supposed to be one in Boston that wasn't even finished yet. We figured if we could get there early we could be one of the first to get in. But it was rough being out on the road. Supplies were hard to come by, no place was safe, we had to worry about raiders. This was a new world and the old world rules didn't apply anymore. People would kill you for whatever you had.

Eventually, we met up with other survivors. You know what they say, safety in numbers and all that jazz. We turned into those people that we would hide from. It's what we had to do to survive. It's that kind of world now that you kill or be killed. Hiding wasn't always an option. We car jacked, stole, killed, and left people for dead. I am nineteen now and I've been through too much for my age. I used to be scared all the time. I let Tess handle everything. But after A while those hopes and dreams that this whole outbreak would eventually be over vanished.

Cordyceps, that's what the sickness was, it's a fungus. At one point it only affected things like ants. It would attach itself to the ant and eventually make its way to its brain and take control. It used to never be able to survive in the human body with how high our body temperature was. But it adapted. There are three known stages of infection as of now.

Runners: The first and most common stage, occurring within hours or days of infection. They are still human in appearance, but lose control of their faculties and sprint you. Kind of like Andy had done.

Stalkers: The second stage, where the infected show physical signs of the infection, such as spores growing from their head and body. They are also more agile than runners. They like to stay in darker places and they like to follow you. They've been infected for at least two weeks and remain that way until about a year before going to the next stage.

Clickers: The third stage, where the infected become blood-hungry husks. They can't see you because of the fungus overing their face. But they have impeccable hearing and make this creepy ass clicking noise. They've been infected for a least a year or two.

You have to be careful no matter what with the infected, but they seem to like the dark more than being out in the day light. The dwell in builds where it's dark. You always need to so a sweep, being as quiet as possible when you go into a house or building to loat or stay in. You always need to be careful of any spores in the air. The Cordyceps isn't just inside the infected, it also grows around any that have been sitting somewhere for a while. The spores alone can infected you, so wearing a gas mask is the best option in those situation.

A few weeks ago we met two men, brothers. Joel, the oldest and his younger brother Tommy. Tommy was thirty-two, the same age as Tess and Joel was thirty-six or would be soon according to Tommy. Everything happened on Joel birthday, September twenty-sixth. I won't sit here and pretend that I didn't find Joel attractive the second I laid eyes on him. But he didn't pay any attention to me. Why would he? I'm a nineteen year old girl.

Joel didn't trust very easily either, not as easily as Tommy did. Tommy warmed up to Tess and I pretty quick. He the more reasonable one of the two. Joel and Tess had a lot in common, she wasn't very trusting either. I mean, I don't trust people anymore but I'm not as bad as Tess is. I would have trusted Joel in a heartbeat even after he put a gun to my head.

Yup, that's right, Joel had a gun to my head when we first ran into them. They thought we were trying to rob them and we thought they were trying to rob us. To be fair we were going to rob them and they were going to do the same to us. Tess had her gun trained on Joel, daring him to pull the trigger. Tommy was the voice of reason. He's the one that convince both of the to lower their weapons and talk. Tommy came up with the idea to band together all while Joel still had a hold of me.

“Let's put our guns down and talk about this. Joel, come on, she's just a kid.” I scoffed at that, “I'm fucking nineteen, asshole.” Tess glared at me. “Yn, shut up!” I rolled my eyes at her and let out a long sigh. “Joel, please, lower your gun,” Tommy pleaded. Only when Tess lowered hers, holding a hand up in surrender did Joel lower his gun. “Are you going to let go of me? I'm not one that likes physical contact all that much.”

It had all been quite thrilling and terrifying. When Joel finally let me go, he pushed me towards my sister, almost causing me to fall. “Fucking asshole!” Tess had grabbed me and pulled me behind her, telling me to shut up. They made a deal that we would all work together. But that doesn't mean we trust each other fully. Joel was cold towards us, at least he was to me. He got along with Tess more than he got along with me. I was ignored anytime I tried to pitch in ideas.

Tess forced me to stay back when they went to raid people. She acted like I never killed someone. I had killed more people than I'd like to admit. I'm nineteen and have killed men and women. You didn't see too many children anymore. For a while Tess couldn't even look at a kid. She could hardly look at me. I hated that she would make me hang back a lot, but I also understood why she did It.

“Alright, yn, you–” I cut her off with a roll of my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, stay here. Stay out of sight. Don't come out unless I tell you to. You're no help to us. You're useless. You'll just be in the way and get yourself or someone else killed. Blah blah blah.” She let out a heavy sigh, “Please don't start your shit. I just want you to be safe.”

“Whatever, Tess, just go.” I turned around and walked back into the building we had been sitting in for the past three hours. Joel and Tess were watching a group of men across the way. Tommy didn't seem to want to be a part of it but he was doing what we had to do to survive. “I'll stay back with her, keep an eye out from here.” I groaned, rolling my eyes back and stormed off. “I don't need a babysitter!”

“Keep your damn voice down!” Joel hissed at me. I spun around and gave him the finger, "Shove it up your ass!” His jaw clenched and he started after me. “Joel,” Tommy warned. “Yn, please, stop your damn attitude!” Tess said sternly. “Look here little girl–” That pissed me off even more. I know I was acting like a child, but I was getting sick of them treating me like I was unable to do anything.

“Little girl! Little fucking girl! Really? Go fuck yourself, Joel. All of you can go fuck yourself. You all act like I can't take care of myself. You act like I'm nothing but a burden to you. I'm so sick and tired of it. You always thought you were better than me Tess, just because you're older. You always have to be in charge. You're not the only one whole has been having a hard fucking time! I'm not a little girl anymore. I can take care of myself.”