Gristle
Tinea Lupus est Homini
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
- Intent: To provide an interesting species of fungi to be used by the Myka in their attempted conquests, and to help highlight an element of the ecology from their home galaxy that has been brought to this new one and that can be readily found within their colonies.
- Image Credit: Link
- Canon: N/A
- Permissions: N/A
- Links: Myka | Fungus
- Name: White Legs | Mycological Hemophage Mote (MHM)
- Origins: Extra-Galactic
- Other Locations: Commonly cultivated within Myka colonies and vessels.
- Classification: Fungi
- Average Growth Cycle: White Legs begin life as white flakey spores whose appearance is not dissimilar from snow. These naturally burst outward from their parent and are carried by the wind. They are capable of directing their gliding somewhat by means of several flagella upon each spore (this is the origin of their name). These spores commonly coalesce together to form larger and more mobile motes which continue to hunt for viable carriers. The motes utilize their mobility to move toward sources of heat and are unable to discern between organic and mechanical heat sources. Spores only survive for 24 hours if they are unable to root.
Upon locating a carrier, the spores begin to secrete a chemical substance that causes a rapid dissolution of platelets or thrombocytes within the blood of mammalian, reptilian, amphibian, and avian hosts. At this point, the spores simply wait until the afflicted carrier wounds itself and subsequently exsanguinates. With the presence of a nutrient-rich environment in the form of the cadaver, the spores take root within the carcass and grow to adulthood over the course of 144 hours. Hereafter, the cycle begins anew as the fungus disperses a spore cloud roughly every 48 hours.
White Legs are able to survive for as long as they are provided a nutrient-rich environment - this is to say that as long as elements of a cadaver or supplemental nutrients are provided. The oldest surviving White Legs fungal colony remained intact over the course of three-hundred and two years, though typical colonies last somewhere between 1-6 months before their environments are no longer saturated in nutrition.
- Viability: In order to prosper, White Legs require a significant amount of organic material and nutrition in their surrounding area. As they tend to root within carcasses, they acquire everything they need from these bodies. As a fungus, White Legs do not require sunlight. In order to thrive, White Legs must acquire significant hydration and thrive best in moist and humid environments, though they are able to survive off of ambient moisture in the absence of direct rainfall.
- Description: The White Legs fungus stands at 0.1 to 0.2 meters in height and 0.05 meters in length. It is spotted with a mix of yellow and white colorations throughout. While the yellow portions of the mushroom are its flesh, the white colorations tend to be conglomerates of spores. It is therefore possible to find a White Legs adult that is almost entirely yellow shortly after it has dispensed its spores.
- Average Height: 0.1 to 0.2 meters
- Average Length: 0.05 meters
- Color: Adult: Spotted Yellow and White throughout. Spores: Bright White
- Nutritional Value: White Legs are surprisingly rich in nutritional value early in their lives. If harvested before they have finished maturing, they may provide between 100 and 200 calories per mushroom. The spores are very low in nutritional value.
- Toxicity: The adult mushroom is not toxic in its yellow body. The spores, however, are toxic upon contact or ingestion. Only a small amount of the toxin must be secreted against exposed skin or ingested in order to cause severe effects. While it may take a single spore nearly ten minutes to noticeably eliminate platelets or thrombocytes, this process accelerates with the addition of other spores. While the effect is not lethal in itself, this does cause even slight cuts to become potentially lethal as the targeted carrier's blood is unable to clot the wound for itself, often leading to exsanguination. After exposure to the MHM has been severed, bodies may recover their normal level of platelets within hours or days depending on the species.
The toxin is only able to affect mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and avians - and only those that possess blood that has platelets or thrombocytes similar to other members of their scientific family.
- Other Effects: The spores of the White Legs may be manipulated and directed by medical professionals to perform a form of natural dialysis. This can allow for the filtration of certain cancerous cells or other hazardous biological effects within the body.
- Distinctions:
- Yellow and White bodied fungus.
- Fungus grows out of corpses and cadavers and consumes them for nutrition.
- White spores burst out at regular intervals of 48 hours.
- Spores possess flagella and often group to form highly mobile motes that seek warmth.
- Spores secrete chemicals that consume platelets and thrombocytes within the bloodstream, allowing for small injuries to become lethal in their carriers.
- MHM provide significant nutritional value and can be utilized to perform natural dialysis.
- Mobility - The motes of the White Legs fungi are equipped with flagella and are able to maneuver through the air as they glide upon gusts of wind, or to scrape across the floor in search of heat sources. This makes them significantly more mobile than many flora or fungi equivalents.
- See You at the End of Time - Provided with sufficient nutrition and safety, the White Legs mushroom may survive indefinitely - or close enough as to be indistinguishable to all but the most long-lived of beings.
- Bloodletting - Thriving on corpses, the spores of the White Legs fungus are able to severely weaken carriers by removing their platelets and thrombocytes which prevents wounds from being able to clot. A paper cut has become a lethal wound in the presence of MHM spores.
- Corpse Eater - The hunger of White Legs cannot be understated. Without sufficient nutrition; often in the form of cadavers, they will very quickly begin to die out. They must be provided with bodies to thrive.
- Can't Fight My Own Battles - The White Legs is technically non-lethal. It cannot create the corpses it seeks, only make it easier for carriers to die. In a perfectly safe environment, any amount of White Legs spores can be imbibed without any negative effects.
- Obvious - The bright white spores of MHM make it very visible. The mushroom and its spores are very easily located.
HISTORICAL INFORMATION
An extragalactic species of fungus, the White Legs was first discovered by Myka explorers in the distant past. While of relatively little use to the Myka, it was nevertheless cultivated by several colonies of the insectoid race in order to breakdown toxic or otherwise poisonous corpses so that the nutritional value of these could be taken. While efforts were made to weaponize the fungus, the absence of any large-scale conflict meant that utilizing the spores for hunting was quickly determined to be inefficient and unhelpful. This coupled with the nuisance of needing to regularly clean the fur of the residents of bright white spores meant that extensive use of the fungus was limited.
Nevertheless, the fungus easily found itself brought along with Myka colonies to the newfound galaxy. Faced with a plethora of new organisms that might require decomposition, the mushroom was grown in greater amounts. With the recognition that the enemies of the Myka would likely comprise primarily species affected by the spores, the fungus was grown in greater quantities so that its negative effects might be utilized in order to weaken the enemies of the insect race.
