Aion - Distinctive endemic Fungi

Hello again,

This is probably the last in my recent sequence of Aion posts, for now.

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In this post we will take a look at some rather distinctive Aionian fungi.


 


This mid-sized brown mushroom grows on rotten wood and at the bases of trees, found from the temperate zone to the sub-tropics. Related to the Shiitake, not only is it edible, but it is known to have numerous valuable medicinal properties.

 
This fair-sized mushroom is a close relative of the Amanita, and grows from the sub-tropics into the tropical zone in well-watered areas. It is distinctive not only by its bright purple coloration and lack of spots, but that it is Aion's most poisonous fungi if consumed. Although it is obviously not valued as a recreational drug (as opposed to its relative), it is said to have terrifying hallucinatory effects that are a prelude to the poison taking your life. This is attested by the very few people who have managed to survive its poison.

 
This fungus is known sometimes as the Nightmare Plague. A relative of the Corydyceps group of fungi, it has adapted to infect terrestrial vertebrates of various sizes. Its effects vary by the size of the victim, animals up to the size of a cat are usually controlled by the affliction, driven to find a suitable site in order for the fungus to grow fruiting bodies and release its spores, at which point the victim dies. Larger creatures including humans that are affected are driven mad, and spores begin to be produced in the sinuses, throat and mouth of the victim. This eventually manifests as a rabies-like affliction where the victim will be driven to savage other animals in order to spread the infection to their bloodstream. At the same time, congestion of the nose and throat causes the victim to continually eject mucus via coughing and regurgitation, which carries with it large amounts of the fungal spores, further spreading the fungus. Eventually, these victims are so over-run by the infection as to collapse and die, after which the fruiting bodies finally grow from its rotting corpse. Animals larger than 1.5 tons will be less affected, and the fungus may remain in the animal's system as an infection in its sinuses and throat for its whole life. These victims will be continually affected with throat and nose congestion bearing large amounts of fungal spores, which they will regularly eject by coughing or sneezing, thus continually spreading spores.


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© Timothy Donald Morris 2025

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