Polypores

🍄 Overview

Polypores are a race of mushroom/fungus folk that reside in the Night Duchy. Each Polypore embodies a different type of mushroom, from the delicate chanterelle to the imposing death cap. These fae are characterized by their mushroom-like features, which manifest in their appearance, abilities, and lifestyles. 

Living in deep, ancient forests and shadowy groves, Polypores thrive in damp, shaded environments. They form intricate networks beneath the forest floor, mirroring the mycelial networks of their mushroom kin. Their societies are often matriarchal or based on communal bonds, reflecting the interconnected nature of fungi. Revered for their wisdom and mysterious aura, Polypores are both guardians and stewards of the natural world they inhabit. 

All Polypores are apart of The Network and can communicate telepathically with each other and with other fae. They never speak out loud.

Polypores can be Saprophyte variant or Parasite variant.

• Saprophytes are small, cute polypores that are essentially mushrooms with limbs and faces. They grow out of the mycellium network and can infect corpses with fungal spore magic, creating Parasite variant polypores.

• Parasites are humanoid sized and shaped polypores that are created when Spores infect the corpse of another fae. They can infect more corpses to create more Parasites, but cannot create Spore variants. Their Spore creators are always the same type of mushroom.

🍄 Appearance

A Polypores appearance is based on a type of mushroom.

• Saprophyte are small, and have cartoonish figures and faces. They always have a large mushroom cap on their head. 

• Parasites are taller, humanoid shaped, with a mushroom cap on their head. Parasites may have hair and have smaller mushrooms growing all over them. They may even have the leftover features of the corpse they infected - such as the degraded and tattered wings of a dead High Fae, or the broken branch-like crown of a Dryad.

Design Guidelines

• Each Polypore should exhibit traits reminiscent of their specific mushroom type. This can include variations in color, cap shape, and texture. For example, a Polypore inspired by the amanita mushroom might have a bright red cap with white spots, while one based on a morels could feature a honeycomb-like texture. 

• Design distinctive mushroom caps that may vary in size and shape, from broad, flat tops to narrow, conical forms. The stems can be smooth, textured, or even gnarled. 

• Use textures that mimic mushroom surfaces—smooth, slimy, or with a spongy, porous quality. The skin could be slightly translucent or have a natural sheen. 

• Magic polypores may glow with bioluminescent light when performing magic. All polypores glow in the dark faintly.

Clothing

• Saprophyte variants are either naked, or may wear fashion reminiscent of other Fae clothing like tunics, waistcoats, jackets etc - especially when out of the Polypore grove. They are likely to walk around the Polypore groves with no clothing though.

• Parasite variants grow their own clothing out of their own fungus.

• They do not wear jewellery or metal but may incorporate gems or other goodies they have foraged into their 'outfit'.

• Use natural materials like bark, moss, or spore-infused fabrics for accessories. 

🍄 Birth, Life and Death

Birth

• Saprophyte Polypores are born from the ancient, interconnected mycelial network that spans their habitats. Their birth begins when spores, released from mature Polypores or fungal growths, settle into the fertile, dark soil of their environment. These spores are akin to seeds, carrying the essence and traits of their parent. 

  • Upon landing in a suitable location, the spores germinate and develop into small, initial forms resembling delicate fungal growths. These early-stage Polypores are nurtured by the mycelial network, which provides sustenance and stability. 

  • As the young Polypores grow, they absorb nutrients from the surrounding environment and from the mycelial network, eventually taking on their distinct, mature forms.

• As mentioned, Parasites are created when Saprophytes go out into the world and find a fae corpse. They will infect it with polypore magic spores, and the fungus will spread across the corpose, eventually turning them into a fungal being called a Parasite.

• Parasites can also be created when corpses (or unsuspecting fae) are brought into the polypore grove and placed near the fungal covered environment. The air is full of spores and the ground and trees are covered in fungus, which will start to take over the fae.

Life

• Polypores are immortal.

• Polypores live in intricate, symbiotic communities within their forested or shadowy habitats. Their lives are deeply intertwined with the fungal network, which supports their growth, health, and magical abilities. 

• They have a symbiotic relationship with Nymphs. Nymphs are immune to Polypore fungal spores and toxins, and so Polypores have had to learn to live with Nymphs rather than taking them over.

Death

• Polypores can die from unnatural causes. 

• They are especially susceptible to fire and psychic attacks.

• They can contract a fatal disease called 'Decomposition' (similar to a Dryad experiencing root rot). Decomposition is a slow death, with the polypore undergoing a gradual decomposition process that contributes back to the mystical ecosystem of the mycelial network. This natural cycle returns essential nutrients to the soil, nourishing the environment and supporting new life.

• In their culture, death is viewed as a transition rather than an end. Polypores believe that the essence of deceased members merges with the mycelial network, contributing to the collective wisdom and strength of their community. They hold rituals to honor the deceased, celebrating their contributions and ensuring their spirit becomes one with the grove.

• To honor deceased Polypores, their communities may cultivate special memorial growths or fungi in their honor. These may have unique properties or appearances that serve as lasting tributes. 

• The connection between living Polypores and the mycelial network ensures that the wisdom and experiences of past members continue to influence and guide the community. This enduring bond is a fundamental aspect of their cultural and spiritual beliefs.  

🍄 Polypore Customs & Culture

Personality Traits

• Polypores can be ominous, offputting and serious.

• They are incredibly wise and intelligent.

• They can be selfish and self centered, seeking to gain advantages for their own cause and using any means to extract information.

• They are very wise and have a healthy, positive view of the circle of life.

• Polypores can be detached and a little weird as they have a very different experience of life to other Fae races by being attached to the network and only communicating telepathically.

Your Polypore character should have a few of these traits but certainly doesn’t have to have all of them. Please feel free to put a unique spin on it.

Romance, Marriage and Offspring

Romance

• Polypores aren't inherently very sentimental or romantic but may enter into a romantic attachment out of curiosity.

• Same-sex pairings are possible. Polypore genders are vague and tenuous at best.

• They are open to inter-racial relationships and are more likely to enter those than a relationship with another polypore. They are already incredibly connected to each other by being part of the network.

Marriage

• Polypores don't generally marry in their culture, but may be open to it in inter-racial relationships. In a serious relationship, they may give their partner some of their spores, which grants temporary telepathic communication between the two (they have to keep providing enough spores for telepathy without infecting their partner).

Offspring

• Polypores cannot procreate with other races but can infect them accidentally. This is forbidden though - they are only allowed to infect corpses.

• As mentioned, Saprophytes create Parasites, and Parasites can create other Parasites. Saprophytes are born randomly out of the Polypore grove.

Miscellaneous

• Polypores used to travel around the Night Duchy on spore-infected wildlife including sacred Moon Jellyfish, but Nymphs have since forbidden this. They are only allowed to infect fae and animal corpses.

  • Thus you may see spore-riddled wildlife running around the polypore grove, trailing after Saprophytes or Parasites.

• The Polypore grove is a massive area of glades, groves and caves deep in the Night Duchy forest. It's muggy and damp and covered in mushrooms.

• Polypores may have vague memories of their past lives as other Fae beings, if the Fae was very recently deceased when infected.

• Polypores have access to the collective memory of the whole network while in the Polypore grove.

• Polypores need nutrients from soil and plant life. It's not uncommon to see them eating a big bowl of mulch.

• Magic type Polypores may try to consume more enchanted food in an attempt to absorb the magic 'nutrients'/essence inside.

If you have questions about Polypores, please ask them in the helpdesk channel on Discord!