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Fungus Amongus

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I spent a little personal time developing some symbiotic/parasitic fungi species - they can infect just about anything, but runners wear them well, don’t you think?

Thank you for offering, everyone! Those whose offers I've accepted will receive notes from me. There will be other OTAs, and all of the fungi on this sheet will be incorporated into future adoptable designs, so everyone can have a chance to spread the spores love.
I was considering offering one or two of these for adoption, but I'm unsure of their appeal, or a good price point. If there's any particular individual you're smitten with, feel free to make me an offer (USD, designs, or artwork) - however, King's Torch has an owner, and is not for sale.
I'll leave it up overnight, and I'll note the people whose offers I like - I may not accept any!


King's Torch: A relatively harmless fungus, king's torch manifests as deep black discolouration of the skin and fur. Inner flesh is turned a bright red, and during "flare-ups" - when it's time for the fungus to propagate, or when the host is extremely stressed - plumes of bright spores are released, giving off the appearance of embers. Fatality rating is low, only occurring if an excess of spores is inhaled, and tops out at around 20%

Gold Dust: Similar to cordyceps, gold dust branches out into long, thin spires from the blackened areas of this host. While it can be deadly if it settles into the respiratory or circulatory system, surface-level infections are manageable, though unsightly. Fatality rating is about 50%, and the spires continue to feed off the host even after it dies.

Queen's Ire: Though somewhat beautiful, the blood-filled, bulbous growths of queen's ire will leech their host dry if not regulated properly. Capable of overgrowing whatever they've infected, runners overtaken by the fungus will appear to be carrying massive, shining mushroom caps on their backs, the drooping masses eventually weighing down and consuming them. While the infection can be halted by lancing the growths, fatality rating is still about 70%.

Jester's Point: The simplest fungus, jester's point harbours no dangers nor horrific side effects. The spores latch onto hair follicles exclusively, growing upwards in spindles before snapping off to seed the earth below it. Fatality rating is 0%.

Bluebell: Similar to king's torch, bluebell alters the colour of the flesh of its host, from a healthy pink to a soft, deep teal. Exclusive to runners, the spores manifest primary in the spiracle hood, thickening - and strengthening - the flesh in a bizarre symbiosis. It is spread during the runners' mating season, flourishing between individuals thanks to the constant mouth-to-hood biting that occurs. Occasionally, the hood becomes too rigid for the spiracles to open, and the creature can suffocate, but this is rare. Fatality rating is 10%.

Plum Web: Highly dangerous, plum web spreads through the bloodstream, necrotizing the flesh on the ends of the infected runner's hood and tail, and filling the veins with viscous purple lymph. The fatality rating is a steady 90%, and it is still unknown how those tainted with the spores manage best it. Plum web causes permanent disfigurement, and runners will often avoid other creatures that exhibit symptoms of the disease, even if they are among the lucky 10% to survive it running its course.
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PureNote's avatar
An interesting idea for a disease: One that combines with the runners DNA and creates abnormal growths and colors. So if the runners tried to remove it then they would be damaging themselves and it would only be a matter of time before the disease killed them :S