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Description

Folks are going to have to give me a second to get things in order here, because I know a whole lot of people know this thing by different names or think it is something else entirely. I'm about to throw out a bunch of names, which some may say "but we call the other thing that!" but I ask for you to let me properly explain. So this entry is about a parasitic species of fungus that infects insects. Many first think of the cordyceps fungus, but that is the kind that just affects the smaller creepy crawlies. What this species does is go after the bigger invertebrates, those human-sized or bigger. Now you would say that is Cordycep dryads that do that but, once again, this something different. This strain of fungus does not have the sapience these parasitic dryads have, and also is not a fully functioning creature that just grows out like a tumor. No, the thing I am talking about is the Chitin Stalk fungus, which I know is confusing a lot of folk. The thing is, no one really calls it the "Chitin Stalk," despite it being the species name. People tend to call it by what we named the transformed hosts: Mycentomes. A Mycentome is an insect that has been fully parasitized by a Chitin Stalk and is now a vector and menace for other insects. The process of the bug first being infected through the development of fungal growths is referred to as "Mycentomy." Once again, the Chitin Stalk is introduced to an insect host, who goes through the process of mycentomy to become a mycentome. You follow? Hopefully, because I can't hear your reply, so we are just going to move along!

The Chitin Stalk, as I have already mentioned, is a parasitic fungus that requires large arthropods as hosts. A good chunk of its life is spent being a dormant spore, waiting for its chance to infect an insect. In their dormant stage, the spores are contained within a delicate round sac that is created and excreted by infested hosts. They are like pale gooey balls, with most the size of a cherry. Their size helps hide them in the jungle foliage they are found in, with the hopes that a host won't notice them as they travel. Some suggest the size and shape is meant for the opposite, giving them the look of fruit that some insects may try to eat. Regardless of how they get it to happen, the spore sac is looking to be ruptured by a suitable host. When pressure is placed on this fungus, be it by mandibles or a misplaced foot, the skin will rupture and the spores on the inside will be ejected in a cloud. This release is hopefully done near a large insect, so the spores may get stuck to their bodies and inhaled into their respiratory system. If the one who burst this sac is not an insect, or if it happened due to random nature, the spores will remain active for hours before they expire and lose their chance to infect. If they are lucky, they will be sprayed onto an unwary insect, and the spores will eventually find their way inside. Once settled in, it is time to grow!

The spores will feed on the surrounding tissue and fluids within the insect, and use that to develop into thin fungal tendrils. These hair-like filaments will worm their way through the body, with their first destination being the brain. They seek to reach the brain and hijack this crucial organ. The tendrils will burrow into the brain and start the growth of more fungus, coating the entire surface. At this point, recovery is impossible, as the fungus has become too attached to a vital organ to be safely removed. Growing on the brain, they will begin to influence the host's behavior and actions. Normally social insects will suddenly become solitary, moving away from others so that the infection isn't caught before it is finished. Their hunger and need for food will slowly begin to increase, to help fuel the fungus growing inside. As the growth continues, the insect will start to lose parts of their mind that the fungus deems unnecessary. Any personality or individuality the insect had will be shed away, being replaced with pure aggression. What the fungus keeps are the basic senses and instinct to seek out their own kind. As they devolve into madness, the fungus growth will start to become visually apparent. From cracks and slits in the exoskeleton, fungal growths will begin to develop. These parts are fuzzy, and they tend to give the host a hairy look. This isn't just for looks, as these growths hold numerous spores within them, allowing the infected insect to spread them with mere contact. The fungus isn't the only thing that changes in this stage, as the insect's body is also affected. Whatever controls the growth of their limbs and mandibles will be altered, causing these areas to warp into razor sharp weapons. As time goes on, these developments become quite disfigured, preventing the insect from eating properly or inhibiting their movements. These issues are no concern for the fungus, as its growth is reaching its final stage and the host will soon fulfill their purpose. The last stage of infection is announced by the eruption of a large fungal stalk on the back of the insect host. This large tentacle serves as a major appendage of the mycentome, and its arrival heralds the coming chaos.

When the growth is at last complete, the mycentome will become obsessed with finding its own kind. It wants a hive, nest or colony to attack, so that the spores may be spread. Going off of its old trusted senses, it will follow whatever pheromone or scent it once remembered in hopes of locating more hosts. In this state, the mycentome is nothing but a bestial husk, violently tearing across the landscape on this last great hunt. Its insect parts rely on smell and its antennae to follow these trails, as the overgrowth of its brain often blinds them. To help make up for this, the large tendril on their back contains sensitive "hairs" that help it detect temperature changes, air movement and even sound. It serves as an even larger antenna, tuned to help locate prey. It will point its host in a direction and they will charge forth, mindlessly attacking anything in their way. Even if the victim isn't a suitable host, they will tear them apart regardless. The mycentome isn't going to stop to check its target, so it might as well shred anything they encounter. Once they land themselves in a populated area (hopefully a hive or colony), the rampage will begin. The host will go off the movement sensors of its fungal stalk to locate prey, and they will throw themselves at any target. Claws and jaws are used to tear into prey, hoping to make open wounds for the spores to enter. This is not a delicate process, so some victims may be killed during this attack. This death doesn't matter for the host, as it will then devour as much of the carcass it can before it is distracted by another target. This eating isn't meant to give the mycentome energy, rather it is to fuel the growth of more spores, mainly the dormant kind. As the host devours and tears apart the landscape, its body will develop those dormant fungal sacs and excrete them. It isn't really done with any rhyme or reason, they just kind of fall out as the mindless husk runs about in a violent rage. So even if the mycentome fails to infect another host, it will at least litter the land with more infectious bombs.

This attack goes on for hours, and sometimes days, with the mycentome never tiring or slowing. Thoughts of self-preservation are gone, the fungus will literally drive this body til it drops. If the mycentome isn't slain, it will eventually expire as its energy is fully depleted. The host will collapse and the horror will be over, but not really. From this spot, the fungus will get back to growing. It will devour the depleted carcass and put all this fuel into making more stalks. They will rise from this grave and begin to swell, eventually rupturing and releasing a massive cloud of spores. This is the last attempt of the Chitin Stalk to infect, as the fungus at last perishes after this final act. The mycentome will be dead and the fungus that drove it will soon disintegrate into dust. This is also the same fate that awaits corpses that were ravaged by the mycentome, as the spores left behind will follow this growth. Though these infected souls last for a short time, they have had numerous chances to spread their infection to others. This is what makes the Chitin Stalk so dangerous, as there are multiple ways the spores can be spread. Either someone triggers a dormant spore sac, or they are attacked by a host, or they have the misfortune of catching the last "breath" of the mycentome as the wind spreads this infectious cloud.

It is obvious that this is a huge threat to large insect species, especially those that live in groups. An infected individual entering a colony can bring doom to the entire population, making more mycentomes until everyone is either infected or dead. Even if the creature is slain shortly after it attacks, there is no telling who has been infected. Since it takes awhile for the fungus to fully convert an insect after initial infection, the colony may suddenly find themselves besieged a week later from victims of the previous attacks. Due to this, many insect species are vigilant in monitoring those who come and go. It is one of the reasons why Giant Ants can seem aggressive towards strangers and outsiders who visit their colony. Even if it isn't another insect, they could have spores on their clothing that could bring infection. If you are an insect that shows up and doesn't look too healthy, the ants may kill you and throw your body far from their home. Even their own kind will face this cruel scrutiny, as they would rather snuff out a possible host rather than let their whole colony fall. I also say that the mycentomes are a threat to non-insects as well, as these infected will go after anything that moves. If fate steers them wrong, one of these violent husks may wind up in the middle of a human or dryad settlement, and they will still attack with unhinged ferocity. It is believed that these attacks on human towns may be why certain regions have a distrust for large insects and even dryads! Some folk have believed that we cause these infections and then send these mycentomes to their homes as if they were some kind of loyal ghoul! Preposterous, but you never can really change a human's mind when they come up with these conspiracies. Believe me, I know. And speaking of dryad involvement...

Due to it being a fungus and its parasitic nature towards insects, many have tried to draw a connection between this and Cordycep dryads. While there are many guesses and accusations, nothing has really been decided and evidence is a bit lacking. Some think that Cordyceps developed this strain of fungus to further spread their influence, while others believe the dryads are actually the end result of this infection. Like I said, though, there is no real clear answer on who started what, and if these two species are even connected at all. Honestly, I find it hard to see how Cordyceps would benefit from these species, as it would only kill off hosts for them. It may also be a blind hope of mine that they aren't connected, because dryadkind is struggling to try and convince these sisters to stop being menaces and this certainly wouldn't make this process easier.

While this all sounds awful, an insect that is infected isn't necessarily doomed. It takes time for the spores to grow their tendrils and seize the brain, which means that is a window for a cure. It takes about two days for the fungus to worm its way to the head, so medicine can be taken to kill it before that happens. This cure has been made and it does work, the issue is the short window to take it before the infection takes root. To help curb the growth of this fungus, dryads within the species range work to brew as much medicine as they can and gift it to local insect colonies. With a decent supply of this drug, most colonies can cut back the risk of infection and not have to decapitate any individuals who have a cough. That is the reason why you have to have a lot of this medicine and have it on hand. To a guard ant whose defending the colony entrance, you got five seconds to administer a cure before they do it themselves. Violently.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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

Humans got werewolves, dryads have aconstrum (NOT lichenmorphy) and now ants and other unfortunate insects get mycentomy! This came to be because RE8 has moldy werewolves, and that got me thinking.

Description

Folks are going to have to give me a second to get things in order here, because I know a whole lot of people know this thing by different names or think it is something else entirely. I'm about to throw out a bunch of names, which some may say "but we call the other thing that!" but I ask for you to let me properly explain. So this entry is about a parasitic species of fungus that infects insects. Many first think of the cordyceps fungus, but that is the kind that just affects the smaller creepy crawlies. What this species does is go after the bigger invertebrates, those human-sized or bigger. Now you would say that is Cordycep dryads that do that but, once again, this something different. This strain of fungus does not have the sapience these parasitic dryads have, and also is not a fully functioning creature that just grows out like a tumor. No, the thing I am talking about is the Chitin Stalk fungus, which I know is confusing a lot of folk. The thing is, no one really calls it the "Chitin Stalk," despite it being the species name. People tend to call it by what we named the transformed hosts: Mycentomes. A Mycentome is an insect that has been fully parasitized by a Chitin Stalk and is now a vector and menace for other insects. The process of the bug first being infected through the development of fungal growths is referred to as "Mycentomy." Once again, the Chitin Stalk is introduced to an insect host, who goes through the process of mycentomy to become a mycentome. You follow? Hopefully, because I can't hear your reply, so we are just going to move along!

The Chitin Stalk, as I have already mentioned, is a parasitic fungus that requires large arthropods as hosts. A good chunk of its life is spent being a dormant spore, waiting for its chance to infect an insect. In their dormant stage, the spores are contained within a delicate round sac that is created and excreted by infested hosts. They are like pale gooey balls, with most the size of a cherry. Their size helps hide them in the jungle foliage they are found in, with the hopes that a host won't notice them as they travel. Some suggest the size and shape is meant for the opposite, giving them the look of fruit that some insects may try to eat. Regardless of how they get it to happen, the spore sac is looking to be ruptured by a suitable host. When pressure is placed on this fungus, be it by mandibles or a misplaced foot, the skin will rupture and the spores on the inside will be ejected in a cloud. This release is hopefully done near a large insect, so the spores may get stuck to their bodies and inhaled into their respiratory system. If the one who burst this sac is not an insect, or if it happened due to random nature, the spores will remain active for hours before they expire and lose their chance to infect. If they are lucky, they will be sprayed onto an unwary insect, and the spores will eventually find their way inside. Once settled in, it is time to grow!

The spores will feed on the surrounding tissue and fluids within the insect, and use that to develop into thin fungal tendrils. These hair-like filaments will worm their way through the body, with their first destination being the brain. They seek to reach the brain and hijack this crucial organ. The tendrils will burrow into the brain and start the growth of more fungus, coating the entire surface. At this point, recovery is impossible, as the fungus has become too attached to a vital organ to be safely removed. Growing on the brain, they will begin to influence the host's behavior and actions. Normally social insects will suddenly become solitary, moving away from others so that the infection isn't caught before it is finished. Their hunger and need for food will slowly begin to increase, to help fuel the fungus growing inside. As the growth continues, the insect will start to lose parts of their mind that the fungus deems unnecessary. Any personality or individuality the insect had will be shed away, being replaced with pure aggression. What the fungus keeps are the basic senses and instinct to seek out their own kind. As they devolve into madness, the fungus growth will start to become visually apparent. From cracks and slits in the exoskeleton, fungal growths will begin to develop. These parts are fuzzy, and they tend to give the host a hairy look. This isn't just for looks, as these growths hold numerous spores within them, allowing the infected insect to spread them with mere contact. The fungus isn't the only thing that changes in this stage, as the insect's body is also affected. Whatever controls the growth of their limbs and mandibles will be altered, causing these areas to warp into razor sharp weapons. As time goes on, these developments become quite disfigured, preventing the insect from eating properly or inhibiting their movements. These issues are no concern for the fungus, as its growth is reaching its final stage and the host will soon fulfill their purpose. The last stage of infection is announced by the eruption of a large fungal stalk on the back of the insect host. This large tentacle serves as a major appendage of the mycentome, and its arrival heralds the coming chaos.

When the growth is at last complete, the mycentome will become obsessed with finding its own kind. It wants a hive, nest or colony to attack, so that the spores may be spread. Going off of its old trusted senses, it will follow whatever pheromone or scent it once remembered in hopes of locating more hosts. In this state, the mycentome is nothing but a bestial husk, violently tearing across the landscape on this last great hunt. Its insect parts rely on smell and its antennae to follow these trails, as the overgrowth of its brain often blinds them. To help make up for this, the large tendril on their back contains sensitive "hairs" that help it detect temperature changes, air movement and even sound. It serves as an even larger antenna, tuned to help locate prey. It will point its host in a direction and they will charge forth, mindlessly attacking anything in their way. Even if the victim isn't a suitable host, they will tear them apart regardless. The mycentome isn't going to stop to check its target, so it might as well shred anything they encounter. Once they land themselves in a populated area (hopefully a hive or colony), the rampage will begin. The host will go off the movement sensors of its fungal stalk to locate prey, and they will throw themselves at any target. Claws and jaws are used to tear into prey, hoping to make open wounds for the spores to enter. This is not a delicate process, so some victims may be killed during this attack. This death doesn't matter for the host, as it will then devour as much of the carcass it can before it is distracted by another target. This eating isn't meant to give the mycentome energy, rather it is to fuel the growth of more spores, mainly the dormant kind. As the host devours and tears apart the landscape, its body will develop those dormant fungal sacs and excrete them. It isn't really done with any rhyme or reason, they just kind of fall out as the mindless husk runs about in a violent rage. So even if the mycentome fails to infect another host, it will at least litter the land with more infectious bombs.

This attack goes on for hours, and sometimes days, with the mycentome never tiring or slowing. Thoughts of self-preservation are gone, the fungus will literally drive this body til it drops. If the mycentome isn't slain, it will eventually expire as its energy is fully depleted. The host will collapse and the horror will be over, but not really. From this spot, the fungus will get back to growing. It will devour the depleted carcass and put all this fuel into making more stalks. They will rise from this grave and begin to swell, eventually rupturing and releasing a massive cloud of spores. This is the last attempt of the Chitin Stalk to infect, as the fungus at last perishes after this final act. The mycentome will be dead and the fungus that drove it will soon disintegrate into dust. This is also the same fate that awaits corpses that were ravaged by the mycentome, as the spores left behind will follow this growth. Though these infected souls last for a short time, they have had numerous chances to spread their infection to others. This is what makes the Chitin Stalk so dangerous, as there are multiple ways the spores can be spread. Either someone triggers a dormant spore sac, or they are attacked by a host, or they have the misfortune of catching the last "breath" of the mycentome as the wind spreads this infectious cloud.

It is obvious that this is a huge threat to large insect species, especially those that live in groups. An infected individual entering a colony can bring doom to the entire population, making more mycentomes until everyone is either infected or dead. Even if the creature is slain shortly after it attacks, there is no telling who has been infected. Since it takes awhile for the fungus to fully convert an insect after initial infection, the colony may suddenly find themselves besieged a week later from victims of the previous attacks. Due to this, many insect species are vigilant in monitoring those who come and go. It is one of the reasons why Giant Ants can seem aggressive towards strangers and outsiders who visit their colony. Even if it isn't another insect, they could have spores on their clothing that could bring infection. If you are an insect that shows up and doesn't look too healthy, the ants may kill you and throw your body far from their home. Even their own kind will face this cruel scrutiny, as they would rather snuff out a possible host rather than let their whole colony fall. I also say that the mycentomes are a threat to non-insects as well, as these infected will go after anything that moves. If fate steers them wrong, one of these violent husks may wind up in the middle of a human or dryad settlement, and they will still attack with unhinged ferocity. It is believed that these attacks on human towns may be why certain regions have a distrust for large insects and even dryads! Some folk have believed that we cause these infections and then send these mycentomes to their homes as if they were some kind of loyal ghoul! Preposterous, but you never can really change a human's mind when they come up with these conspiracies. Believe me, I know. And speaking of dryad involvement...

Due to it being a fungus and its parasitic nature towards insects, many have tried to draw a connection between this and Cordycep dryads. While there are many guesses and accusations, nothing has really been decided and evidence is a bit lacking. Some think that Cordyceps developed this strain of fungus to further spread their influence, while others believe the dryads are actually the end result of this infection. Like I said, though, there is no real clear answer on who started what, and if these two species are even connected at all. Honestly, I find it hard to see how Cordyceps would benefit from these species, as it would only kill off hosts for them. It may also be a blind hope of mine that they aren't connected, because dryadkind is struggling to try and convince these sisters to stop being menaces and this certainly wouldn't make this process easier.

While this all sounds awful, an insect that is infected isn't necessarily doomed. It takes time for the spores to grow their tendrils and seize the brain, which means that is a window for a cure. It takes about two days for the fungus to worm its way to the head, so medicine can be taken to kill it before that happens. This cure has been made and it does work, the issue is the short window to take it before the infection takes root. To help curb the growth of this fungus, dryads within the species range work to brew as much medicine as they can and gift it to local insect colonies. With a decent supply of this drug, most colonies can cut back the risk of infection and not have to decapitate any individuals who have a cough. That is the reason why you have to have a lot of this medicine and have it on hand. To a guard ant whose defending the colony entrance, you got five seconds to administer a cure before they do it themselves. Violently.

Chlora Myron

Dryad Natural Historian

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

Humans got werewolves, dryads have aconstrum (NOT lichenmorphy) and now ants and other unfortunate insects get mycentomy! This came to be because RE8 has moldy werewolves, and that got me thinking.