A Brief Survey of Mycology in the Aester

A brief survey of Aester-related mutations to mycological life and related species under the Nyx.
(Dr. Hezekiah Campbell, "Annals of Nature" Science Journal of the University of St. Louis, June, PAe 80)

Preamble:

With the rise of Aester and the dramatic change to our worlds climate came attendant similarly dramatic changes in the flora and fauna of high latitudes. Prominent among these is the explosion of new and astonishing fungi species found under the Nyx, which are rapidly replacing the now extinct ecologies of forest, grassland and tundra. In an interesting twist on the famous phrase from Job 1/23, ("..the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away;..."), something wondrous, mysterious (and perhaps perilous...) is being given back to replace so much that was taken.

Introduction:

As the reader is likely already aware, ground explorations of areas consumed by the Nyx have returned with increasingly amazing reports of fungi growing to fantastic sizes and in many ways, replacing the role played in nature in the past by temperate forests and grasslands. Starting with initial revelations of forests of gargantuan toadstools (Phaeogyroporus Giganticus, Parker, PAe 33), further discoveries have continued to fire the imagination, culminating in the reports of immense hanging guardens dropping out of the Aester all the way to the surface. (Jan Mayen Naval Survey observations, PAe 75).

The cause and development of these natural systems and their equally amazing fauna will undoubtedly spur scientific research and debate for many decades to come.
These places present us with mysteries at least as fascinating as pre-Aester ones regarding interior Congo and the Amazon basin. Over time, the world has met the revelations emerging from these places with a mixture of wonder and relief; that life does still continue, indeed florish, under the Nyx.

Major non-chlorophyll based life forms under the Nyx

The major changes mycological life under the Aester can be summarized in four broad categories:

1) Structural "Tree" Analogs (example genera include Phaeogyroporus, Boletus and Armillaria)

2) Understory/Scrub/Shrub/Ground cover Analogs (example genera include Calvatia, Bridgeoporus,Lycoperdon, Volvariella)

3) Aquatic - (seaweed analogs and floating mats; examples include polymorphed Oomycetes, Hyphomycetes & Chytrid species)

4) "Chimera", or, Families of Fungi or related species which existed previously, but have emerged in new radically changed forms. (Examples include phylum Acrasiomycota, especially of the genus Dictyostelium, Cordyceps "zombie" organisms, phylum Zygomycota, esp. genera Dactylaria and Dactylella, which have evolved to attack larger species.)

1) "Tree" forms

One can only imagine the shock on the part of members of the Parker expedition to Tasmania in PAe 34, when they encountered the first of many mushroom forests:

"Col. Parker called a halt to the expedition when we reached the outskirts of what was Beaconsfield, a town south of our landing at Georgetown. The cause was quite evident; as far as we could perceive in the occasional Aester flashes, before us were ranged un-ending ranks were enormous toadstools. As if lifted directly from Lewis Carroll's novels, they were limed variously in pastel glows of yellow, red and green. From among them issued mysterious calls of unknown creatures, unseen and alarming." (from "My Adventures in Tasmania", Breaker Colville, Parker Expedition notes, PAe 33)

Variants on what Mr. Colville saw have since been found on all continents under the Nyx save Anarctica.  Universally, it appears to be different variations of the genus Phaeogyroporus with slightly lesser contributions from Boletus and Armillaria. Typically, individuals range from 15-25 meters in hight, with caps from 5-10 meters in diameter. Most amazingly, the growth is *annual* in nature, with entire forests rising and dying back each year, and is accompanied by an equally incredibule frienzy of insect and animal activity which relies on the resource represented by the mushrooms. If exploitable, it represents amazing potential for humanity.


2) "Understory" forms

While the "Tree" forms are dominant over vast ranges of territory under the Nyx, in areas with lesser levels of Aesterfall and precipitation, there are still other mycological wonders that have taken hold.

In particular, in north central regions of the Dominion of Canada, Nightman "tribes" have been found surviving splendily by harvesting large forms of fungi from the genus Calvatia. Supplemented with occasional meat, the diet is quite sustainable, save for the shortage of vitamin "C" typical of Nyx neo-barbarian groups, and attendent endemic scurvy. (Sidenote: this combined with the pervasive presence of halucinogenic alkaloids from minor species, is the primary constraint on many emerging Nyx cultures.  Use of hallucinogens with many groups has established a cult-like status, with addendant disruptions to social structures and cohesion.) Understory forms appear most anywhere in the Nyx, and deep into the Argentum, where sunlight and rainfall are insufficient to sustain either Macrofungi from Phaeogyroporus, or photosynthesis. Bridgeoporus "puff balls" of over 3 meter diameter have been documented (Parker, PAe 33). Calvatia is more prominent in dryer regions, but, where insufficient water exists, activity is limited to low-moisture tolerant molds and bacteria.

3) Aquatic

Free-floating fungal mats were encountered very early on during the expansion of Aester. The first reported were from various naval forces patrolling through the north Pacific and Atlantic as early as PAe 20. These mostly Chytrid species have since in many oceanic locations created virtual "Sargasso" seas, almost impenetrable except by the largest of vessels, specially equipped to cut through them. Unlike Sargasso mats, these are more effemeral, sinking after sporulation and the decay of the fruiting bodies.

Closer in shore, other species (Oomycetes, Hyphomycetes), appear to be exploiting niches previously occupied by kelp and rockweed. As such, this has led to litoral and near-shore ecologies which are nearly as vibrant as those found in the same locations pre-aester. In fact, populations of Sea otter and Orca have increased dramatically all along the Pacific coast north of the California republic.

4) Chimera

Chimera represent at once both the most exciting and disturbing creatures to emerge from the Nyx.  They are species which previously were unusual in nature (slime molds, insectivourous fungi, parasitic species), but small in size.

Cellular and Plasmoidal slime molds, (Eumycetozoans; Myxomycetes; Protostelids; Acrasiomycota; Dictyosteliomycota; Myxomycota; Ramicristates, and particularly, Dictyostelids), and related species have also undergone radical changes which appear to be related to long term exposure to Aester.

The genus Dictyostelium, that originally grew on dung and decaying vegetation, developed a significant but in some ways unsurprising change in diet, size and behavior. Species of this cellular slime mold Genus still have a multi-cellular reproductive stage... but it is 5 orders of magnitude more massive than the pre-Aester species (Williamson, PAe 53). As to diet, the amoeboid stage has enhanced the paralytic secretions found in some species of this genus, to where it will affect higher life forms, including mammals.  The precise mechanism is as yet un-studied, but there are common apocryphal nightman stories of corpses found either completely covered by the amoeboid stage of the mold, or supporting very large (greater than 1 meter diameter) fruiting bodies. The exact mechanism of capture is yet to be documented, but as the mutant versions of the mold can cover approximately 1 meter of distance per hour, it is likely the result of encounters with injured or sleeping individuals. (Goldsmith Hudson's Bay expedition reports, PAe 35)

Equally unusual is the change that has taken place in some species of the genus' Dactylaria and Dactylella.  In their pre-Aester and still extant forms, these are still major predators of soil nematodes across many climates. Under the Aester, both have evolved to "gigantic" forms, capable of trapping animals up to and including the size of un-mutated norway and black rats (20-30 cm) (Jones, PAe 43). It is hypothesized that still larger and aquatic forms may exist or be evolving as well.

Mutations of Cordyceps have produced species which are specifically documented to be dangerous to higher life forms (Stevens, PAe 31). Cordyceps species are known to particularly to be the cause of "Vegetable Catepillars" so known to the Chinese as "dong chong xia cao", and important to their traditional medicine. Variants of this genus have evolved now to attack larger organisms, including vertebrates. It was thought initially that this fungus was the mechanism behind Ottoman Janissary zombies so infamous in conflicts in North Africa and the Kyber (Simons, PAe 37). In fact, individuals aflicted with this fungi lack all but the most rudimentary motor control. Early stages appear to affect higher neural functions in a manner similar to rabies, with similar behavioral effects (Simons, IBID.). Unfortunately, unlike rabies, no consistently effective treatment has yet been developed.

Most dramatic of the "Chimera" forms is reports of unknown species found in the viscinity of Jan Mayen island and it's volcano by the PAe 74 expedition. If observations can be thoroughly corroborated, it suggests a world entirely beyond previous human experience. The expedition findings suggest nothing less than an brobdagnagian mycelium, rising from the island and sea all they way to the highest reaches of the Nyx, colonized by a bizarre and wondrous assemblage of animal life. It is hoped that current efforts to locate and investigate the so-called "Hanging Gardens" will reveal more of it's mysteries!

Conclusion

Mycology has emerged as one of the most dynamic modern disciplines in the broad realm of biological sciences. The explosion of new species and forms will present challenges to students and teachers alike in simply cataloging the myriad of changes now appearing. Equally exciting is research into how to utilize these new resources, as no doubt they will provide new resources hitherto unutilized.