Mushroom Cave, Ilshenar, Chesapeake (PaxLair Times) – May 17, 2011 – by Ashlynn – Across Sosaria grow many species of mushrooms, some edible, some useful to alchemists, others useful to those with more sinister motives. As something of a mycologist, here I attempt to catalog some of the most common to be found throughout the realm.
Bloodmoss
Though called a moss, this inedible blood red mass with a brighter orange-red flesh is actually a fungus. A cup-shaped fungi, it can be found mostly in marsh and fenland, but will happily grow any place where conditions are damp enough. It has even been rumoured to grow between the toes of trolls though I suspect this is false and I’ve little desire to find out the truth of the matter.
Bloodmoss is an essential reagent for the magics of the magery school and is also a key ingredient in the manufacture of tonics which heighten agility, being a key component in the production of transmutation-like effects. As yet, it has no known culinary uses.
Chaga Mushroom
This dark, sinister looking mushroom is currently known to grow in only one place: The death-touched Tomb of Kings in Ter Mur. It has a a wide black convex cap speckled with the dark grey remains of it’s veil, and a dirty-grey stipe.
Tedious to collect in large numbers as it prefers to grow only individually or in pairs, it has but one current known use and that is in the imbuing of luck upon arms and armour. It is inedible and probably poisonous I imagine, though should anyone wish to try eating it, do let me know the results.
Britannian Common Cap
Growing all across Britannia, these can be found on the ground almost everywhere. Split into several species, they all look similar – small, with a brown convex or conical cap and brown stipe. Some even glow a faint red during the hours of night.
Though some radiate a faint light, they make poor lanterns but can be useful for finding your way through the wilderness in hours of darkness. A few species are edible and taste great fried in oil with onion and garlic. Some may even be eaten raw such as those which grow in the middle of the stone circle in the wisp wood near the dungeon of Shame.
Dark Truffle
A dark brown fungus presumably growing underground despite the physical similarity to its surface-dwelling kin. It is not known where this truffle comes from and can currently only be purchased from traders at Sea Market.
Dark truffle is used in the making of Faery Salmon Pie and Lava Fish Pie (the latter tastes a little hot so I’m led to believe but Faery Salmon Pie is quite delicious!).
Dread Horn Tainted Mushroom
This enormous light-brown mushroom has a campanulate cap occasionally speckled or streaked with red. Though similar to (and originally one of) those found deep within caves, this particular kind grows in the Twisted Weald and is often found amongst the belongings of the tainted unicorn Dread Horn.
The mushroom is resistant to decay, presumably due to its tainted nature, and can make a nice garden ornament, though has no other known uses.
Executioners Cap
Infamous all across Britannia and possibly the most poisonous mushroom to be found within the realm, this dark, almost black mushroom with a conical cap is currently known only to grow upon the rotting bodies of whipping vines.
An important reagent in the practice of the dark art of necromancy, before the people of Umbra brought their own variety with them from Malas. Due to the spread of Umbran necromancy, the older art is forgotten and it has no known use except as a wicked poison.
Luminescent Fungi
This glowing white bracket fungi grows on the trunks of many species of tree found throughout Britannia. It is often a byproduct of woodcutting, the cutters preferring to scrape the fungus off of the bark of the tree.
Luminescent fungus is useful to alchemists as a key ingredient in making Darkglow Potion and is also useful to those pursuing the path of imbuing as it can enchant items with mind, body and stamina enhancing effects.
Miniature Mushroom
This wild mushroom with a red, white-speckled convex cap grows throughout the realm, but most notably in the elven Heartwood. Though called miniature, it grows to about the same size as Chaga or Zoogi Fungus.
Elven Arcanists prize this as a test for aspiring young spellweavers but I suspect they mostly ask acolytes to collect it due to its culinary properties. It is a sweet smelling and tasting mushroom that can be eaten raw and is very delicious. It is also rumoured that the sweet scent can also help repel goblins.
Zoogi Fungus
Growing deep underground upon damp mossy mounds within the Solen hives below Britannia (and occasionally on the corpses of deceased Solen warriors and workers), this brightly coloured mushroom has a purple convex cap and a bright white stipe.
The Solen are highly skilled in refining this fungus into incredibly useful translocation powder used by Bags of Sending. It is also believed that it may have some use in the function of water purification machinery. One particular example of such a contraption can be found beside a small underground lake in the hives (do note all the zoogi fungus growing nearby).