Ziffoid

The ziffoids (or Zith) are a sapient, fungus-based species found in small pockets of the world.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Almost all ziffoid bodies are made of trama, the fleshy material found in fungi. While they do not have an internal set of organs, most will at least possess a cap, a system of releasing spores (gills, teeth, pores) and a stem or stems that end in a volva, the bulb that connects their physiology with a network of mycelial threads running through the ground.
Most ziffoids have evolved to walk on two stalks like a humanoid, though it is not uncommon for some to possess three or more. The same is true of higher appendages used for the manipulation of crude tools for building, farming or crafting.

Biological Traits

Ziffoids are essentially sentient fungi and have all of the characteristics found in the plantlife, with the added ability to walk, communicate, think and feel. They can live for up to 80 - 250 years, however their mycelium can live for up to thousands. Even if all the ziffoid in the area are gone, their mycellial network can still remain.
Once fully grown, they have been known to grow up to 3.5 metres, however they vary greatly in their sizes: some species only grow to heights of around 0.8 metres. Weight depends on a number of features including height, build, humidity and the amount of moisture the ziffoid is able to contain.
When there are times a ziffoid spends a long, stationary period in an area where there is excess moisture, the water absorbed into the creature can cause it to swell or warp and build up internal water pressure. In these cases, a process of guttation begins where the moisture is expunged through special pores where droplets of sap form, usually tinted by pigments in the flesh.
As regular fungi reproduce asexually via the use of spores that germinate, so too do ziffoids, meaning concepts such as gender do not exist.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Ziffoids from different regions will have differing patterns and colours, as well as their overall physical build. Some of these unique physical characteristics include scales, warts, zonations, striations and areolae.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Ziffoids gain sustenance by connecting with the communal networks of mycelium and drawing up nutrients and moisture the bulbs at their base. These mycelium are fed by the Ziffoids, often with a specially-crafted mix of sawdust, grains, grasses and water.

Biological Cycle

Temperature and humidity are elements vital to the survival of Ziffoids and their mycelia. Therefore, dry weather during summer months can prove to be a challenging time, while autumn is a time of renewal and growth.
Some groups of ziffoids have been known to migrate during hot, dry times of the year to climates that are more agreeable.

Additional Information

Average Intelligence

Ziffoids have displayed a rudimentary intelligence, clearly being able to communicate with other specials through the use of gestures and hand signals, as well as possessing the ability to create tools and physical adornments to their person. They show signs of emotion despite their lack of faces and display responsiveness, pattern recognition and problem solving.
The creatures form close-knit communities (often called "groves" or "orchards") that work towards collective goals, namely the propagation of their own spores and the expansion and maintenance of their mycellial networks. In order to ensure the longevity of their groves and its inhabitants, Ziffoids are known to construct basic shelters or fences made of wood or stone. Many groves tend to gravitate towards caves and grottos, as the moisture helps their propagation and they are easily defended.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Across the cap of a ziffoid are tens of thousands of photoreceptors, a thin sheets of light-sensitive tissue the species use as a substitute for eyes. In addition, many sub-species of ziffoid possess extra sensory capabilites, such as touch receptors on the ends of long tendrils, or receptors that are able to detect chemical changes in the air.
While the volva on the ends of their stalks can be used to feed, feel and communicate, they can also sense subtle vibrations in the earth. Some sub-species can engage with networks of mycelium with their own light receptors along them, and so can see for some distance from their location.

Civilization and Culture

History

Ziffoids have been mentioned in various stages for thousands of years, in cultures across Cyllarune.

Communities

The groves or orchards formed by ziffoids help to ensure their survival. They allow protected areas where the environment can be specially manipulated and tended for the propagation their mycellial network and other new ziffoids. This includes growing plants to maintain a specific temperature and humidity, ensuring the soil is moist and full of nutrients by composting organic material, sometimes even cutting logs with stone axes to use for growing fungi.

Predators

While many aggressive wild animals are content to leave ziffoid be (not being made of meat), there are also those who are territorial and will attack for the sake of protecting their boundaries, such as wolves and bears.
Those herbivores or onmivores that eat fungi tend to be easier to deal with and will flee at the first sign of danger.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

There are few recorded instances of Ziffoids interacting with other intelligent species.

Lifespan

~80 - 250 years

Conservation Status

Endangered

Average Height

~0.8 - 3.5 m