Harrowshade Trees
Fungal Giants
The use of 'tree' within its name is a bit of a misnomer, as it has neither bark nor any usable wood grown within it. Instead these 'trees' are gargantuan fungi found only on the island of Lamrial within the Kailano Archipelago. These fungal shoots can, on average, grow to 60-70 feet tall, with wide, sprawling 'canopies' made from either a singular mushroom cap or several that branch off of the main trunk. There are several subspecies of Harrowshade, but each and every one of them starts in an unsuspecting victim's lungs.
It's highly advised that non-natives to the island of Lamrial wear some form of respiratory protection during their stay, as the spores that hang heavy in the air across the island will attach themselves to the moist linings of any non-adapted creature's lungs. These spores will slowly grow over time, causing immense pain and difficulty in breathing. Shortness of breath, rasping, and wheezing are common symptoms of what is known as Shade Lung, or the infection of the lung by Harrowshade spores. There is no known cure, and the condition always results in death.
The fledgling spores will use the newly deceased cadaver as a food source as they grow within their lungs. Eventually, these shoots will carve their way out of a victim's chest, or grow up and out of the esophagus and through the mouth and sinuses. The body of an average sized humanoid is able to sustain the young Harrowshade shoots for roughly two weeks until proper mycelial roots are able to push down through the rotting tissue and into the ground proper. It's about this time that they are able to produce their own spores, often more toxic than that of older Harrowshades.
Scientific Name
Vesporum cadaveralis
Geographic Distribution
An older specimen of the Vesporum cadaveralis subspecies of Harrowshade alongside a younger specimen
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