Necromatic Spore

Necromatic Spore is a supernatural type of fungus that has begun to appear after The Withering, of which forms on corpses seemingly sporadically. It spreads quickly after formation, feeding on the decay of the corpses and growing into a new material. Eventually, a corpse that is infected with Necromatic Spore will reanimate. It can affect not just humans, but species from other realms, and animals.

Basic Information

Anatomy

In all stages of Necromatic Spore, it has a distinct, blue appearance, composed of various toadstools and mushrooms of different sizes, all connected to a central point that stretches out across the surface of whatever it's on in vein-like patterns.

Genetics and Reproduction

Necromatic Spore spreads quickly in dark locations, growing quickly and without pause until light is brought upon it. Oftentimes, this has resulted in caverns becoming filled with large amounts of Necromatic Spore, from the floor all the way up to the ceiling, only being stopped by any natural lights that are underground, or from the caverns becoming exposed to sunlight. How it forms to begin with is unknown, though it's speculated to occur as a result of Lost Souls trying to come back to the world of the living, only to fail-- though whether or not this claim holds up remains to be seen.

Growth Rate & Stages

There are three phases to the growth of Necromatic Spore: Gestation, Spore, and Host.

Gestation

It begins as a mass of bulbs intersecting with each other, with veins spread out across a small area. Mushrooms may begin to form at this stage as it grows, the bulbs slowly gaining mass. The most common spot for it to begin forming is within deceased bodies, with the condition of the body often making a difference on how fast or slow it grows.

Spore

After an estimated two to three days of growth, the bulbs will burst open, spraying out a slurry of Necromatic Spore across an area-- oftentimes completely overtaking the corpse it's growing on and the surrounding area. Any of the Spore that isn't on a body will begin it's cycle anew, spreading further, while that which is on the corpse will begin to burrow into the flesh. Over time, the spore will begin to consume the flesh, transforming it into more of itself and taking on an apperance of mimickry. At this point, it goes into the next stage of life:

Host

After time passes, the Necromatic Spore will begin to supplant itself within the corpse, eventually replacing the flesh with itself. At this point, it will have gained full control over the body, allowing for it to control and move it as it wishes. Depending on the damage the body has, it will slowly attempt to repair itself via the consumption of anything around it-- plant-life or living things, typically.

Oftentimes, there will be two types of Hosts that will come about as a result of Necromatic Spores: Mindless and Sapient.

Mindless

Due to either the brain being too damaged or, in a good majority of cases, the brain being too damaged, Mindless Spores will often move around aimlessly, only seeking to repair any damage that was made to their bodies and spread their spores around further. They'll often be expelling the Spore as they wander, which can prove to be a problem if left unchecked.

Sapient

If the brain has not been too damaged or, in rare cases, has been preserved well, Sapient Spores will occur. They act as they would if they were alive, unaware and confused about the idea that they had died. An important distinction about them is that they're unable to form new memories. Other than that, they're rather indistinguishable from living people, save for the habitual expulsion of Spores.

Regardless of if they're Mindless or Sapient, there will be multiple traits that both share:

• Ability to sustain heavy damage without reaction to pain.
• Enhanced healing ability.
• Enhanced strength.
• No need to sustain itself with eating or drinking. Eating only serves to regenerate any flesh they've lost.
• Displays photosynthetic processes at night, often becoming more active at this time.
• If the body has magical capability, Necormatic Spore will be able to use it.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Keres Medical has taken a great interest in Necromatic Spore, often harvesting it from locations that have been overrun with it. They've established farms of the dead bodies that have been overrun with Necromatic Spore and harvest it from them, and have researched heavily into the applications of the Spore. Individuals whom have to work to retrieve Necromatic Spore are known as Necromatic Spore Extractors.

The most noteworthy items created by Keres Medical as a result of their research into it include NecroFlesh and Momento Mori. The former is a result of research into the regenerative and transmutational properties of Necroflesh, while the latter is a result of harnessing the abilities a Spore gets after entering the host phase.

Average Intelligence

The intelligence Necromatic Spore displays depends on the condition of the brain, if there is any. If there is no brain, the spore has no intelligence at all, comparable to that of a mindless animal that only wishes to keep to it's territory and spread it's spores. If there is a brain, it will mostly have the same intelligence of the body that had it prior. As such, if it takes over the body of a dog, it will exhibit the same animalistic intelligence the dog had. If it takes over a human body, it will contain the same knowledge and intelligence the human had.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

By itself, Necromatic Spore has no way to perceive the outside world. To accomodate for this, however, Necromatic Spore will often latch itself onto whatever parts of a corpse's body that it can use. This can include connecting itself to the eyes, nose, and mouth of a body, giving it the sensations the body once could use.

Scientific Name

Ophiocordyceps necrofantasia