Mycelium Messenger

Basic Information

Anatomy

Messengers are, in most ways, completely sentient mushrooms. While they do have little bodies that are not directly attached to the earth by a stem, they are completely made of mushrooms much like the wild mushrooms that grow all around the world. Similarly to normal mushrooms, there are not any real limitations to how messengers grow either. Sometimes growing separate stems that form into their own mushroom caps, sometimes growing a stem from the top of their first cap to form a second one, or really any other interesting combination or shape one could imagine. What differentiates them from mushrooms is the two small arms and legs they tend to have, as well as the large bulbous eyes they can have.

Genetics and Reproduction

Messengers are born, or rather grown, when magic dust is used on a specific mushroom when a patch of them is growing, usually in a specifically picked out location. It only takes about a week for the messenger to sprout and grow, and another week for it to come to life and begin to function as a messenger. Due to how they are created, they don't have any real reproduction cycle and must be handmade, however they can assist in the process by spreading the correct type of mushroom to the designated area, provided that area can support the patch and allow it to thrive.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once a messenger is created it takes a month or so to fully develop, both in maturity and in size. However, once this is achieved, even if the other mushrooms continue to grow, the messenger will cease growing and maintain this size for the rest of its life. Its growth is pretty quick, and outside of birth has very few stages to life.

Ecology and Habitats

Humid, wet, marshy locations are the best places for messengers to thrive, much like the mushrooms they come from. However, due to the magic dust used to create them, this is not necessary. They can thrive in special locations created specifically for them as long as they are well maintained, even if the environment is somewhere mushrooms would not normally survive. The only issue is that if there is no feasible way for the planetary mycelium connection to reach the location then there is little point in putting a messenger there.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Much like the mushrooms around them, messengers eat composite materials in order to survive, basically feeding from the mycelium below them in order to maintain themselves. This, of course, is part of the habitat that their owner maintains in order to keep their messenger alive and running for the purposes of sending messages to people across the world.

Biological Cycle

Since the messenger is always in use, it has no real biological cycle that would prevent it from operation during any period of the year. Considering they are well kept due to their necessity, it has very few reasons to change how it goes about its day at any point of the year. The only real cycle it will go through, should it be moved to a new location to establish another messenger spot, is a period of hibernation to grow more mushrooms and extend mycelium out to the web of mycelium the whole planet has.

Behaviour

Messengers, due to their limited intelligence and small size, are curious yet skittish creatures. One moment they will be watching what some creature is doing, and the next run away once they notice they have the creature's attention. The only time they don't run is when their owner comes to give them a message, which they inherently understand to transfer through the mycelium network. In response to a message, a messenger will attempt to alert their owner when possible of a message they have been given from the network.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

This species is used for their unique network of mushrooms all over the world in order to send and receive messages from around the globe. They operate a lot like a messenger system, but for long distances. At times they can almost mimic what using a phone would be like if both participants are active roughly around the same time as the other, though there is usually a delay due to the messenger often requiring paper, or some medium through which they will transcribe the message.

Facial characteristics

Messengers frequently don't really have a face, sometimes only having an eye or two. They are mostly just a mushroom with a set of limbs for movement, and some muscles for making very light noises, but nothing like a mouth or nose.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Messengers are found literally everywhere in the world. They have become the new way to remain in contact with people when they are across the world, and are often taken as traveling companions in order to remain in contact with civilization when out in the wilds. The only time they are not useful are in locations where the climate is so barren even the network doesn't reach the messenger, or somewhere where earth isn't available, like on boats.

Average Intelligence

These creatures appear to have very limited intelligence, yet seem capable of basic things such as understanding words or reading--though it may be more likely that the messenger is more or less sending the visual and audio information as they receive it, and not exactly interpreting it themselves. Whatever the case may be, they do seem capable of understanding small rudimentary concepts.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

While they don't have a mouth to taste or a nose to smell with, they do have a very extraordinary ability to communicate and scan the environment. Since they are a mushroom, they can connect the mycelium network throughout the entire planet, allowing them to collect information from mushrooms everywhere. Not only can they collect, they can actually send information this way as well.

Lifespan

1-2 years

Average Height

1 in

Average Length

10 mm

Average Physique

Due to being just a mushroom they have incredibly weak physique, often relying on their small stature to hide in small nooks and crannies. Were they to suffer intense physical trauma or be left in extreme weather, the messenger would more than likely not survive. This is why they are often maintained in controlled environments to ensure their safety and continued life.

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The mushrooms that are used to create messengers are red with white spots all over them. While the pattern can vary a bit, sometimes going as far as having unique markings appear on the cap of a messenger rarely, the color and tint remain mostly the same. Their eyes also seem to share this maroon color most of the time, though sometimes can have different hues depending on certain conditions such as the environment.