Ktratha

A species of fungus native to Tebburus that has been known to form immense noospheres of information transferal between each other.

The Ktratha can be found on most continents on Tebburus, particularly underground.

It can grow massive 'forests' of giant fungus up to about 10 meters in height. It can use both photosynthesis and biomatter decomposition to obtain energy and grow. It usually forms a singular massive nervous system around the entire forest and can perceive any events that happen within or near the forests. They can also transfer nutrients to each other. The mushroom forests are often surrounded by a clearing because most creatures are enticed towards it through the use of pheromones. The mushroom forest would then kill and digest the creature and distribute the nutrients to fungi that require them. It usually captures prey using a net-like structure that was efficiently hidden, paralyze them using chemicals and then emit digestive plasmas to kill and break them down simultaneously.

They have earned the curiosity of Suons many times in their early history. This has caused many to venture into it, and never return. This has made them somewhat feared and a mystery until their science advanced and allowed them to figure out the mystery behind this organism.

Although the fungus never achieved sapience, it was hyperintelligent due to the massive number of neurons a noosphere could have. Each noosphere had significantly more neurons than a suon. Eventually, suons attempted to communicate with it using bioelectricity but those attempts were not successful. Much later, after the suon-saelian war, they managed to pacify them and even turn one noosphere into a giant, highly efficient computer for them. This contains enough information to act as a small data center and is, naturally, resilient and adaptive. The suons have learned how to protect themselves from the pheromones and the deployment of those chemicals has even become a common tool used by the Wildlife Defence Agency to attract megafauna away from suons. However, the organism continues to claim suon lives though at a much slower rate. They have also invented technologies that allow them to safely traverse the noospheres themselves safely. This includes equipment to fool the Ktratha's perception and suits that can resist plasma it uses to digest other creatures.  

The species can come in many forms. Most forms are microscopic spores that allow it to reproduce. All other forms emit these spores. There are also photosynthetic forms which are never seen underground because there is no sunlight to absorb. This form is the most commonly seen within the noospheres. There are several forms used for perception including scent detectors, echolocation forms that can detect nearby changes in the environment through emitting and receiving sound (reminiscent of submarine sonar), and forms that can detect bioelectricity from short distances via the magnetic field. Suon equipment designed to allow people to traverse through the forests are designed to reduce the sonar cross section of the individual, making it difficult for sonar fungi to detect them. By using a fully enclosed suit, the scent emitted by a suon can be reduced drastically, usually entirely eliminated. As suons are not dependent on bioelectricity, they cannot be detected that way however their technology might be. They can Suppress energy signatures but this costs a lot of energy and cannot completely eliminate the signature.