Corpse Peril

Corpse fungi are found in the heart of tropical rainforests, often nestled between the roots of massive trees. Denied sustenance by the nutrient-leached soils as well as the stifling jungle canopy, they have evolved into the perfect parasites. During the monsoon season, when heavy downpours pummel the rainforest, the tendrils extending from the fungus unleash bursts of microscopic spores that ride the powerful storm winds, seeking a host that they can infect.

When any animal inhales these spores, they lodge themselves in the brain of the host and begin to multiply rapidly. As these spores envelop the neurons of their host, they secrete a potent cocktail of chemical compounds that begin to transform the mind of the creature that they’ve invaded. The host increasingly experiences altered mental states that will manifest themselves in a manner that is commensurate with the cognitive development of the creature that has been infiltrated by the Corpse Fungus. Non-sapient beings will experience prolonged states of calm, their appetites increasing to sustain the organism that has invaded their bodies. For herbivores this can prove to be fatal since they are more susceptible to predation while in this entranced state. Any predator that successfully attacks a host of the Corpse Fungus will inevitably inhale the spores streaming out of the nostrils of their prey and will become carriers of the fungus in turn.

For sapient beings, infection by the spores of the Corpse Fungus will bring about a state of profound tranquility where absolutely nothing seems capable of upsetting them. Even engaging in the simplest or most mundane of activities will bring them immense pleasure. They will also lose any interest in engaging in potentially dangerous activities since the fungus wants to keep its host along for as long as possible.

Eventually, however, the health of the host suffers as the fungal growth developing within its skull leaches the brain of all nutrients, reducing it to a shriveled husk in the process. This is a gradual process that slowly turns the host into a brain-dead, comatose being. Ultimately, when the host is no longer able to feed itself, it perishes of starvation, and the fungus explodes out of its body, consuming the remains of its erstwhile carrier. Over the months that elapse, the decomposing flesh and bone are transmuted into the classic spherical form of the Corpse Fungus. Upon attaining this final stage, the fungus remains alive for another year or so, waiting to unleash spores of its own and begin the process all over again.