The Rare and Unique Fungi of /meat/

Professor Tully, Acting Director of Vitubia Mycological Society

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study species of fungi that are unique to /meat/ or are extremely rare in other countries and therefore considered unique to the region. There will be two primary sections and a tertiary section to each fungi listed in this report; firstly the habitat, climate, vector of transmission and identifying characteristics; secondly the effects of said fungus on human bodies and other living organisms, classifying it into parasitic, a pathogen or other; and thirdly the magical properties of said fungus, being in its raw or refined form.

Before this study can be understood in its entirety there are a few concepts that have to be introduced:

The structure of fungi can be explained in the following points:

1. Almost all the fungi have a filamentous structure except the yeast cells.
2. They can be either single-celled or multicellular organisms.
3. Fungi consist of long thread-like structures known as hyphae. These hyphae together form a mesh-like structure called mycelium.
4. Fungi possess a cell wall which is made up of chitin and polysaccharides.
5. The cell wall comprises a protoplast, which is differentiated into other cell parts such as cell membrane, cytoplasm, cell organelles and nuclei.
6. The nucleus is dense, clear, with chromatin threads. The nucleus is surrounded by a nuclear membrane.

Following this the important characteristics of fungi are as follows:

1. Fungi are eukaryotic, non-vascular, non-motile and heterotrophic organisms.
2. They may be unicellular or filamentous.
3. They reproduce by means of spores.
4. Fungi exhibit the phenomenon of alternation of generation.
5. Fungi lack chlorophyll and hence cannot perform photosynthesis.
6. Fungi store their food in the form of starch.
7. Biosynthesis of chitin occurs in fungi.
8. The nuclei of the fungi are very small.
9. The fungi have no embryonic stage. They develop from the spores.
10. The mode of reproduction is sexual or asexual.
11. Some fungi are parasitic and can infect the host.
12. Fungi produce a chemical called pheromone which leads to sexual reproduction in fungi.
13. Examples include mushrooms, moulds and yeast.

These concepts need to be kept in mind as you study and attempt to conceptualise about fungi as it is important to adhere to these rules lest your organism be re-classified as another type.

On the classification of fungi

Classifying a fungus is done so by analysing their source of nutrition and spore reproduction processes, a common misconception is that fungi have the ability like plants to undergo the process of photosynthesis, but fungi as a whole do not contain chlorophyll and therefore are naturally parasitic or symbiotic. Fungi also reproduce asexually through sporing, while this process mimics that of pollination it is inherently different due to the complexity of the organisms involved.

Fungi consist of a fruiting body or cap, which usually houses the spores, the stem or stipe, and the organism itself; what you see above the surface is strings of protein (which forms the gills) and the chitin (which forms the cap). As you might have noticed the use of the word chitin, the cap of mushrooms generally consists of the same cellular structure as that of bugs and their shells, and the fungal organism itself may be multi-cellular or single-cell (in the case of simple molds).

The organism of the fungus located beneath the surface is often linked to a large underground network of micro-organisms referred to as mycelium, this comprises the network of threads or hyphae. These protein threads exist within the soil substrate and are the part of any ground-dwelling fungi that comprises the actual organism, it also works as a nutrient network absorbing nitrates and moisture from the soil in order to fuel the growth of fruiting bodies. The larger the fungus the larger the mycelium network must be, as they have to gather trace amounts of nutrients from soil, usually stretching over multiple kilometers of forest and shrub-land.

Below are the classifications of fungi based on mode of nutrition:

1. Saprophytic – The fungi obtain their nutrition by feeding on dead organic substances. Examples: Rhizopus, Penicillium and Aspergillus.
2. Parasitic – The fungi obtain their nutrition by living on other living organisms (plants or animals) and absorb nutrients from their host. Examples: Taphrina and Puccinia.
3. Symbiotic – These fungi live by having an interdependent relationship with other species in which both are mutually benefited. Examples: Lichens and mycorrhiza. Lichens are the symbiotic association between algae and fungi. Here both algae and fungi are mutually benefited as fungi provide shelter for algae and in reverse algae synthesis carbohydrates for fungi. Mycorrhiza is the symbiotic association present between fungi and plants. Fungi improve nutrient uptake by plants, whereas, plants provides organic molecules like sugar to the fungus.

Below are the classifications of fungi based on spore formation:

1. Zygomycetes – These are formed by the fusion of two different cells. The sexual spores are known as zygospores, while the asexual spores are known as sporangiospores. The hyphae are without the septa. Example – Mucor.
2. Ascomycetes – They are also called sac fungi. They can be coprophilous, decomposers, parasitic or saprophytic. The sexual spores are called ascospores. Asexual reproduction occurs by conidiospores. Example – Saccharomyces.
3. Basidiomycetes – Mushrooms are the most commonly found basidiomycetes and mostly live as parasites. Sexual reproduction occurs by basidiospores. Asexual reproduction occurs by conidia, budding or fragmentation. Example- Agaricus.
4. Deuteromycetes – They are otherwise called imperfect fungi as they do not follow the regular reproduction cycle as the other fungi. They do not reproduce sexually. Asexual reproduction occurs by conidia. Example – Trichoderma.

To expand on methods of reproduction:

The three methods of fungal reproduction are as follows:

1. Vegetative reproduction –This takes place by budding, fission and fragmentation.
2. Asexual reproduction – This takes place with the help of spores called conidia or zoospores, or sporangiospores.
3. Sexual reproduction – This occurs by ascospores, basidiospores, and oospores.

Now that these concepts have been explained, on the the actual fungi found in /meat/.

Ophiocordyceps Sp. unilateralis - The "Zombie" Fungus

During my travels through /meat/ as funded by a private investor who commissioned the paper on turning human remains into alcohol, I requested a guide from Babel Interlingual Services Organization to assist in travel, accommodation and translation services and set off to explore agricultural villages and forestry areas. While this was to the dismay of my interpreter who, while having lived in /meat/, had primarily worked out of the Babel office in the capital and was wholly unprepared for digging and chopping our way through forests, jungles and going in and amongst the livestock to assess their defecation.

It was around the third day of visiting agricultural areas zoned for livestock where I witnessed a farmer putting down one of his stock and proceeding to pour a clear liquid over the body, followed by salt. Upon questioning said farmer and having the interpreter assist in this matter I found that he was treating a disease of some sort, the liquid was vinegar. I theorised at the time that the vinegar was used to break down proteins in whichever infectious matter was in the body and the salt was to remove liquid from the flesh preventing further bacteria from growing within the corpse, little did I know that this disease was no simple rabies or bacterial infection.

I requested permission to perform a biopsy on the livestock much to my interpreters dismay, and with some talking and money changing hands I removed the livestock from the pen and began my biopsy.

Findings are as follows:

Specimen: Reared human livestock.
Clinical History: Unknown/exposed to elements for extended periods of time. Fed on high sugar grain meal and high mineral animal organ meats.
Diagnosis via findings:

• Specimen was suffering from hyper-hydration, plasma count significantly higher than normal, thin blood and organs were "washed" (cleared of essential minerals)
• "Fingers" of chitin were found extruding next to the hair follicles in the subjects head, these were long with a bulb at their tip filled with fungal spores.
• Fungus was identified as Ophiocordyceps Sp. commonly found as unilateralis, usually found to only infect insects.
• Spore print was done using rocks a 2 pieces of paper, found to be significantly larger than the spores found in insects infected with Ophiocordyceps Sp. fungi.

Gross Description
The inside of the body was found to be extremely warm and the subject had consumes huge amounts of water prior to their death, the stipe and fruiting body of the fungus protruded from the top, side and back of the head and was rooted in the brain cavity of the subject. Likely to have entered through nose, mouth or ears, spores found inside nasal cavity and lungs (microscopic) likely able to pass through blood barriers in the body and enter the lymphatic system. Brain was swollen to an increased size of 30% and showed signs of multiple seizures with ruptures blood vessels and bruising, internal organs showed signs of cell walls breaking down and of short-term mineral deficiency, with the stomach being empty and filled with bile.

Footnote Small traces of chuubanite dust found in bloodstream but likely a mistake in blood analysis (fairly new to biopsies), the effects of having raw mineral form chuubanite in the human body is unlikely to be positive, theorised effects could be hallucinations, rabies like mania or instantaneously being registered unconscious.

Fungal Identification

Pictured above, the life-cycle of Ophiocordyceps Sp. unilateralis in insects

The life-cycle of Ophiocordyceps Sp. unilateralis in insects is well researched but this mutation able to affect humans has to be impossibly complex in order to function properly. While it is not fully understood how this would work it has been theorised to function as follows:

1. Exposure to microscopic spores, the pathogenic mutated Ophiocordyceps Sp. variant is found growing on dead animal carcasses or on dead plants amongst the topsoil. Upon sufficient force (usually rain or hail above a certain speed) these fruiting bodies expel their spores into the air, these spores being microscopic are likely to stick to clothes or to items and will aerate easily.
2. The microscopic spores enter the body through nose, ears, mouth or prolonged exposure to thin membranes on skin. This is very difficult to notice unless there are many spores in a cloud set upon a light background.
3. After the fungus enters the specimen it propagates, and fungal cells are found beside the host's brain. Once the population is of sufficient size, the fungus secretes compounds and takes over the central nervous system (CNS), which enables it to manipulate the specimen to consume large amounts of water and to stop eating. It is at this point that the fungus protrudes its stipe and fruiting bodies from the hosts head.

4. This is a point of divergence, it is theorised that there are multiple mutations of this fungus.
   4. (a) The host is rendered unconscious and their body is flooded with a number of hormones and enzymes in the process. This causes the body to break down cell walls, causes an accelerated putrefaction process and in addition causes death via brain hemorrhaging.
      (b) The host is rendered rabid, their brain flooded with hallucinogenic hormones and substances they seek to bite, claw and consume the flesh of others for a very short time (1-2 hours) followed by death caused by brain hemorrhaging. During this time the fungus spores will excrete from the fruiting bodies on their heads and will likely enter the victim's body through these wounds.

Conclusions:
Ophiocordyceps Sp. unilateralis and its mutated counterpart are now considered potentially infectious to humans, the specifics of how these fungi affect the human infected with them mentally as well as the quality of the meat if fungi is removed needs to be researched further. Most of the results from this investigation are up for debate and are primarily theory, many edits or following papers will be published upon further feedback.

As a side note to this investigation; the use of Ophiocordyceps Sp. unilateralis in tribal remedies is recongnised by VMS, but the human mutated counterpart is NOT to be used in these manners due to the dangers involved. Further testing is required to create byproducts from this fungus and until then any or all samples must be stores in wax sealed pottery and send immediately to a local VMS branch or representative for further experimentation.

Any rumors that a large enough ground colony of Ophiocordyceps Sp. unilateralis could develop mycelium replicating that of a neural network are unfounded and purely superstition, the likelihood of any fungi becoming conscious or having a will is frankly ridiculous.

Ophiocordyceps Sp. Human Mutation Characteristics

Characteristics:

• Habitat: climate zones (Rainforest, Jungle) with greater than 180mm of precipitation per month, found near the base of trees or carried by insects on their exoskeletons (primarily ants or cicadas). Able to be transported over long distances because of the hardy fruiting body having the shape and texture of that of a seed.
• Vector of Transmission: Fruiting body containing many microscopic spores, macroscopic spores once produced by a human host. Enters via nose, mouth, ears and sufficiently thin membrane. Travels via lymphatic and circulatory system to the brain whereby it produces the body of the fungus. The spores are released upon the death of the host organism, or if ground dwelling are released upon sufficient force applied to the bulb of the fruiting body.
• Identifying Characteristics: Identified by the stipe and fruiting body of the fungus protruding from the insect/human. Brown elongated stick-like stipe (5-10mm for insects, 30-40mm for humans), and a bulbous fruiting body with a point at the top.
• Effects on host organism: The effects differ from creature to creature, primarily in ants it causes CNS changes significant enough to separate it from the colony, attach it to the bottom of a leaf and kill it. In humans it causes temporary psychosis, consumption of water until hyper-hydration followed by death via a number of means primarily that of brain hemorrhaging and chain seizures.
• Magical Properties: While the VMS discourages the use of Ophiocordyceps Sp. in remedies, potions and salves due to the danger it is likely that the human mutation is in some way either magical, or the mutation is caused by sentient intervention. Further research needed.

Mucormycosis, The Black Fungus

Upon return to the capital and my subsequent visit to Babel HQ here in /meat/ I had my works so far copied and stored neatly for the sake of archiving, preparing for the eventuality that if I died due to exposure to some rare and deadly fungus while here my work would still be published postmortem. My interpreter was less than enthused at me saying this, voicing the concern that he may too die if I were to succumb to some rare fungal infection, I made no effort to calm his nerves though. The cataloguing of rare and potentially dangerous fungi is a hazardous job, and I wasn't one to force this responsibility onto others, besides a diet containing fungi native to Syndoneia (dried fungus I brought on my travel) would introduce pathogenic fungi into my body that would consume other fungi. My hope being that this pathogenic fungi would be effective against the fungi of /meat/ due to them evolving so geographically distant to one another... I hope at least.

Following my preparations to head to the Southern more mountainous regions of /meat/ I met back up with my interpreter, who had surprisingly, decided to stick around for the trip. Later I would find out that he had gone drinking with colleagues and had a drunken rant recounting our travels, and that no other interpreter was willing to fulfill his role. At risk of being fired for dishonouring the contract between Babel and VMS he decided to take the risk and accompany me further, let it be known on official record that the interpreter Albus of Babel's /meat/ HQ is no coward.

Having organised a carriage and coachman for the trip, as well as supplies, we set off to the Southern regions. It was going to be a long trip but I was going to be sure to bore the coachman and Albus with many facts about fungi along the way, and considering Babel was paying for my transport and supplies I was content to treat this as a vacation. This was all until we came upon a village that we were to stay at for the night, and came across a commotion, a young girl no older than 10 lay in her mothers arms wailing clutching her face, I quickly approached; ushering the coachman and Albus to assist me. I had Albus tell the mother I was a traveling doctor, a necessary lie for the moment, and quickly grabbed the young girl using my foraging knife to remove the top layer of skin from her nose, brow and eyelid. While this cause momentary distress it likely saved the girl's life, I quickly rushed back to the carriage to place the samples into a sealed container and returned with basic healing salves to apply to the wounds.

After a good nights rest and a hearty meal, courtesy of the family convinced I had saved their daughter, I got to work examining the samples I had taken.

Findings are as follows:

Specimen: Nose, Brow and Eyelid skin of Human Female <15 y.o
Clinical History: Unknown, lives in village near to forestry so exposure to sap, pollen, grasses and insects. Possibly immunocompromised.
Diagnosis via findings:

• Fungus was like that of a mold spore but majorly enlarged.
• Evidence of Mucormycosis likely caused by exposure to fulminant fungal sinusitis, of the Sp. Periorbital mucormycosis of the order Mucorales.
• Skin was eaten away in orbs (bites) as if the process of sporing caused the mold to consume it.
• Exposure likely caused acute pain, swelling and bruising on the exposed skin.
• Risk of mold sporing and becoming more dense, potential for facial tissue and muscle to be consumed too causing partial facial collapse.
• Spore print murky, likely microscopic. Requires specialised equipment to properly analyse.

Gross Description
The samples of skin taken were found to be porous and the areas covered in the mould were attempting to scab to no avail, presence of platelets and pus. The mould found covering the skin was black in colour and consisted of many spores chained together to create one super-colony, this seems to have been cause by inhalation of spores, which then traveled through blood vessels to the skin surface and began to grow using the skin and hair follicles as nutrients. Upon spreading to the eyes it has the potential to enter the CNS inducing thrombosis in the brain, followed by seizures and death, this being found on the eyelids of the young girl makes it evident that she was close to having a fatal infection.

The cause of these infections in most cases is due to an invasion of the genera Rhizopus and Mucor, common bread molds. Most fatal infections are caused by Rhizopus oryzae which is formed in rotting vegetation or animal dung.

Fungal Identification

Pictured Above is a sample of Rhizopus oryzae from the young girl's skin, analysed under a microscope

The life-cycle of Rhizopus oryzae often puts humans, especially in rural areas, into contact with its spores; and with no widespread pharmaceutical treatment available anti-fungal remedies are often superficial or the infection is noticed too late causing surgery to be necessary which can in many cases disfigure the host. These infections often undergo the process as follows:

1. Human comes into contact with Rhizopus oryzae spores through bread, grains, rotting vegetables or animal dung; either consuming them or inhaling them due to aeration.
2. Rhizopus oryzae spores travel through the bloodstream, usually ending up in blood vessels and hair follicles. These spores then grow sprouting onto skin and hair and feeding off them for nutrients.
3. During the process of growth additional spores that remain trapped in blood vessels and cause thrombosis, this is characterized by swelling, bruising and cysts under the skin.
4. The mold then continues to spread over the skin, causing the breaking down of cells and the exposure of soft tissue. The mold continues to spore during this time likely entering the eyes of the host as well.
5. Assuming it is not treated at this point the mold enters the brain through the eye socket, sporing into the blood vessels within the brain and using the CNS as a means to spread elsewhere.
6. Thrombosis within the brain caused by the mold, this causes brain bleeds, bruising and seizures leading to eventual death.

Conclusions:

I feel as if the above study on Rhizopus oryzae is lack-luster but the reason is that while it is a common mold and found easily around the world this strain is special due to the size of the bacterial colonies, as well as the lack of density. It is rare to find mold that can spread over such a large area so quickly while maintaining colonies that are 3-4 times less dense than regular mold, my assumption for why it was able to spread over the young girl's eyelid and not enter her brain is exactly this, it is mutated for the purpose of consuming ONLY the skin. This is likely due to the commonality of human livestock within /meat/ and the conditions they are kept in, most likely this causes common exposure but due to the harvesting of these livestock it is unlikely that the mold would have very long to take hold and spread to new hosts.

The main things to consider when further researching Rhizopus oryzae and the mutated version found in /meat/ are to wear proper respiratory gear to prevent infection, and to burn any clothes or linen that comes into contact with the host to prevent spread over long distances.

It is important to note that in a controlled environment it is possible with temperature control or the addition of chemical agents to stem the growth of colonies Rhizopus oryzae could be used to remove only skin or soft tissue and die before it reaches the muscular tissue below. This will have to be further investigated to iron out the details but is a potential method to comprehensively remove the skin from a body, great care must be taken to not cause new mutation though as consistent experimentation on human flesh and exposure to anti-fungal chemicals could cause a super-fungus of sorts.

Vitubia Mycological Society does not endorse the use of fungi as biological weapons, and does not endorse the complete elimination of even harmful fungi from the ecosystem due to the potential ecological impacts.

Rhizopus Sp. oryzae Human Mutation Characteristics

Characteristics:

• Habitat: Found commonly in topsoil in forested areas and soil around pastures, hosted on bread, grain, rotting vegetables and decaying flesh.
• Vector of Transmission: Transmitted via touch, spores released into the habitat and picked up on skin or cloth. Inhaled by host, once spored can be transmitted person-to-person via touch.
• Identifying Characteristics: Black, pussy and porous skin; cysts in soft flesh, lesions and thrombosis. Swelling bruising on one side of the head and acute pain, headaches and seizures. Spores impossible to see when not part of a colony, have to use a microscope, dark furry mass when part of a colony.
• Effects on host organism: Discomfort, thrombosis, flesh/skin eating and necrosis, damage to facial structure and "caving in" of palette and sinuses. Swelling, seizures and eventual death.
• Magical Properties: Nothing of note, potentially if colonies are made dense enough could consume all biological material except enamel and bone, in sufficient quantities would act as a "disintegration" agent of sorts. Indigenous Syndoneian culture speaks of using it to cleanse oneself of other fungal infections by using it in low quantities to predate on other fungi.

Stereum Sp. ostrea - The Tree Pathogen & Hebeloma Sp. aminophilum - The Ghoul Fungus

After a short stay-over in Nacatlah I prepared my belongings and stocked up on supplies for my travels further South-West in the mountainous region of /meat/. I would have to organize a Sherpa to lead us through the mountainous passes safely, and a courier to carry the sample of Rhizopus sp. oryzae I had gathered from the village. Dressed now in local garb after having to burn my traveling clothes to prevent possibly spreading the fungus further I found that, at least until I spoke, the locals tended to treat me worse. This dissipated once they heard my accent but it made me realize how much of a privilege I was afforded as a foreigner.

Upon meeting up with Albus I found him discussing our travel plans with the Sherpa, or more specifically arguing with him about what I assume to be the price of his services. Once I caught up to the two I approached the arguing pair and asked Albus what the problem was; "He's trying to scam us," "Is that so? Well we're funded by the Theocracy and Babel aren't we, won't hurt our pockets to give him what he wants." Albus turned his head from the Sherpa and looked at me, his eyes were more stern now; "It's not about the money, he wants us to provide him with... meat. He was given money by his village to come to Nacatlah's markets and buy high quality meat from the lowlands for a religious ceremony and he spent it all on drinking and whoring," he furrowed his brow and shook his head. "Well I understand that this might be an annoyance but it's easy enough to solve using money-" I was abruptly interrupted by Albus grabbing my shoulders and staring me in the eyes. "He means human meat, Professor. That might be a normal occurrence here but I'm a Babel interpreter who's barely left the office since I got here, it's not that I can't it's that I wont." I pondered his words for a second, but I had not come this far to give up now, and any delay would mean I would be stuck in the mountains during winter. "What's the phrase for high quality meat Albus?" I asked, "it's ᚺᛁᚷᚺ ᛩᚢᚨᛚᛁᛏᚤ ᛗᛖᚨᛏ, if you want to go buy it be my guest," he said quickly turning to the Sherpa and talking to him in a stern tone once again...

...The mountains were steep, and our journey was hard, my knees don't work quite as well as when I was younger. Upon cresting the plateau and being helped over the precipice by the Sherpa I turned to check how far behind Albus was, as I was accustomed to by now, and found him right behind me. "You've gotten a lot better at this," I said to him, cracking a smug grin as I did so; "You're almost as fit as an old Professor now, congratulations." Albus didn't respond instead keeping his eyes on the path and climbing past me, huffing quite heavily as he did so, he seemed a lot more quiet than usual; a combination of less complaining and also awkwardness after the incident in Nacatlah. I paid it no mind, we both had a job to do and I wasn't young and naive enough to be shocked by the consumption of human flesh anymore, especially after the effort I went through to get an office approved in /meat/.

The sound of drums rose as the men with torches speaking in a tongue even Albus struggled to comprehend, something guttural likely a regional dialect, chanted and approached the shrouded figure atop his wooden platform. As they approached a young woman dressed in a large feathered hat, flowing robes and red 'face-paint' approached with a plate of the aforementioned meat now cooked, and on a wooden platter. As she approached, kneeling down and offering the plate forward in a bowing motion two of the torch-bearers set their torches down and lifted the shroud from the figure revealing an old man, likely in his 70's, and very frail. He spoke softly as one of the men repeated his words aloud for all to hear before the young lady placed the platter at his feet, withdrew an ornate looking dagger and carved a slice of meat, feeding the old man with care. As the old man struggled to chew the meat the young lady beckoned for us to approach and motioned for us to assume the bowing position she took before, which we complied with, and after what felt like an age of this old man chewing Albus was told that we should raise our heads. What we saw filled Albus with shock and myself with awe, the old man gazed upon us but he had no eyes, instead were large orange and beige flaps of fungi looking back at us; more specifically what appeared to be the fruiting body of a Stereum species fungi at least at first glance. After a moment of looking us up and down he spoke again in a soft voice, this time in the common tongue I understood; "You travels will... be fruitful... they have seen..." he strained to say, as the others around us rose in unison They have seen. The next morning I approached one of the torch bearers with Albus at my side, as he asked what we needed help with Albus quickly looked around to make sure it was just us, and then quickly whispered to him my request. After a great deal of deliberation between the man and the young woman from the festival, he responded to Albus and quickly ran to the Chief's dwelling. We waited for a very long time, our Sherpa now noticeably nervous, pacing back and forth and tapping his foot rapidly when suddenly the young woman darted towards me and grabbed me by the arm motioning for me to follow her quickly towards the Chief's tent.

Findings are as follows:

Specimen: 74 y.o Male, in good health.
Clinical History: Long term fungal infection, compromised immune system, arthritis and other age-related conditions.
Diagnosis via findings:

• Clear evidence of fungal infection comprised of Stereum Sp. ostrea, and Hebeloma Sp. aminophilum.
• Eyes are encased (not destroyed) by Stereum Sp. Ostrea and were likely functional below this layer, subject likely has blindness caused by age related conditions.
• Abdomen has multiple colonies of Hebeloma Sp. aminophilum protruding from colonies of necrotic flesh, yet no sign of bacterial colonies formed by this flesh.
• The hyphae of these fungi are likely hosted within the body, with the eyes likely containing hyphae and the necrotic flesh on the abdomen containing hyphae as well.
• Hebeloma Sp. aminophilum colonies seem to be causing the necrotic flesh but are unable to spread beyond this, are likely fed nutrients by the hyphae hosted within their abdomen grafting onto organ tissue.
• Neither fungal infection show signs of causing inordinate pain, nor show the signs of a fatal infectious disease.
• Both fungal infections are non-fatal as they have developed fungal-pathogenic qualities, Stereum Sp. Ostrea seems to be predating on Hebeloma Sp. aminophilum preventing the necrosis of vital organs.

Gross Description
External samples were taken from subject, being an old man and not being an experienced surgeon I erred on the side of caution taking only 2 fruiting bodies from the abdomen and one from the left eye. The Stereum Sp. ostrea infection on the eye was seemingly relegated to the eyeballs and sockets only, not having spread further into the ocular canal leading to the brain, full motion of facial muscles from the subject showed that there was unlikely to be any damage to his central nervous system and that there was unlikely any sporing into his brain. The Hebeloma Sp. aminophilum infection on the lower abdomen seemed to be in a state of stagnation, as if it had been unable to spore due to lack of nutrients and was sustaining its fruiting bodies as is. The fungi seem to be excreting some sort of sedative enzyme into the flesh that harbor them, this is deduced from the fact that the subject describes no feeling of pain localized to the areas containing fungi, it is likely that while pathogenic these fungi require a host to be alive for an extended amount of time to spore, as seen by the necrotic flesh which would have taken a matter of weeks or months to develop sustainable fruiting bodies. The subject described having had these fungal infection from a fairly young age, having harbored minor and then major infections from the age of 27 until 74, and was no individual of note before these rising to chief due to the described ability of foresight due to these infections. Metaphysical properties of fungi are not well understood so I will not comment further on these propositions, but for a chemical balance to be achieved that would allow for an extended non-fatal infection such as this a modified process involving chemicals that are usually not produced by fungi naturally would be required.

Fungal Identification Part #1

The life-cycle of Stereum sp. ostrea is pathogenic in nature, and requires the intervention of macropods in order to spread their spores; this involved the consumption of the fruiting bodies as they are not designed to spread their spores naturally and will instead 'drop' them in the case that no animal consumes them.

1. Stereum sp. ostrea fruiting bodies are consumed by an animal (primarily macropods) and processed through the digestive system resulting in animal droppings containing spores and basic fungal colonies.
2. Human comes into contact with animal droppings or the contents of the animal's stomach containing spores and is infected via nose, mouth, ears, eyes or soft membrane.
3. The spores travel through the body to the eyes either through blood vessels or mucus, and spore in the eye socket and around the eye, major discomfort is felt and fungal fruiting bodies are very visible.
4. Fruiting bodies form from the eyes and eye socket, they form "turkey tails," flaps with large visible orange rings, at this point they secrete a sedative agent making the eyes nearly blind and reducing the pain and discomfort felt by the host.
5. The spores drop off the fruiting body from occasion, potentially infecting other human hosts. The spores that are reabsorbed into the body form basic colonies on organs that quickly die off and are cleansed from the body, if there are other fungal infection present these colonies act as a fungal pathogen preventing them from killing the host.

Fungal Identification Part #2

The life-cycle of Hebeloma sp. aminophilum starts when it is carried on the fur of scavenger animal to the flesh of a dead animal, this is where the colony forms in the wake of the dead animal, sporing in the carcass and flesh until it rots and becomes part of the substrate; continuing to grow utilizing the nutrients from the rotting flesh now in the soil to continue to grow. From here it spores onto further animals, or its spores are eaten by more scavengers as they continue to pick the bones clean.

1. Hebeloma sp. aminophilum fruiting bodies are present in the carcass of a dead animal, and are consumed or brushed against by scavenger animals (vultures and other birds, possums, rats, foxes).
2. Scavenger animals come into contact with humans trying to scavenge from their waste, leaving spores where humans come into contact with them. Human host is infected through mouth, nose or thin membranous tissue.
3. Spores are filtered by the body and it tries to exhume them through liver, kidneys and sweating; this causes the spores to become present in lower abdominal organs and on the skin.
4. Hyphae form inside organs and develop a stipe reaching to the skin, fungal colonies within the pores of the skin link their hyphae to these stipes and feed off the nutrient from the organs. This process causes the flesh, fat cells and skin that is in contact with the fungus to die, creating pockets of necrotic flesh and skin.
5. Part of skin and necrotic flesh fall off over time, this contains spores and fruiting bodies that are shed to keep the main colony alive, and contain spores which on contact with other humans acts to infect them.
6. Non-fatal infection by this fungus are uncommon as over time they cause organ failure, and if they reach the brain cause death through thrombosis and seizures. The presence of a pathogenic fungi is needed to prevent this infection from turning fatal, this relationship while pathogenic helps the Hebeloma sp. aminophilum as it prevent the host from dying causing it to spread further and stay alive longer.

Conclusions:

The Stereum sp. ostrea and Hebeloma sp. aminophilum found within the subject's body were extremely abnormal, being that a fungus that is a tree pathogen had adapted to predate on humans as well as other fungi, and a fungus that grows on decaying animal carcasses had evolved to graft to human flesh and cause necrosis, essentially creating its own carcasses by killing the host. Other than the strange adaptations of these fungi part of their operation is shrouded in mystery still as I was unable to take more flesh samples, primarily that of the sedative and hallucinogenic substances that the fungi were supposedly excreting into the bloodstream, and whether these have a specific effect on the CNS possible influencing the behaviour of the host to not remove the colonies.

Purpose built for sustaining the host's life while using them as a living means for potentially infecting many others there is evidence that these fungi may have some level of genetic modification or intelligent design to them, as to how this would be possible is out of my field of expertise and I would have to request the expertise of a magycologist or alchemist in order to further explore this theory. As of now further experimentation is needed on subjects to ascertain whether the superstition surrounding their precognitive abilities are true, will submit samples to the /meat/ theocracy and request their results.

As for now great care needs to be taken to assure this is not rapidly spread amongst a population, if the signs of these infections are present my recommendation is that any livestock are killed and their bodies burnt and the individuals infected should seek anti-fungal treatment immediately. It is also beneficial to remove the necrotic flesh, even is the subject is under duress, as to prevent the colonies from further damaging internal organs.

It should be noted that Vitubia Mycological Society does not support private individuals infecting themselves with these fungal colonies in order to gain precognitive abilities, these are not scientifically grounded and cause great harm to the person who hosts these colonies.

Stereum sp. ostrea Human Mutation Characteristics

Characteristics:

• Habitat: Found sprouting from the trunks of trees from the Sorbus genus in mountainous regions, does not require high humidity or moisture as it absorbs moisture from the trunk of the tree.
• Vector of Transmission: Is consumed by a macropod and processed through its digestive tract before sporing in its droppings, humans come into contact with said droppings and it enters through the nose, eyes, mouth, ears or membranous tissue. Once host is infected person-to-person transmission occurs through contact with fruiting bodies, or contact with host's mucus, fecal matter or body hair.
• Identifying Characteristics: Large flap like fruiting bodies located on and around eyes and eye sockets, orange rings present on fruiting bodies.
• Effects on host organism: Blindness, inability to feel fear or most pain due to sedative compounds and reluctance to have fungus removed from body, and anti-fungal properties.
• Magical Properties: As aforementioned, precognitive abilities of an unknown degree, possible effects on hosts that sustain their eye structure even after having fungi sprout from them.

Hebeloma sp. aminophilum Human Mutation Characteristics

Characteristics:

• Habitat: Found sprouting from animal carcasses in mountainous wooded areas, found sprouting in the soil surrounding these carcasses afterwards.
• Vector of Transmission: Scavenger animals consume the spores and fruiting bodies as they consume the carcass, they transmit these spores through their fur and droppings. Humans come into contact with this and are infected through nose, mouth or membranous tissue. This is spread to other humans person-to-person via skin and necrotic flesh that falls off over time, as well as coming into contact with fruiting bodies of the fungus.
• Identifying Characteristics: Large typically mushroom shaped fruiting bodies protruding from lower abdomen, necrotic skin, flesh and dull grey patches surrounding them.
• Effects on host organism: Necrosis of skin and flesh, sedative effects on host preventing them from experiencing discomfort and pain. Organ failure and eventual death.
• Magical Properties: Likely has little to do with the precognitive abilities, possible alchemical properties due to the production of sedative chemicals.

Publication of Findings

As we left Nacatlah towards the VMS headquarters on our carriage I looked over at Albus, his brows furrowed reading a letter he had received from a courier, "So, where are you off to after I leave, Back to the office to rewrite more manuscripts behind a desk?" he looked at me, he had shadows below his eyes; "I'm to organise you a ship for your journey to Writhaven, and to send someone with you to represent your interests at Babel HQ. Your contract with Babel gives you a level of special treatment, so you should expect a grand welcome." "Well..." I motioned to the letter "does it say who's accompanying me or is that up to your discretion?" He scanned the document once again "It's up to you I guess, it doesn't mention anyone in particular." I smile at him as dread fills his face, "I choose you then Albus, I'm sure you'd be more than excited to visit your home country again, and besides; I'll put in a good word for you my friend, get you a promotion or a pay-rise!" Albus could do nothing but stare at me, probably many thoughts running through his head I thought, no matter he's toughened up a great deal since we first met he'll probably be fine. It's not like we'll be encountering more zombie fungi and extreme weather again, surely...

Published, translated and edited by Babel Interlingual Services Organization