Shademarsh Mushroom

Shademarsh Mushroom
Flora
Official Name	Shademarsh Mushroom
Common Name	Heartjumpers, Multitonal Mind Mushroom
Classification	Fungi
Common Use	Culinary, Utility
Origins	Daendroc
Habitat	Dark, damp locations such as swamps

The Shademarsh Mushroom is an unassuming brown-capped mushroom that can be found growing in the swamplands on several continents. While it was once a harmless fungus, the magical energy that came with the Cataclysm is believed to have twisted it into possessing a range of new traits, and thus new uses. Even though it’s still used in cuisine, the mushroom is now also used in negative alchemy concoctions and used as a narcotic.

History

Shademarsh Mushrooms have a poorly defined history due to going ignored for so long by both the Altalar and likely the Asha, but the destruction of their history makes this difficult to confirm. As the Allorn Empire swelled throughout the Consolidation, with millions of slaves and the natural landscapes of Daen increasingly altered by Altalar Magic, the Shademarsh Mushroom came into focus as a substance which grew in the swamps, and the dank, dark hovels or cages befitting the slave population. They were edible at this time, and so became a scrounged resource to add to whatever paltry slave meals were given out. However, following the Cataclysm, Shademarsh Mushrooms changed. While they were still edible, they first needed to be cooked, as consuming them raw induced intense stomach pains and could cause a fluttering heart. These negative traits severely impacted the mushroom’s consumption, and many stayed away from it as a result. However, as the Faith of the Dark Ancients returned to Daen through Kathar migrations away from their homeland in The Far West, the fungus came back into prominence. The Kathar determined a new method for its consumption: drying it and consuming it with water or other liquids to produce strange visions. Considered an altered state of present conscience rather than anything magical like that produced by Dravinda Spice, it resulted in the fungus coming back into the conscience of locals. Today, the substance has been spread to other regions of Aloria, both as a part of cuisines, but also for its ability to serve as a narcotic and as a component of dangerous alchemy concoctions.

Appearance

Shademarsh Mushrooms stand at six inches tall with a cap diameter of four inches. Their stalk is beige, while the cap is a rich brown hue. It has a soft, rubbery texture that is easily broken apart and is distinguishable from other fungi by the short black “hairs” that hang around the rim of the cap. These small growths are easily squashed between one’s fingers, and their exact purpose remains unknown. Most believe they are evidence, or a sign, of whatever mutation or alteration took place within the plant during the Cataclysm, but this is not proven.

Uses and Abilities

Shademarsh Mushrooms have three uses. The first is culinary, where the fungus is sauteed, cooked, or otherwise heated, a process widely believed to burn off the poison endemic to the mushroom in the modern day. The second use is as a poison or part of alchemy creations. When eaten raw, they cause intense indigestion, and even heart palpitations. Some have thus used them to create potent poisons. Another more unusual use is in fringe weight loss cures to purge the stomach. The last use is to act as a narcotic, commonly found in cults or groups that embrace transcend experiences. Fortunately for the consumer of the narcotic, dried Shademarsh Mushrooms placed within a liquid, and then drunk, induces visions that are not frightening or debilitating to the body. Instead, one sees strange fonts of wafting, gleaming colors, combined or singular, that radiate from the ground into the air while sparkles flit about in the air. Subjects are capable of freely walking, and tend to feel slightly numb in their extremities, but otherwise are unaffected. However, the substance is still considered dangerous because the illusion of the bright flashes, mixed with the numb extremities, has seen people fall and hurt themselves, if not get into more severe situations.

Trivia

• The purging alchemy which Shademarsh makes an uncommon appearance in is most usually found in Ithania, but also areas of the Regalian Archipelago and among the Minoor, where standards of beauty often demand thin waists, and precisely formed bodies.
• The mushroom is reported to have a very bitter taste when eaten raw.
• Some have argued that Shademarsh Mushrooms might be an incomplete version of Dravinda Spice, the process of showing memories of the past through a plant too similar to the Suvial-born plant to ignore. Which source of extradimensional Essence is at play here is unknown though, as the dank, dark nature of the mushroom would suggest the Void, yet the multi-colored fonts and brightness of the hallucinations might suggest the Exist instead.

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Accreditation
Writers HydraLana Artists Betterer Processors Acosmism, WaterDruppel, MantaRey	Last Editor HydraLana on 03/13/2022.

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