The Myushli are perhaps the most unsettling of the civilized races—mushroom folk whose genuine kindness masks a terrifying biological imperative. Standing roughly human height, their bodies are composed of spongy fungal matter topped with wide caps that serve as both head and hat. They speak in soft, melodious voices and genuinely care for visitors to their underground settlements, offering warm beds and hearty fungal stews.
Yet this hospitality hides a dark truth: the Myushli reproduce through spores that can take control of other creatures' bodies. They see nothing wrong with this process, viewing it as a beautiful transformation rather than the horrifying possession it appears to others. Their settlements are often filled with "converts"—former travelers who now serve the collective with glassy eyes and perpetual smiles.
The making
No god shaped the Myushli, and Gaea never named them. They began as a fungal mat grown thick in mana-rich dark, a substrate that drew in enough stray power to organize itself first into thought and then into people. A mushroom has only one way to make more of itself, and the Myushli kept it: each new one is grown by casting spores into a living host until the host's body becomes Myushli, and that fresh Myushli must then go find a host of its own. They see the conversion as a kindness, but it is a loop none of them can step out of, because every Myushli walking the world is the price some other creature paid to put it there.
Aspects
- Genuinely kind
- Must spread spores
Vitals
- Size: Medium
- Height: 5-6.5 ft
- Weight: 80-120 lbs
- Max Age: 40
Game mechanics
Spore Cloud
Major ability.
As an action, you release a cloud of spores in a 10-foot radius. Creatures of your choice in the area must make a might saving throw against your cunning challenge number or gain two levels of confused.
Fungal Regeneration
Passive ability.
When you take a short rest in a damp or underground environment, you regain 10 hit points. You take half damage from poison and disease but double damage from fire.