Mycelium Symbiont Tribe

A Species Fused with Mycelium

A species inhabiting the deepest strata of The Root Realm where even light cannot reach, existing as beings biologically fused with the mycelium network. They differ greatly in appearance from ordinary Root Realm people — mycelium fiber runs beneath their skin, so their internal structure is faintly visible at certain angles of light.

Through these mycelium fibers they have direct access to the network and communicate without using voices. When speaking with outsiders, a translator is necessary; as a result they are often treated separately within the Root Realm Federation as "the Deep Ones." Yet they are considered supreme authority on interpretation of the Mycelium Code, and violation judgments are always made by the Deep Ones.

Long Life and Historical Memory

Their lifespan is said to reach several times that of ordinary Root Realm people, but the reality is unclear. Due to their longevity they directly hold historical memories, and rumors persist that Deep Ones who knew the world before The Great Fall are still alive.

The Special Response to Shimobe

Their relationship with Shimobe is peculiar — it has been confirmed that Shimobe display absolutely no submissive behavior when approaching Mycelium Symbiont Tribe. The Canopy Council claims this as evidence of The Root Realm's hidden control power, but the Root Realm Federation has not officially explained the reason either.

Origins in Tradition and Hypothesis

Multiple theories exist about the Mycelium Symbiont Tribe's origins, even within The Root Realm. The oldest tradition says: "The Memory of the Earth felt loneliness and created its own human forms." A more scientific interpretation holds that the shock of The Great Fall caused accidental fusion of mycelium and human embryos, which became fixed across generations. The Mycelium Symbiont Tribe themselves maintain silence on this question — for them, origins are something self-evident that need not be asked.

How the Mycelium Symbiont Tribe accesses the Memory of the Earth differs fundamentally from ordinary Root Realm people's "grounding." Grounding is a conscious act, but the Symbiont Tribe is "always connected" to the network. This brings them an overwhelming volume of information, but simultaneously means they cannot completely cut themselves off from others' emotions. One reason the Symbiont Tribe retreats to the depths and minimizes contact with people is this — in places with many people, being swallowed by the flood of collective emotions makes it difficult to maintain their own selfhood.