Scientific Name: Laciniatis coronam
Common Name: King’s Crown

Personality Notes: Bold and contrasting colors make this an easily spotted mushroom. Creative types often seek it and grow it at home, finding inspiration in its delicate golden fringes. It is also easily found, as the fruiting body grows out in the open and is amongst the longest-lasting in the cave. It has a particularly strong, spicy flavor that can be overwhelming when used on its own, and inexperienced chefs often throw their dishes wildly off-flavor by applying too much at once. However, if paired with the right ingredients it’s possible to offset the spiciness enough to allow a subtler creaminess to shine, turning the mushroom into a culinary delight.

Scientific Name: Circulumella tenera
Common Name: Blushing Heart

Personality Notes: One would think that this mushroom would be easily spotted, but it always manages to grow in the quietest and most poorly-explored places, making it a rare find.  This robust ‘shroom looks like it would have some well-rounded flavors, but it proves surprisingly neutral and its earthy, mildly spicy undertones are usually missed unless special attention is paid to the taste. It’s often used to describe someone who doesn’t stand out unless you take the time to get to know them.

Scientific Name: Hyalina amicus
Common Name: Cat’s Whiskers

Personality Notes: This mushroom is found ubiquitously in the darkest places of the cave, where it is often found growing alongside other species. It is capable of coexisting with most other mushrooms, and individual fruiting bodies seem to fare poorly if grown in isolation; as a result, it’s almost impossible to find a lone H.amicus within the caves. Clusters of this ‘shroom have shown a particular tendency to grow at the bases of The Lost’s statues, and have reportedly been used as cushions by many a lost Mycenian – as a result, it’s sometimes known as ‘The Lost’s Friend.’ When cooked, this specimen’s mild flavor and pleasant, neutral appearance proves to pair with just about everything, often helping to highlight subtler flavors and take the edge from intense flavors. As a result, it’s usually used to bring out the best in other mushrooms, and rarely served by itself.

Scientific Name: Tubaemyces anxietatemi
Common Name: Tunnel Crawler

Personality Notes: This ‘shroom prefers to grow in sheltered, nutrient-rich regions that allow a relatively easy life, though it proves surprisingly resilient and is fully also capable of flourishing under harsher conditions. It’s a slow-growing specimen, and as such is often seen as laid back, unconcerned, and maybe a little lazy. However, it hides an intense flavor which is best used in very small quantities, as eating too much of it at once has been known to induce anxiety, fever, and a number of other undesirable side-effects.

Scientific Name: Neohyacinthum praeceps
Common Name: Little Blues

Personality Notes: These tiny glowing mushrooms grow in dense clusters near cliff edges, and many explorers have learned to use them as an early warning for sheer drops.  They are jokingly described as ‘a bit nervous’, as they display the odd behavior of leaning away from both the cliff’s face and anything that reaches down to touch them.  Small creatures such as Tangerine Frogs are often found hiding among the stalks, apparently using them to detect approaching dangers.  The mushrooms are often sought for their unique flavor — like an earthy blueberry, some say — and are one of the few mushrooms Mycenians prefer to eat without cooking first.

Scientific Name: Solumces noctia
Common Name: Fairy Cap

Personality Notes: This fungus fruits most prolifically in low oxygen, high magic environments.  Dreamers and explorers identify with this mushroom and its affinity for the unusual and awe-inspiring.  It has a subtle, yet beautiful cap; at first, it just looks inky black, but when viewed in the right light it looks like a swirling nebula, confounding chemists.  However, they are fleeting once picked, and must be rushed to someone who knows how to prepare them (difficult as they are found only in the far reaches of the Caves), or else their flavor is lost.  Their taste is second to none, exotic and rich, but they must be prepared very carefully to prevent them from becoming downright psychedelic.

Scientific Name: Foraminimyces aquaforaminia
Common Name: Asten’s Nectar

Personality Notes: This introspective mushroom is commonly found along the banks of slow moving or calm bodies of water. Its flesh tastes somewhat bland and is used sparingly in cooking, while the water that collects in its cap tends to have a much more pronounced flavor, making it a popular component of marinades. The relationship between the mushroom and its water has often been used to symbolize both a nurturing nature, and the tendency of these personalities to sacrifice too much of themselves to ensure the well-being of others.

Scientific Name: Sinelamellae fortemus
Common Name: Blazing Trail

Personality Notes: This species is a somewhat rare delicacy, as its mushrooms are primarily found in the harshest of environments, and almost never grow amongst others of their own type. It is considered a pioneer species and is typically the first to gain a footing within new areas, where it eventually finds (or makes) the components necessary to allow itself and other species to grow. It is hardy and can propagate even if its cap and gills have been severely damaged, making it difficult to kill once it’s taken hold. Explorers are particularly fond of this specimen, as it can be plucked and eaten straight from the ground and has a salty, almost nutty taste that helps to invigorate even the tiredest of souls.

Scientific Name: Oretureum maculosus
Common Name: Squishbottom

Personality Notes: This is a cool, deeply colored mushroom that grows close to the ground and can reach impressive sizes, often leading to it being used as a makeshift table by homeowners and travellers alike. It feeds on the rock itself and produces a spore that’s been known to clear headaches and allow greater focus, making it popular amongst more thoughtful Mycenians. Particularly large specimens frequently become silent hosts to great debates and the first seeds of new ideas, and many feel that they are natural conduits for creative thought – as such, it is considered something of a crime to harvest the full fungi. Instead, Mycenains typically tend young O.maculosus growths with great care, and take only small quantities of mature specimens, leaving the rest to regenerate and be enjoyed again and again. This mushroom has a pungent, changeable taste when cooked – a delicacy to some and aversive to others – and its scent is often likened to barnyard and smoke.

Scientific Name: Marella spinosis
Common Name: Stinging Shroom

Personality Notes: This mushroom’s appearance keeps many away, as most assume that its odd appendages must be toxic to anything that dare draw near. It is found fairly deep in the sea and is therefore hard to study or get to know,  but kelphi have reported that a variety of vulnerable sea creatures actively seek them out.  The mushroom seems to sense intention, and will uses their stinging appendages to defend the creatures that seek refuge amongst them - even if it means their own demise.  The mushroom thrives when it has something to defend, turning from a lifeless grey to vibrant orange-pink.  It is harvested only rarely — it is almost taboo to do so — but it is known that the cap is very dry and needs to be paired with a strong-tasting liquid when cooked.