The Carmine Thrash

Goblins have many, many rituals and traditions. Their short lifespans dictate that they do not ask questions about these rituals, they just perform them. They learn this through the copying of habits of those among them that are stronger or more resilient. They also often do what they do to avoid yet another beating. As with most traditions, some form of pain is involved. Luckily for the goblins however, this ritual is one which has actually proven to be greatly beneficial and only includes smaller amounts of pain.   Contrary to the belief of the shut-ins that call themselves the dwarves, goblins are not actually marauding by nature. They have vast hunting grounds and are incredibly well equipped to travel vast distances before returning to a crude camping ground of their making. Agricultural practices have played a big part in the creation of these camping grounds and the methods used in the production of this food is laced with inefficiency and lack of knowledge.    

Preparation

  The goblinfolk have taken to cutting sections of barbed mycelial webs on specialised scouting trips. This frequently claims goblin lives as the pathways past the thick mycelial trunks to the finer mats of hyphae that they require, are perilous. One small slip and a goblin could easily fall and impale themselves on beds of dagger size barbs. If a section is successfully cut, rolled and carried back to camp before the entire group perishes then the webbing is laid out over a large area for work to begin. A purple bulbous root vegetable known to the goblins as ‘trooki’ resembles what many of the other races know to be something akin to a young onion bulb. They are largely spherical in shape and if left in a nutritious soil, they would develop into a subtle soft-fleshed vegetable that tastes like a mix of garlic, onion and pepper. However, underground they grow drastically differently.   In order to get the bulbs to sprout again, the goblins have learned to cut the roots off of the bulb and pock claws into the flesh. The fine hyphae of the mycelial webbing is then wedged into the holes and the two are bound together in a frame of sticks. This turns the bulb from its own plant into an obligate parasite that can now only exist from its host fungi.    

Cultivation

  The goblins have learned ways to improve the yield of their crops. One such way is by stomping across the barbed mycelial hyphae mats after grafting has been completed and the plants have fully taken to the webbing. The hyphae feel soft to the touch but are laced with tiny barbs that stick into the soles of the goblin’s feet. As they dance around the cropfields their feet get covered in their own blood which, in turn, bloodies the matting. The hyphae absorbs the blood and distributes it evenly among the network, including to the newly grafted bulbs. Over time and repeated ritualistic dancing, the bulbs grow into clusters and darken to a more blackened hue.   In true goblin style, they make use of their selection of instruments and add a selection of rhythmic drum beats to the practice and turn the whole event into a social gathering. The drums can be heard for miles reverberating around tunnels that surround their camps. This also frequently scares away otherwise far more nutritious prey resulting in the goblin’s need for trooki.    

Harvesting

  The bulbs are ready to harvest after approximately eight weeks depending on the current state of the goblins. In this timeframe, the hyphae impaled into the central bulb is thicker and needs to be cut away. A few of the outer bulbs are set aside and used to seed the next batch but most are taken to be eaten raw or added to basic stews.   In the process of trampling the hyphae and the cutting of barbs to release the bulbs, the fungi is often completely ruined after a few rounds of harvests which necessitates the next scouting trip to gather more hyphae matting.

This is a submission for my second Summer Camp - I hope you enjoy the world I am building!