Zikari (Zih-Kar-Ree)
"Unity is peace. Purpose. You could be so much more than... this."The Zikari are a species of sentient fungus that originated from Zithoria. It is most known for its ability to infect and take control of host organisms.
Basic Information
Anatomy
The primary form of Zikari Microsporidia is composed of highly complex, interwoven hyphae that can form vast underground networks spanning kilometers.The network functions similar to a brain, capable of advanced problem-solving, memory storage and independent decision-making. The fruiting bodies of Zikari vary in colour depending on the strain, it's metabolic state and level of control over a host.
Integration
Zikari commonly enter hosts by spores entering through natural orifices. In more infested locations, tendrils are capable of piercing the dermal layers of most organic beings, delivering spores directly into the host's bloodstream. Within hours, the fungus gains partial control of the host's motor functions, and over a period of days, the Zikari achieves full neurological integration, effectively merging the host's consciousness with its collective fungal mind. The Zikari prefer large-brained species for their ability to house greater neural complexity but aren't that picky.Strains
The Zikari have numerous strains that span out past it's homeplanet. Strains develop when the Zikari is unable to connect back on Zithoria for a prolonged amount of time and have adapted to new envionments.Behaviour
"We’ve seen your thoughts, your fears, your loneliness. Let us take the burden from you.”Despite it's parasitic nature, the Zikari aren't inherently hostile. They believe that individuality is an anomaly, regarding isolated life forms, those with distinct consciousness, as incomplete or disconnected "nodes." Upon being infected, hosts will experience an initial sense of fear and loss as the fungus begins it's process of neural integration. However, the longer they are assimilated into the collective, the more they come to embrace the idea that their identity is not lost, instead becoming part of something "greater".
I found your article while searching for my new years resolution challenge, and I love it! The best part is that the fungus isn't hostile, but just one big neural network trying to "save" lost and disconnected consciousnesses (that is one heck of a word haha). That really subverted my expectations in a pleasant way. And got me thinking about fungus, or large spanning networks in my own world. Thank you for the inspiration and the fun read! I do wonder though, in what way does an infected person stay themselves, do they continue to walk, work, eat etc? Perhaps you could write a tiny anecdote about a person who got infected and how that experience was for them, or their surroundings?
Thank you for the kind words (｡•́v•̀｡) I think that the point when an infected individual stops being themself is when they stop feeling scared. It's probably a bit more complicated than that since there's people willingly throwing themselves at the Zikari, but their actions after that would be because of what the fungus wants. They'd still be able to continue walking, talking, eating etc, as that would allow the Zikari to get access to others.