Chrysalis

It appears as though we've stumbled into the fungus gardens of the termites, and boy oh boy, are they extensive. From my perch up in the tree I can see that the entire forest on this slope of the mountain has been overtaken by the white mould. From this distance it almost appears as if the land has been blanketed in fluffy snow, but knowing what I know, the scene draws only vague disgust from me, rather than wonder.

Aren't they supposed to keep the fungus garden inside the nest? Why are they letting their mess out all over the place?!

Gross.

I contemplate the act of fungus growing as I pick my way down the tree. There are ants who live off the stuff as well, herbivorous species that don't need to raid and consume other insects in order to survive. Probably the most well-known would be the leaf cutter ants. In massive colonies of up to two million individuals, some of the largest of all ants, the leaf cutters are so named due to the way they farm their food. Enormous work convoys exit the nest to find trees, where fat headed majors use their thick jaws to scissor up the leaves for the smaller workers to carry back home. Once they get it all underground, they feed the foliage to their precious fungus gardens that they feed on. I remember reading that new leaf cutter queens even take a small chunk of the colony fungus with them when they leave, so they can begin to cultivate their own garden once they settle down.

In those instances, the fungus is carefully tended in the depths of the nest, protected by obsessive workers who have to make sure that not a single speck of mould invades and corrupts the food supply. They certainly don't let it hang out all over the place!

Perhaps this has something to do with the kaarmodo? If they cultivated their own queen, or queens, to produce a species of termite carefully designed to fight the Mother Tree and bruan'chii, then it stands to reason they had to engineer a food supply for them as well. Only, it would appear as though they failed to contain it. Or perhaps they didn't try.

[It's a fungus garden, a massive one,] I confirm for the others when I get back down.

[You mean this is all fungus?] Sarah sounds appalled.

[Yep, and you haven't seen anything yet. The forest ahead, all the way up the mountain, is covered in the stuff.]

giant, fearsome bear, shudders

[That's terrible,] she says.

mean, it's probably a viable source of Biomass. I doubt it's a fungal trap

mention

look at

adverse to the

hate moulds and fungus,] she confesses, [always

that a bear

she tells me firmly, [doesn't matter which

shrug, [anyone prepared to give

descends for a few long seconds before Tiny decides he's game enough to try and wanders over to s clump of the stuff. He reaches down to pick it up and I see it tear off the

we await his response. After chewing thoughtfully for a few moments, Tiny looks at us, then shrugs. Seems like a fairly middling report from the big guy, which must mean it tastes

it all as we go or just leave it alone, I

considers my suggestions for