The Mushroom Forests

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  Warm lighting in portions partly exposed to the surface

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  A closer view of the size and variety of life

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  Bio-Luminescence in 'night' biomes

Although hard to tell from below, much of the forest turns out to be near the shores of The Continent of Siacros. This leads to an interesting and distinct layering of the landscape as it goes down further in the geological layers. Periodically, the death of marine life can seep through from somewhere, so it is by this theory, that the mass mycelium growth on the floor of the Mushroom Forest was able to get much of its sustainment from. It is possible that something may be below, but not much has been explored as to the origins of this location. It is, however, noted that the bio-luminescence of the Mushroom Forest implies a need for light. Why a plant would develop such a trait is unknown, but its existence has been an argument among the scholars of Alzhak Reger.

Strangely, some sightings of what appears to be empty pods, of some unknown fibrous material, have been noted in some of the deeper side passages in the Mushroom Forest. Re-investigations often find the pods to no longer be there. It is unclear if they were reabsorbed into the Mushrooms as some form of scheduled release of spores, leftovers from some unrelated process, or worse.

Flora

• Giant Mushrooms: Appearing like regular mushrooms within light, only the size of full on trees, these mycelial growths produce a resin that can be collected. Strangely, when no light, these mushrooms all glow in different colors and patterns, which cause them to be much easier to distinguish from each other, than their more mundane ways above. Oddly, the strength of material needed to reach such size, allows for such mushrooms to be harvested as a cheap organic building material, or ground up to replace trees for mulching farmland.
• Root Networks: Coming down from the Surface, as expected, are large masses of roots from the ceilings of caves, walls, or otherwise, from the varied tree species above. Many look odd, pale, and wispy, as they are intended to pull nutrients from the ground, rather than protect itself from predators or undergo photosynthesis.
• Stone Plants: Oddly enough, the rock and minerals also appear to be growing in odd, plant-like patterns. That is, until one tries to break open a growth. Within, you will see various tubers, bulbs, roots, potato-like materials, and so on, in some kind of incredibly condensed form of nutrition. It is unclear what could cause such material to produce a rock/mineral protective shell, but it can be assumed to be very successful against creatures that cannot handle such hard materials when eating.

Fauna

• Moles: Often making small burrows in the ground, they find sustenance from the roots and stone plants. but are fed upon by the other native fauna in this area.
• Mycelial Tentacle Beast: Strange tentacled creatures can be seen moving through the forest, periodically they can be seen feasting on a mole they have found, one of the lower beings on the food chain. They do not have eyes, but due to their mushroom-like appearance, they attempt camouflage as one of the Giant Mushrooms.
• Spore-infested Swarms: Taking the form of insects, whether burrowing, flying, or otherwise, have nests they make in different Mushrooms, whether they surround a mole, cutting them off from burrowing, to kill them.
• Burrowing Worms: These creatures, although freaky, especially when they just suddenly come at you out of the folds of mushrooms like some kind of horror, they actually just break up the rocks and minerals, to form a more hospitable ground for promoting further growth of the Mushroom Forest, while the Mushrooms give a home to the worms.

Resources

• Limestone: Even lower, below the shale, is about where the deeper areas of water can be found in the surface above, which is generally formed in deep marine environments. Periodically, impressions of marine creatures or fossils can be found inside of them, with broken shards of shells mixed within. Mostly grey or yellow, some rare portions are very much whiter.
• Iron: Fairly standard, the land is near mountains, and periodically veins of iron can be seen threaded throughout the rock. Parts often appear a bit rusted on the surface, due to air exposure, but still make decent purity iron.
• Myrrh: Dripping from the Giant Mushrooms, this rare substance can be used for health care, recreation, and is thought to have protective properties. However, rumor says that when pools of it collect in great quantities... movement is seen within the pools.
• Sandstone: Generally found to be one of the layers just below the actual sediments, it is formed under shallow and slow moving water, and is quite brittle and porous.
• Shale: Below the sandstone layers, are those of shale. It is a rather fragile and flaky material, generally found in areas where waters don't really move at all, and is much finer grained than the above sandstone.

Uses by Alzhak Reger

• While the limestone is used for various building materials, some forms are used for drawings, while in its powdered form, the dwarves often make use of it within their coal mines, as it has been noted that breathing is a lot clearer and requires fewer spells to heal. Small quantities are occasionally added to the feed of the farm animals, for reasons we don't wish to explain.
• It can also be used for personal health and safety, in medicines, teeth cleaning materials, mineralization of magically produced waters to simulate different kinds of water. Its inclusion in food often is able to replace the need for milk, as the dwarves, elementals, etc. tend to prefer solid intake, while drinking more alcohol.
• Iron is fairly straight forward, lots of forging, turning into steel, nails, metal goods, or so on.
• Myrrh can include usage in incense, medicine, ceremonies, and some other niche purposes.
• Sandstone is also a rather fine material to use for filtering and building.
• Although not as good for general building, it can be mixed with limestone for more kinds of building material, as well as pots and ceramics, along with oil extracted from the rock.