The Campaign Builder's Guild

What would a pantheon of fungi look like?  If you were an intelligent mushroom, how would you see the world?

I've been gone for a while, but I haven't stopped working on my most recent campaign setting, which has a "fungoid" PC race called the Umbril.  In constructing a pantheon for them, I tried to examine what the different biological roles of fungi are in real life, and how these different roles would be expressed by different facets of one great god of Fungi.  These aren't too specific to my campaign world, and if you have some sentient fungus infesting your campaign, maybe I can give you a few ideas.  Or maybe you can give me some of yours - whatever, it's all about sharing.
[note=Gender]You'll note I use "it" here instead of he or she.  The Umbril are hermaphroditic and reproduce by spores; it seemed only logical that their gods wouldn't have genders either.[/note]
The Five-Fold Fungus and its Fruiting Bodies

Ivetziven (ih-vet-ZIH-ven)
The Eternal Mycelium, Lord of Rot and Putrefaction, All-Spawner, Five-Fold Fungus

Ivetziven, the 'Prince of Fungi,' is an awesome and primal entity worshipped by many Umbril far beyond the borders of the Confederation.  Ivetziven's symbol is a web-like mycelium radiating outwards in a circle.  Ivetziven is said to exist physically as the underground counterpart of the Forest itself, an immense fungal web that exists everywhere, consuming and renewing the Forest.

As the 'Lord of Rot and Putrefaction,' Ivetziven is a distant and uncaring lord who inevitably consumes all living things.  It is destruction personified, but it also has an important aspect of renewal, as without it the Forest itself will wither and die.  Ivetziven does not care about individual life, only life as a whole.  Unlike some of its aspects, Ivetziven itself is profoundly amoral, with no particular agenda for the Clockwork Jungle but eternal decay and rejuvenation.

The Umbril revere it as the progenitor of their race.  Many Umbril believe that they '" and they alone '" become part of Ivetziven itself in death, sharing in its eternal consciousness.  Animals, on the other hand, are cursed either to be continually reborn without the reward of final apotheosis, or are wiped from existence entirely upon their death, depending on which Umbril you ask.

Ivetziven has a pantheon associated with him, but these other 'gods' are considered to be part of the Prince of Fungi as well.  The pantheon functions like a fungus itself '" though an observer may see several, distinct 'fruiting bodies' (i.e. mushrooms), they are in reality only parts of one organism (represented by Ivetziven as the 'Eternal Mycelium').  In the same way, the other 'gods' of the pantheon are referred to as the 'Fruiting Bodies of Ivetziven,' aspects or facets of its being that have distinct aspects to them though they remain part of the same structure.

Vusenevir (vu-SEN-ev-eer)
The Colonizer, Foulest Fruiting Body, Toxic Prince

Vusenevir is the Ivetzivenid aspect of growth, poison, and war.  It is through the Toxic Prince that Ivetziven defends itself and its children, but Vusenevir is also an aggressive and ruthless god that seizes the resources and bodies of animals and plants to continually expand the fungal dominion.  Vusenevir has multiple common symbols, but the most common is a Venomcap or other poisonous mushroom growing atop an animal's skull, whose eye sockets drip with tears of poison.

To Vusenevir, all non-fungal life exists only to be overwhelmed, consumed, and inevitably destroyed.  The Umbril pray to this aspect before a battle, but also when founding a new colony, as Vusenevir is also the god of rampant fungal growth (at the expense of other things).  Vusenevir is Ivetziven's destructive and xenophobic impulse that yearns to envenom the whole world until nothing is left but the resilient fungi and the stench of decay.  Vusenevir is above all unsubtle, which does not endear it to the Umbril, but its role in defending them and opposing their enemies makes it an indispensable part of the pantheon.  When words and cunning fail, the Foulest Fruiting Body remains as Ivetziven's dreaded champion, ready to bring agony and death.

Aveimezan (ah-VAY-meh-zon)
The Endless Mind, Veil of Illusion, The Many-tongued

Aveimezan is the Ivetzivenid aspect of hallucination, truth, deception, paradoxes, language, and psychedelic substances.  The Endless Mind represents Ivetziven's mystical and contemplative side which embodies both the striking simplicity and endless complexity of the universe.  Aveimezan's symbol is a mushroom with two stalks that twist around each other in a double helix.

In a strictly mycological sense, Aveimezan is the god of hallucinogenic fungi, in much the same way as Vusenevir is the god of poisonous ones.  This is only one small part of Aveimezan's domain, who is in a broader sense the opposite of Vusenevir.  The Toxic Prince destroys animals, while the Endless Mind allows them to experience the greater consciousness of Ivetziven though psychoactive fungi.  Vusenevir represents the most basic instincts of destruction and reproduction, while Aveimezan represents high consciousness and the contemplation of reality.  Vusenevir is straightforward, direct, and obvious, while Aveimezan represents paradox, contradiction, and the continuous dance between truth and falsehood.

Aveimezan is neither a destroyer or creator, but one who represents understanding of what is and encourages contemplation and discovery in others.  In Aveimezan there are no absolutes, and its disciples know that understanding is a never-ending journey, not a destination, for reality has infinite complexity (and yet, in classic Aveimezanid fashion, it is also infinitely simple).  The Endless Mind is one of the most popular facets of the All-Spawner, and Umbril may pray to Aveimezan before tackling a problem, writing a poem, meditating, attempting to deceive another, or using mind-altering drugs.

Thalevin (THAHL-eh-vin)
The Fertile One, Renewing Body, Font of Life

Thalevin is the Ivetzivenid aspect of renewal, fertility, healing, and giving.  Thalevin is Ivetziven's seldom-worshipped altruistic side, who represents the great gifts bestowed upon all other living things by the fungal kingdom.  Thalevin's symbol is a fern leaf sprouting from a puffball.

To Thalevin, the fungi are the world's great benefactors, who sustain the Forest and make new life possible.  All life depends on fungi, the most basic and vital of all living things.  The Font of Life is endlessly generous and completely altruistic, imagining fungi as both the servants of all living things and the most noble of them because of that servitude.  Thalevin is also the god of medicinal fungi.  Thalevin is in constant struggle with Vusenevir, who advances fungi at the cost of all other things, quite the opposite of Thalevin's approach.

Thalevin is the least worshipped of all Ivetziven's aspects, and some Umbril communities have forgotten about it or do not recognize it as a true part of the pantheon.  The Umbril tend to see generosity as a vice and altruism as self-sabotage.  They balk at a god who embodies giving everything in return for nothing, and true devotees of Thalevin are very rare.  Still, in colonies that remember it, Thalevin is given prayers on select occasions.   It is called when an Umbril is sick or wounded, when fertilizing the Sporelings with the remains of the dead, and sometimes before meeting or trading with outsiders.  Some who revere the Renewing Body argue that Thalevin's low popularity points to a fundamental sickness within Umbril culture, and that Ivetziven wishes its children to find balance between the reckless expansionism of Vusevenir (or the callous greed of Netheblis) and the under-appreciated beneficence of Thalevin.

Netheblis (NETH-eh-bliss)
Prince of Selfishness, Lord of Stolen Strength, Great Devourer

Netheblis is the Ivetzivenid aspect of parasitism, subterfuge, theft, power, greed, and manipulation.  The Great Devourer represents Ivetziven's selfish impulse.  It is the desire to use others for one's own ends and manipulate the world to suit oneself.  Netheblis's symbol is a swirl of branching hyphae wrapped around a ripe fruit.

The Lord of Stolen Strength is the god of parasitic fungi, but also presides over the acquisition of power, wealth, and influence.  Unlike Vusenevir, who seeks to gain through destroying and supplanting others, Netheblis represents the accumulation of power by exploiting and manipulating others.  To Netheblis, fungi '" and particularly the Umbril '" deserve to rule over all other things, not as conquerors but as clever parasites.  To destroy others would be a waste, for as long as others labor, their labor can be sapped and used by those more clever than they.  Netheblis has an insatiable hunger for everything that it does not have.  It is an aspect consumed by greed and covetousness, even coveting the power and domains of the other Fruiting Bodies.

Netheblis is known and admired by nearly all Umbril.  It neatly sums up the drive to dominate and rule through the cleverness and deceit that the Umbril esteem so highly.  Netheblis is the champion of the downtrodden, and all Umbril place their hope in it when bent under the heel of another, whether Umbril or alien.  In Netheblis everything is a means to an end, and that end always justifies the means.  The Umbril find much to laud in this philosophy, but also recognize the darker parts of the Great Devourer's dogma and seek to temper it with the wisdom of other aspects.  Umbril often pray to Netheblis when embarking on a venture to gather wealth or power, or when enmeshed in a political or social struggle, no matter how small or petty.  It is said that Netheblis' greed compels it to listen to even the smallest voice that invokes its name.

Faretheniz (far-ETH-en-eez)
The Worthy Sibling, Friend of All, Prince of Prosperity

Faretheniz is the Ivetzivenid aspect of symbiosis, friendship, cooperation, family, community, justice, and trade.  The Friend of All represents Ivetziven's desire to achieve greater goals through cooperation with others and harmoniously enhance the prosperity of all.  Faretheniz's symbol is a young mushroom cradled by a leaf and an animal paw (sometimes a Tahro, Gheen, or Iskite hand is substituted).

Faretheniz is the lord of all that benefits from mutual and productive relationships with others, especially symbiotic fungi (save parasitic ones, which fall under the domain of Netheblis).  To the Friend of All, there is nothing that cannot be better achieved through cooperation, and no objective that cannot be completed when all contribute their talents and energy.  Faretheniz does not abide the lazy, or those who profit off others without giving back.  As the aspect of cooperation, it stands in opposition to Vusevenir and is the eternal enemy of Netheblis, who cheats and steals with no remuneration.  To Faretheniz, there is little difference between the selfishness of Netheblis and the selflessness of Thalevin - both undermine the potential of symbiotic and cooperative growth.  This aspect of Ivetziven is not generous, but it is always fair and equitable.

Faretheniz is the face of the All-Spawner that is most dearly concerned with communal life, the force of togetherness and union that keeps the greed of the Great Devourer from tearing apart civilization.  It is a highly respected facet that is prayed to when beginning a family, making a trade (with fellow Umbril or ousiders), undertaking a community project, or negotiating with others as an equal partner.  It is also invoked when beginning a trial or passing sentence on a criminal.  In Faretheniz's world view, there are no enemies, only fellows and potential friends.  The Umbril find this to be quaint, but quite absurd.  Still, as the father of Umbril civilization and a positive force for peace, cooperation, and excellence, Faretheniz is widely revered.

I did want to quickly tell you I enjoyed all of this.  One of my primary Celestial PLanars is Anthraxus the Decayed, Lord of the Cycle...so you can see why I dug this.
(Not to Mention my Shrum Hobyts...)
Very nice and well thought out.  And as always,  provocative in a good way.    

This is totally wicked. I like this change of theme on the gods, and the concept origin... It makes me want to write a pantheon of gods based on major concepts in science.

Quote from: JokerThis is totally wicked. I like this change of theme on the gods, and the concept origin... It makes me want to write a pantheon of gods based on major concepts in science.

You know, it occurred to me when writing these that you could also use "scientific-ish" names for these aspects if you weren't big on my Umbril names.  Something like this:

Ivetziven: "Mycelion"
Vusenevir: "Mykotoxon"
Aveimezan: "Psilocybe"
Thalevin: "Saprotrophim"
Netheblis: "Parasyston"
Faretheniz: "Symbiodont"

As is my custom, I will approach this one part at a time, as I read.  I do very minimal edditting after I have typed something so forgive me if I ask something that you later answer.

1. Fungal Race I am curious about this fungal race.  Do they have a defined purpose in your world or are they there simply to make your world different?  I get the impression you have either a forest world or at least one very large and great forest there and this makes me think that the former is probably the case.  I'm not a fan of strange races being there just to stand out but if they fit the world, I think they are really great.  

2. Fungal Gods It is good that you remembered that a strange race should have strange gods to match.  This is something that I feel is overlooked far too often.

3. No Genders  Good.  Keep with the eye for details you have going right now.

4. Ivetziven Very well done.  You seem to have put a lot of thought into this one.  I like that it is one god that is, in a sense, made of many.

5. Vusenevir I like how you tied together growth, poison, and war.  They seem to be very different things on their own but the way you explain this god makes it clear that its pantheon could really be nothing but those three things.  War is both for defending and for expanding, in which poison seems to be the symbol and primary weapon.  Even when not growing territory, it could be said that Vusenevir is growing by taking control of creatures (by poisoning them, in a sense).

6. Aveimezan The patron on hippies, maybe?  This aspect of Ivetziven could make for some fun and interesting NPCs and little quests.  I feel that anyone that would devote much to this aspect would come off as a little crazy and that could be a good thing.  

You have a goldmine of possibility here.  However, I feel that if you were to dig too deep and rely on this or even just use it too much, it would grow tired and old.  It makes me think 'Oblivion : Shivering Isles', specifically the Mania side of that.

7. Thalevin Now there is an aspect of birth.  This comes after death and the middle part, living.  You have smoothly and reasonably attatched other things to the portfolios of each of these...but least of all, it seems to Thalevin.  I think this aspect of Ivetziven could benefit from being known for something more, though I am not sure what that could be.  Reading a bit further in, I see that medicinal fungi also fall under this aspect.  Maybe you should put a bit more focus on that idea of healing?  Just an idea.  I do like the idea of having one aspect of the pantheon being nearly forgotten and looked down upon.  I like even more that some suggest this is a problem with the culture and should be remedied.

8. Netheblis It seems to me that this aspect could play a large, though perhaps secretive, role in the culture.  Reading further in, this bit leaves me with a more negative idea of the Umbri as a whole.  I'm not sure if this is right, though.  Maybe knowing a bit more about them would be helpful.

9. Faretheniz  Very interesting.  This aspect seems very opposed to the others.  Could make for good roleplay, though.

All in all, perty darn nifty.  I certainly don't use fungus people in my game but yours seem well thought out.

Quote from: Ninja D!1. Fungal Race I am curious about this fungal race.  Do they have a defined purpose in your world or are they there simply to make your world different?  I get the impression you have either a forest world or at least one very large and great forest there and this makes me think that the former is probably the case.  I'm not a fan of strange races being there just to stand out but if they fit the world, I think they are really great.  

5. Vusenevir I like how you tied together growth, poison, and war.  They seem to be very different things on their own but the way you explain this god makes it clear that its pantheon could really be nothing but those three things.  War is both for defending and for expanding, in which poison seems to be the symbol and primary weapon.  Even when not growing territory, it could be said that Vusenevir is growing by taking control of creatures (by poisoning them, in a sense).[/quote]themselves[/i] innately poisonous, so for them Vusenevir's most important aspects are the "symbolic effects" of poison - the destruction of enemies, and the subsequent colonization of the land and resources of those enemies.  Most of the other gods have similar varied roles because of this need to function as gods both of common fungi and the Umbril as an intelligent, civilized people.

Quote6. Aveimezan The patron on hippies, maybe?  This aspect of Ivetziven could make for some fun and interesting NPCs and little quests.  I feel that anyone that would devote much to this aspect would come off as a little crazy and that could be a good thing.  
You have a goldmine of possibility here.  However, I feel that if you were to dig too deep and rely on this or even just use it too much, it would grow tired and old.  It makes me think 'Oblivion : Shivering Isles', specifically the Mania side of that.

I think this aspect of Ivetziven could benefit from being known for something more, though I am not sure what that could be.  Reading a bit further in, I see that medicinal fungi also fall under this aspect.  Maybe you should put a bit more focus on that idea of healing?  Just an idea.  I do like the idea of having one aspect of the pantheon being nearly forgotten and looked down upon.  I like even more that some suggest this is a problem with the culture and should be remedied.[/quote]but[/i] them.  What escapes most Umbril is that Thalevin may well be an important counterbalance to Vusenevir and Netheblis, and the consequences may be grave if Thalevin withers completely.

I haven't yet approached what the magic system will be for this world, but if healing magic plays a large role than I may be forced to increase Thalevin's importance at least a little.  It might be the one part of its portfolio that ends up keeping it from total atrophy.

Quote8. Netheblis It seems to me that this aspect could play a large, though perhaps secretive, role in the culture.  Reading further in, this bit leaves me with a more negative idea of the Umbri as a whole.  I'm not sure if this is right, though.  Maybe knowing a bit more about them would be helpful.

I always imagined the Umbril as coping with the dangers of the jungle floor through subterfuge.  They're not terribly powerful in a physical sense (like the Tahro), nor can they escape into the refuge of the forest canopy (like the Gheen), and they lack the strict, ordered militarism of the Iskites.  They've stayed alive through deceiving their enemies and ruthlessly culling the weak among their own communities, and this has had a profound effect on their culture, which values the clever manipulator over either the honorable warrior or the thoughtful scholar.

In my original conception of the four PC races, I was staying pretty close to the D&D tropes I'm used to, and the Umbril were the people that tended more towards the "Evil" side of the alignment scale.  I've since jettisoned the idea of alignment in this setting, and I'm trying to develop a more nuanced Umbril, who strike us as conniving and selfish but have very good reasons to be the way they are.

My next post in the main TCJ thread (see signature) will probably be a lengthy "relaunch" of the Umbril.  If you're interested in them, watch out for that.

Thanks for the feedback, it's very appreciated.

I am interested in the.  You've clearly done quite well with this.

I've updated the main TCJ thread with all my currently generated fluff on the Umbril, and it can be found here.