#tbh the fact that it's about cordyceps

[not-poignant]

Different anon here but wanted to mention that the last of us doesn't have zombies. It's actually just humans that are infected with a fungus infection that similar to the thing that happens to insects and turns them mad. Just thought I'd mention that since i was confused about it too lol

Hi anon,

I feel like you're kind of quibbling here to ignore the fact that I just broadly don't like zombie content. I appreciate that you want me to have something to do with TLOU, but I don't. So let's talk about this fungus and zombies.

Did you know that when Cordyceps was first introduced on mainstream media via David Attenborough in 2006, it was called the zombie fungus?

Did you know that the common name for Cordyceps when it was first discovered parasitising ants was known as the zombie-ant fungus? And did you know that the ants parasitised were commonly called zombie-ants? Not just by people who knew nothing about science, but by the scientists who discovered this.

I know a little more about Cordyceps and Ophiocordyceps than the average person (for a start, I knew about it before TLOU existed), so I know it's got a lengthy history with being considered the first biological evidence of something as close as we could ever get to zombieficition, and it's since inspired horror authors (and video game creators obvs) around the world.

So you pointing out that the game is about a new form of Cordyceps doesn't make this game any less about zombies as far as I'm concerned, because you know...the science and discussions around Cordyceps.

I mean obviously Cordyceps doesn't create literal zombies in the classic sense (these ants aren't doing anything more than trying to spread the fungus, even as their brains are completely taken over and they're directed into strange behaviours by it), but I also know that TLOU isn't a little fun slice of life romp in the sunshine.

I don't like horror. And I really don't like horror that has anything, on any level, to do with zombies, or anything like zombies. And while you can be like 'oh but they're not really zombies it's a fungus' I just want to point out that this fungus - Cordyceps and Ophiocordyceps - has been literally associated with zombies in the mass media and by scientists and by authors for like...decades, including by David Attenborough himself when he first drew more global attention to its existence.

[eddwardtheseventhspacewizard]

Can’t sleep, gonna rant about Sozo.

Also this is a long ass post and I tried my best to break it up. It’s mostly speculation about menticide tbh.

So I’ve been thinking about how the menticide is obviously based on cordyceps, we already know that but, I was thinking about how when he becomes Sozonius he has no memory of what happened while he was infected. The thing is cordyceps doesn’t actually control the brain really. It more so cuts the brain off from the rest of the body and controls the body. In fact there was a study focused on the mandibles of infected ants and there was fungus in them and affecting them. It’s because the cordyceps will make an ant move to a higher space under a leaf or something and then the ant will clamp down on it so even after they die they stay firmly in place and the fungus can fully mature and spread more spores to the unsuspecting ants below. Fungi are very picky about temperature and that’s why they move to a higher space. That’s also why cordyceps doesn’t infect humans. Also the ants infected are typically carpenter ants.

Anyway back to menticide. I believe the menticide is not entirely dependent on a host for spreading spores. While the shrooms we pick in Anura very well could’ve sprouted from corpses (maybe even ones sacrificed to Heket) we can take them back to our own farm and grow them no corpses required and I doubt they’re catching spiders at night. They don’t get quite as large as the ones in Anura though. It could be that those ones are years old but I doubt that because Sozo. There could also just be more desirable growing conditions in Anura leading to the larger fungi which is much more likely I think. Those growing conditions may or may not include a sacrifice but the most we can do right now is speculate and headcannon.

I also would like to think that our followers end up being fine after the brain washing ritual because they take smaller doses (much smaller than Sozo takes) and due to the cool down they take it way less frequently. Also the position of the cult in that sorta valley region likely does no favors for the menticide, this can be backed up by the farm as I mentioned just before.

I think Sozo’s followers end up being “fine” after his rituals because they themselves are mushrooms. Not just mushrooms but clearly also menticide. I put fine in quotations because there is an implication of cannibalism but also we get to commit cannibalism in our cult too so it probably actually is fine in the game. Anyway I don’t think a menticide mushroom would infect itself but that does bring to question why it would brain wash itself and why there even are shrooms with brains in the first place.

I saw another theory (I don’t remember who posted it, I’m so sorry) that proposed that the Mushroomos may be the result of sacrifice in Anura. Remember when I mentioned the shrooms there and how they’re larger? Maybe some of them do sprout from corpses and if left to grow they gradually become more humanoid and then eventually, Mushroomo. Maybe the shrooms we collect already produced a Mushroomo. I don’t know but there’s some interesting speculative biology there. I’m still not sure why the menticide has any effect on them though seeing as Dr. Sozonius mentions that they offered him some. That kinda implies that they already ate it unless they intentionally infected him. But why would they do that?

What would be the motive? Is it because he’s an ant? Are ants better hosts? Did that want him to spread the spores? Why wouldn’t the Mushroomos use his corpse for anything? Is it respect? Is it disrespect?! Why where we able to plant a mushroom get an ant and then remove the mushroom from the mushroom ant!!?? Is that guy in our cults really Sozo or does it just believe it is Sozo?

There were no signs to show Sozo was old. It is undeniable that Sozonius is elderly. Maybe the menticide does have some anti-aging properties but as soon as the shroom is removed the affect is reversed. Maybe it also has healing or regenerative properties. Maybe that’s why we were able to “grow” Sozo. Maybe that’s why his follower form is also so small and lacks some limbs (totally not just a convenient game design thing or anything lmao) anyway I think when we remove the shroom from Sozo’s head it does have him on it so when we plant it it regenerates him from that little bit. That does technically make him a sorta clone seeing as his corpse is still back at Spore Grotto. This theory also means that if he stayed in the ground a bit longer then maybe his whole body would’ve gone back to how it was before. Or maybe not though. Maybe the regeneration from the menticide is limited. Maybe it would still regenerate him out of the ground but we removed it so he won’t fully grow back now (keeping with 100%ing the story of course. I know some of you don’t because you think Sozonius is boring, which is sad but fair. From a story perspective though the lamb does cure him though so I’m going with that)

Also if ants are better hosts and they wanted him to spread the spores imagine if accidentally got his whole colony killed. I’m starting to enter fanfic territory lol.

Sozo manages to spread the menticide and gets his colony wiped out. He either has a higher tolerance or compatibility or something or the Mushroomos are intentionally keeping him alive. I don’t know why. Uh cheap answer is vague prophecy I guess? Anyway you know when you read Sozo’s mind while he’s in jail and he thinks “ where is Mimi?” I don’t have a screenshot rn sorry. But who the fuck is Mimi? And imagine the devastation Sozonius would feel knowing he got them killed. Sozo and Dr. Sozonius remind me of Ice King and Simon so like what if Mimi is almost his Betty or something?

Oh shit! I almost forgot about how I mentioned that cordyceps doesn’t actually control the mind but menticide does. I just thought that would be interesting to explore because what if Sozo what still somewhat conscious as Sozonius while having no real control over his body. Terrifying as shit.

[fantasy-anatomy-analyst]

How would you explain the Sculk?

I guess more specifically how would you make it make sense

I've always seen it as some kind of fungus/mold

Had to look this up because I didn't know what it was lol. In the future it helps to add the source as well as the name of a thing because I am not well versed in every bit of media.

Sculk appears to be a minecraft thing. I don't play minecraft (I tried it for like three days back in 2012? I think? Only on creative mode. I've never had a computer strong enough for even the old version of minecraft tbh) so I don't really know anything about the sculk beyond what the minecraft wiki says!

Just from the way it looks and the effects listed, it does seem very fungal, aside from the shrieking. But since the shrieker blocks react to a certain level of vibration/touch (?) It could be that this is the fruiting body of the fungus and it is perhaps filled with air pockets that let out a loud noise when they're popped. This could also be the source of the sonic attack from the sculk warden, which looks to me like a cordyceps situation. A creature, humanoid in this case, is infested with the sculk fungus and becomes entirely controlled by it.

Fun fact, they've discovered that cordyceps doesn't actually alter the way ant brains work, but rather it grows through their bodies and controls their movements. Terrifying.

Anyone who follows me and know more minecraft lore than I do is welcome to add their own thoughts on this one.

[cordycepspog]

Tbh I think there are entire scholarly essays to be written about the concept of the zombie and consent, and one of the things that’s pivotal to that whole lens is the fact that what makes zombies scary, on top of the concept of the undead and cannibalism of course, is that there is no consent. Like. Zombies are going to bite, whether you like it or not. They are going to put their mouth on their victim and take a chunk out. They’re going to eat their victims. You’ve never seen a zombie attack someone, stop, and ask, “hey, mind if I munch on your arm? Only if you’re into it, of course.” (I would love to see that actually, so if anyone knows if something like that out there actually exists please send it my way lol).

The other glaringly obvious thing that makes zombies scary is the undead aspect. It’s what made the walking dead so popular because the makeup was horrifying, and watching a literal rotting corpse sit up with the animalistic desire to eat you is scary as fuck. On top of all that, you can’t tell a walking corpse that wants to eat you “no.” And that, at least for me, makes it waaay scarier because it unlocks the hindbrain fear that tells you “you should get the fuck away from that right now.” I’m sure there’s a lot more psychology involved, but I hope you get what I’m trying to say.

And then there are the infected from the last of us. The concept for these zombies comes from a real life parasitic fungus called Ophiocordyceps that effects insects, and the story takes that terrifying concept and asks, “what if that happened to people?” In my opinion, the concept of the parasite makes this version of the zombie even more terrifying, because it’s a living thing that’s gets inside and then uses the victim’s body for it’s own purposes. There’s absolutely no consent involved in that. That’s like, the benchmark for a violation of consent.

But the infected in tlou aren’t dead, at least not like a typical zombie. There’s a process that the infected undergo as the cordyceps takes root. It’s what makes freshly infected runners sound so terrible, particularly in the beginning of the game when you’re not used to it, because they sound like people in pain. And it’s a wonderful tool for a horror story, because it begs the question: when do the infected stop being people, and start being monsters? But then, conversely, other questions arise, like, is the cordyceps fungus monstrous at all? Or is it just another living thing that’s adapted to survive?

I’d add more thoughts but I haven’t eaten dinner yet. If you have any thoughts you’d like to add on feel free! Just be nice, please.

[tieronecrush]

I have recently followed you and have you gotten many people asking you about your username?? Or any at all? Because I swear for the past like 7 times I’ve seen your url on my dash I’m like… “tie-rone-crush? tie-ron-e-crush???” I have literally just put it together that the first word is. in fact. tier. Thank you.

Ps. I’m starting your series now that I saw has six parts and this one littttle thing I can’t get over. “the mushies” dude literally I died like I’m crying it’s so funny I want everyone calling them the mushies. I want to go into tlou universe and call them the mushies to Joel’s face and just see the reaction. I’m obsessed

ok surprisingly i have not gotten any questions about my username?? it is a reference from a podcast i listen to lol one of the hosts has a tier system for her celebrity crushes, and obviously pedro is my tier one hehe

also, i would LOVEEEEE to see joel’s reaction to calling the cordyceps “the mushies” cause tbh that is all i would say if i was there. add some comedic relief to life maybe?

this made me giggle so much so thank you for this ask & for the follow 💜

[toxycodone]

oh the texture is probably my watermark ☠ lol i'm happy you like it though ^^

quaith is the only survivor sadly 😔 all of their family {family is moreso about community than blood ties} is dead/giant mushrooms now. also the closest way i can describe the wood elfs is like. picture tinker bell's pixie hollow tree but like. everything is scaled up to human size. that's how big the trees from the forest were. humongous! but the tree all of the wood elfs lived on was even bigger and grew with a platform for everyone to live on. picture like a town. this is so hard to describe in words lol i am so sorry

also why the cordyceps took over! nature just nature'd. sometimes things happen and they suck, there was probably a way to prevent it, but it was probably too late by the time it was found out. all living things are sentient! including mushrooms :) mushrooms are pretty intelligent little guys since they respond to their environments and use hyphae to send electric signals to one another, i'm gonna research more since apparently they can recognize up to 20 words!! {and cordyceps can take over ants, grasshoppers, beetles, locusts, moths, butterflies, and spiders before moving them around for a good photosynthesis spot}

tbh it's like 9:40 at the time i'm sending this so here's to not being up late lol! also if you wanna see more quaith i have some paper drawings :)

~ }i{

fun fact but we live in the same time zone!! I think!! thats kinda crazy

THATS SO COOOL I LOVE THAT WORLD BUILDING. RIP TO HER parents bc thats sad but....wow....using cordyceps is really fucking cool. And i had no idea that fungi were that smart!! If you want more inspo you should totally check the design shi for the last of us and the lore w that, its really cool how they incorporated how that fungus could evolve hypothetically.

dude the name quaith is so rad too. i just gotta say that i love that name.

[softpine]

did you finish the last of us?

i did!!! it’s the understatement of the century for me to say that i loved it, because i literally feel like it was a life changing experience. i purposely went in blind (i’ve been waiting YEARS to get a ps4 and finally play this game, i just knew it would touch my heart personally) and fuck.. you all know how goddamn emotional i get about everything akjdsjds but there were so many moments where i had to pause the game and just fucking cry for a while because my heart was just hurting so bad that i couldn’t continue. it took me a while to get through the game because every moment was so impactful and important to me. i was analyzing (and probably over-analyzing tbh) every single bit of dialogue, every meaningful glance (because this game is so good at saying things without words), every little bit of lore and side character backstories. i even went and read scientific journals and studies on cordyceps because it was so fascinating to me. anyway, by the time i actually finished it, i was emotionally DEAD and i sat in my basement staring at the wall, just thinking about everything for a fucking hour lmao. also i want to say one more thing, so don’t read under the cut if you don’t want to be spoiled!!

there were 2 moments in the game that hit me harder than any fictional event has ever hit me in my life. the first was henry and sam’s death. i don’t want to get too much into that because i’ll definitely cry again, but i’ll just say that the immense feeling of pure dread as soon as sam looked at his bite.... it was so intense. i could barely breathe honestly. i knew what was coming next, i fucking knew what would happen to henry, but when henry pointed the gun at himself i still screamed “no!” and when the gunshot sounded, i burst into hysterical tears because all i could think about was having to shoot my own little brother, and i know without a single doubt in my mind that i would never allow myself to survive that.

the second moment was the entire hospital escape scene. after i played the game, i watched a playthrough by darkness (highly recommend it) and he describes joel in this scene as a man on fire, and that’s the best fucking description i’ve ever seen. joel would have done absolutely anything to save ellie, and so would i. whereas in the rest of the game i was constantly questioning the morals of killing everyone, and i tried to be stealthy whenever possible. but in the hospital scene, i was BRUTAL. i had no sympathy at all. i BECAME joel, and if i couldn’t save ellie, i would have taken out as many of those fuckers as possible before dying in battle. the fact that the game had the ability to make me feel so bloodthirsty was kind of incredible to me. i’m not a parent, but i know what someday when i do become one, i’ll have to replay this game because it would hit me all over again, three times harder. (god, as if i wasn’t hit hard enough the first time.....)

SO YEAH, you didn’t ask for that and i’m sorry for the ramble!! i don’t get to talk about this in real life (i tried to make my friends play this game but none of them want to... assholes lmao) and i just have so many FEELINGS askdjds also i’m definitely getting ellie’s tattoo. like it’s just a given at this point