As Aoko's party neared the northern edge of the fungus forest, a strange shriek suddenly rang out—it was Edgin, startled by something.
Looking closer, they saw a bizarre, irregularly-shaped mushroom. Fortunately, Edgin managed to steady himself in the end and didn't attack it.
"Wait, it seems to be talking to me?" Edgin hesitated as if listening to something. But the rest of the group heard nothing at all.
"Myconids communicate via telepathy," Aoko explained, "but only if you've got their spores on you."
"!"
Simon's face turned a little green. "Wait, does that mean we have to...?"
"Don't get the wrong idea," said Aoko. "Myconid spores naturally drift out around them. In a bit, you'll all be able to hear them talk."
Sure enough, just as Aoko said, as time passed, more and more people in the party could hear the myconid's voice—meaning its spores were gradually settling on them.
"...I'll ask again," a voice entered Aoko's mind, feeling a little strange, "What is your purpose here?"
"We're exploring the area to the south," Aoko explained directly. "Your village, aside from the duergar, is the only supply point here. We'd like to spend a night here—after all, there's no way we'd stay with the duergar, right?"
"No...lying..." The largest mushroom cap on the myconid's body quivered. "Please...do not hurt...any fungus...follow me..."
With that, the mushroom person turned and shambled off in another direction. The group hurried after it.
Perhaps it was some magical effect, or maybe hallucinogenic spores, but as they followed the myconid, their vision suddenly blurred, and they found themselves in a strange village.
There weren't many conventional buildings in this village, but there were many huge, sturdy mushroom caps. Beneath each cap lurked a peculiar myconid.
The myconids moved about slowly, minding their own business. The arrival of outsiders didn't seem to disturb them at all.
"Look!" Edgin pointed toward an open area in the village. "There's a shop over there!"
Turning to look, they saw a wooden stall where several pale-skinned dwarves were busy organizing goods.
"Looks like this myconid village isn't as closed-off as I thought," Holga remarked. "Those guys actually do business here? Unbelievable."
"Probably because of local Underdark resources," Aoko pointed at the dwarves' shelves. "They're likely alchemists. Many potion ingredients are mushroom-based, or only found in the Underdark."
"Those...can wait...later..." their myconid guide suddenly said, turning back to them. "You...must...first meet...our...king..."
"What? There's a king here?" Doric asked in confusion.
"Probably a Myconid King," Xenk guessed. "Every myconid colony is led by the strongest one—the relationship is more like a species leader than a surface king."
The myconid village wasn't large. After about ten minutes' slow walk, they reached the myconid king's platform.
There, several myconids were being directed by a towering myconid, planting spores into duergar corpses.
It looked like mere physical labor, but Aoko sensed traces of divine magic at work.
"Welcome, outsiders," the myconid king spoke in their minds, its voice fluent and powerful. "I am the king of this fungus forest."
"Did you summon us for a reason?" Xenk stepped forward and asked.
"No, you misunderstand," the king replied. "This is just standard procedure."
"What procedure?" Aoko asked, curious.
"I don't meet ordinary visitors myself," the king said. "But powerful adventurers are different. I must judge your purpose here myself, to ensure you pose no threat to the village."
"But there's no need to worry," the king continued. "Just answer a few questions, and I'll know the truth. Simple, isn't it?"
"...No problem," Aoko replied after a moment. "Please, ask."
"Why have you come to the myconid village?" the king asked.
"For supplies and a place to rest," Aoko replied. "The Underdark wilderness is dangerous."
"Do you harbor any malice toward the myconids or this village?" the king continued.
"No, of course not," Aoko replied. "This is even my first time meeting myconids in person."
"What do you plan to do next?" the king asked, expressionless.
"Explore," Aoko answered honestly. "We're interested in the tower ruins to the south. I'm a mage, always curious about lost knowledge."
"That's enough," the king nodded, his tone becoming friendly. "I see you mean no harm, and you haven't lied to me. The myconid village welcomes you."
"Thank you," Aoko smiled. "Honestly, I've traveled a lot, but this is my first time visiting such a wondrous place."
"You can set up camp in that clearing below," the king pointed to an area to the west. "If you need anything, explore the village—there are many other visitors besides yourselves."
"Understood," Aoko nodded.
"Remember, do not cause trouble here," the king warned meaningfully. "Whatever you see, remember that everyone here has been personally vetted by me."
—Section Break—
"What did the myconid king mean by that?" Edgin asked Aoko as they walked to their campsite. "And if myconids can tell truth from lies, why did the king ask us again?"
"I suppose all non-myconid races here must go through this interview process," Aoko mused. "He wants to be sure we won't cause trouble. Also, not all myconids' lie-detection powers are equal—different ranks have different abilities."
"...I think I get why the king warned us," Xenk rested his hand on his sword hilt, squinting in a certain direction.
The group looked that way. A tall, thin figure stood with his back to them, conducting some complex magical experiment on a workbench.
He didn't seem to notice their arrival, staying focused on his magic, occasionally flipping through a book on the side.
The figure had slick, deep purple skin, no hair, and from the occasional glimpse of his profile, four writhing tentacles grew from his chin—Mind flayer.