Mushrooms grow from a root like material they create called mycelium. Mycelia create a naturally formed neural network, meaning a net like structure where all the parts connect to the other parts. Mycelia in fungus functions to communicate with itself using electrical pulses just like our minds do, but it can do even more including transporting water to other parts of the large network. These networks grow unseen underground and can be huge - so huge in fact that it is considered to be the largest living organism on Earth. One Mycelia is 3.5 square miles (or 9 kilometers) in size found in the Malheur National Forest where it has likely been growing for over 10,000 years.

Mushrooms play a central role in life on the Isles of Greater Mycorzha. While many plants on the Isles grow similarly to their North American counterparts, mushrooms are a notable exception. Due to the unique environmental and magical conditions of the Isles, mushrooms here exhibit powerful and unusual properties that go beyond decomposition. Mushrooms are cultivated and studied throughout the Isles, with Mystveil Academy leading much of the research. Mycologists are respected for their understanding of mushroom behaviors and are often called in to solve problems involving infrastructure or climate imbalance. Mushroom engineers work alongside builders and farmers, and children grow up learning the basics of mushroom care early in life. Many communities grow mushrooms directly into their homes or public areas. Buildings in wetter climates often have entire walls designed to support specific mushroom species that provide climate control, communication, or even light. While the full potential of mushroom-based systems is still being explored, the Isles have long understood that mushrooms are more than food or forest dwellers. They are a living network that supports nearly every part of life on Mycorzha.

The mycelium on the Isles has a much stronger connection than what we find here on Earth, which allows mushrooms through the isles to transport far more than just electrical impulses or water. Rather it can connect and exchange nearly any substance. This page lists just a few of the ways that connection may be used in the Isles, but there are many more to be discovered.

Hot and Cold Exchange

Certain mushrooms can exchange heat and cold across great distances. One major example is between the Morel Swamp, a hot and humid biome in the south, and the Crescent Mountains, a cold, glacier-topped range in the north. Mushrooms in each area are linked through the mycelial network. The mushrooms in the mountains emit cold, pulling heat from the swamp, while the mushrooms in the swamp release warmth gathered from the mountain fungi. This thermal transfer is used in several ways:

• Cold mushrooms are planted in underground cellars to preserve food.
  
• Hot mushrooms are cultivated in homes throughout Luna Valley to provide steady warmth.
  
• Crescent Mountain Grand Park, located in Cove City, stays covered in snow year-round thanks to the strategic planting of cold-exchange mushrooms.
  
• Recent advances at Mystveil Academy led to portable thermal mushrooms being used to create hot air for flight. These are now part of the Isles' newest form of transportation.
  

Air Exchange

Some mushroom species can transfer air. Air taken in at one location is expelled at another connected point, creating a kind of biological ventilation system. Islanders use this air movement in both basic and advanced applications:

• Air-exchange mushrooms remove oxygen from sealed spaces, extending the shelf life of food and medicine.
  
• Compressed bursts of air are funneled under platforms, creating spring-like lifts used in children's play areas or light transportation systems.
  
• In damp or tightly enclosed buildings, air-exchange mushrooms are used to maintain airflow.
  

Sound Exchange

A popular and widely used form of mushroom magic is sound transmission. Mushrooms in this group can pick up and replicate sound vibrations over long distances. Applications include:

• Mushrooms act like telephones, allowing voice contact between distant areas.
  
• Communities tune into broadcasts sent through mushrooms. One of the most popular entertainment hubs is the Shadow Moss Caves, known for hosting music, news, and comedy programs that are sent across the Isles via mushroom-based radio.
  
• Town squares often use sound mushrooms to share news or call meetings.
  

Size Exchange

A more recent and experimental use of mushroom magic involves the transfer of size. Two linked mushrooms can trade physical mass—when one grows, the other shrinks. This has led to creative and practical uses across the Isles:

• Buildings in Cove City often use paired mushrooms to move platforms vertically. When the top mushroom shrinks, the lower one grows, pushing the platform up (or vice versa).
  
• Some traders use size-exchange mushrooms to shrink bulk goods for travel, then return them to full size at their destination.
  
• Certain guard posts use fast-growing mushrooms to create temporary blockades.