Where does fungi stand in Bionicle?

Hi Greg.
Several of us fans have been discussing where fungi stand in the Bionicle Universe.

  1. Do they play a role in the ecosystem of the Matoran Universe, as decomposers?

  2. Do they exist on SM/AM? (We have seen mushroom-like things in Onu-Wahi of Quest for the Toa (GBA game) and The Legend of Mata Nui, the cancelled 2001 PC game.)

  3. Are they controllable (and/or creatable) by Toa of the Green?

  4. Is it just a mundane, non-plantlife substance (or a non-Toa element, like Sand)?

  5. Is it an element? This question is not predicated only on the Green’s elemental limitations; fungi is a much more versatile element than you might think! The main utilities of a fungi element we’ve been discussing are:
    – Spores
    – Hallucinations, for use in non-harmful takedowns
    – Cordyceps (like a Komau’s mind control)
    – Massive fungi as shelter (based on the trope of mushroom forests and houses from modern video games, but also prototaxites — the prehistoric mushroom “trees”)
    Folks are recalling you saying you didn’t want to add any more elements — but if you rejected fungi on the grounds of it not being powerful or versatile enough I think this debate would persist for years.

Please give us your say on this!

10 Likes

Probably.

No, also it logically follows from the first answer, since it would be under the scope under the Green, not a separate Element.

4 Likes

Yeah, I think aside from the first 2 points (which do not really seem to matter in the slightest, personally – let fans determine within their own writing – and I seriously doubt Greg has the time to consider the ecosystem of multiple systems), this seems solved.

I don’t think it’s necessitated that a degree of control over one thing indicates the ability to create/control it (with Mind/Rahi/Insect control as a precedent), but I also don’t think it particularly matters in this case. And I believe this post was an acknowledgement of Greg’s prior rejection of fungi – he reduced the power to “throwing mushrooms”, when “mushroom powers” could vary wildly and be very potent – but do not recall my intent in writing this post. It was based on some discourse that’s long since passed.

Closing with this quote from Greg: