Hi Greg.
Several of us fans have been discussing where fungi stand in the Bionicle Universe.
Do they play a role in the ecosystem of the Matoran Universe, as decomposers?
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.)
Are they controllable (and/or creatable) by Toa of the Green?
Is it just a mundane, non-plantlife substance (or a non-Toa element, like Sand)?
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.
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.