Fungus Amungus [Ready]

[Kirby Krackle]

Roleplay Type: WoE

Name: Fungus Amungus

Sex: Male

Age: Young stallion

Species: Earth Pony

Eye colour: Fire Brick. #B22222

Coat: Buff. #F0DC82. Unshorn fetlocks. There are some patches in his coat missing due to a slight case of Ringworm on his back. Pretty gross. He should see a doctor.

Mane/Tail: Hunter Green. #355E3B. The mane is long, unkempt and in a bad need of a brushing. It's kept slicked back with a bandana that matches his eyes. That could also use a washing.

Physique: Average height and a stocky build.

Residence: A tent and wagon he drags around, which is mostly full of mushroom samples, field guides and research notes.

Occupation: Student. He hopes to make money off his findings in Canterlot to a) biologists of high repute and b) gourmet chefs of high repute.

Cutie Mark: Amanita Muscaria. The famous red mushroom with white speckles. To him at least, it signifies everything he admires about fungus: their ability to grow wherever they find themselves. He only wishes he could be that cool.

History: Fungus Amungus grew up the only son of a pair of farmers that specialized in waste disposal and mulching. It was a very dirty job but in a town like Dodge Junction with its arid climate, their help with the local agriculture was greatly appreciated. Mind the smell. He was named as such thanks to how large he was at birth. The doctors joked that he 'mushroomed'.

Since he was young, mushrooms fascinated him due to their ability to grow pretty much anywhere. In patches of land where absolutely no other plant would go, some form of his little friends would pop up and be gross and weird and he loved them. And he read every little field guide he could get his hooves on; to learn the good ones, the bad ones (for eating), the other bad ones (to clear from the local cherry orchard) and the ugly ones (in the shower).

This dedication to study came in handy once. Come harvest time every year, a ranger would ride into town to survey operations on the family 'rot farm'. He would bring his boy along as well and send him off to play with Fungus as the grownups talked. Bramble Rose, as was the other foal's name, also happened to be the studious type and was anxious to travel the wilderness (the backyard) with his new buddy to see what they could see. Bramble came across what looked like a button mushroom; common to everywhere and unremarkably white. He thought he should pick a few to snack on and pick a few more for his buddy. Now here's where that dedication came in handy: Fungus recognized the subtle differences in Bramble's find. Not a common Button where they, but instead the horribly toxic Destroying Angel. He saved his buddy's life that day, in a neither gentle nor subtle tackle to the ground. Suddenly Fungus had to explain to dad why he made his new friend cry and where that cutie mark came from.

Suddenly the casual (and at times, creepy) hobby of an exuberant youth had grown. Fungus had grown. His knowledge and action could improve lives. Save them even. Fungus Amungus was spending a lot more time collecting samples and keeping his magnifying glass clean after that day.

Harvest times came and went, and thus Bramble's visits. The two remained pen pals through the rest of the year, not to mention one or two surprise summer vacations. There would also be, from his buddy, Hearth's Warming presents containing textbooks or field guides on mycology. Fungus was thrilled every year. Firstly, because apparently his weird hobby had a name. Secondly, because Dodge Junction's library was painfully lacking. Third, some of the texts were out of date or full of folk traditions that were just plain wrong. That gave him an idea.

His last letter to Bramble, as well as his hopefully-not-goodbye to his teary eyed parents, explaining that there was a big wilderness out there that needed proper cataloging for the safety of others. Also for science. Mostly science. So he packed up his wagon and prepped for the long hike to Canterlot, who would praise him for his findings and not at all chastise him for his reckless behavior. Reckless, in regards to the northwest passage he chose, which leads right through the Everfree forest. Because that's where the science is.

Character Summary: Fungus Amungus is not a quiet pony. He's bright and bubbly and enthusiastic about his area of expertise, which is bad for him, because his area of expertise is disgusting. It has never once dawned on the pony that what they're choosing as a pizza topping potentially grew in poop. Hoof-in-mouth syndrome isn't the only disease he suffers from either. While it's normal for a foal to play in the mud now and then, they didn't grow up around mulch. There's a bit of a smell that's pretty much ground into the pony. That and the constant recreational exposure to molds, spores and fungus have given him the occasional infection.

Hygiene aside, he's very easy to get along with and certainly non-confrontational, ready with a 'good morning' at a moment's notice. He's even happier when surrounded by nature. He believes the world and its mechanisms, especially the small and dirty parts that most ponies ignore or revile, are just awesome and would like nothing more than to help people appreciate that.

While Fungus isn't at all the pony to stand up to bullies (he had plenty of his own, thanks to the smell), that doesn't mean he lets them get away with their shenanigans. He will simply help the poor soul back up to their feet, pat them on the back and casually mention that the jerk du jour may come down with food poisoning tomorrow. And by 'may', he meant 'will'.

This optimism stayed with him during his journey through the Everfree. It helped him keep a cool outlook and keep moving forward, thinking about how proud his friends and family will be when they hear from their boy again.

* * * * *

I admit I'm a little apprehensive about posting this. The last time I submitted a pony for the Mane RP, it was a garbage self insert that should never be dug up again. The experience shied me away from trying a second time. I mainly stayed in Free-for-All for a while, getting used to the pacing of things and how to actually make good OCs again. Fungus here is actually an import from a Magic:The Gathering RP I was running. He was definitely the best natured of my brood, drawing inspiration heavily from Bill Nye, Alton Brown and the anime Moyasimon.

I brought him here mainly because of good friend on this site: Bramble Rose. He is such a good DM for the Pathfinder campaign we're running (also on this site ), I asked him something along the lines of "I am aware that there is a Mane RP Bramble as well as a lvl 3 Sorcerer/lvl 1 Druid Bramble. Does he have a bestest best friend yet?" "No?" "Good, he does now." He even helped me iron out drafts before submission!

And here we are. That long winded explanation is proof that I'm nervous. Anyway, cheers. I hope I passed the audition.

[Bramble Rose]

That's a level 1 Rogue, level 3 Druid!

And I approve of my character's use in this background.

[Armony]

[Kirby Krackle]

...wow, really? Thank you! I didn't expect it to be so... instant?