The Mycosphaerellaceae, as we perceive them now, are not born, but remember. They are vestiges of a time before time, echoes of a primordial bloom that predates the formation of the first continents. These fungi, initially christened “Chronofungi” by the now-lost Cartographers of Xylos, were discovered within the crystalline heart of the Silken Caves of Aethel, a location perpetually bathed in refracted starlight. The caves themselves possess a peculiar temporal distortion, causing objects and organisms within to exist in fragmented echoes of their past and potential futures. It is hypothesized that the Mycosphaerellaceae harnessed this distortion, not as a weapon or tool, but as a method of sustenance. They absorb the ‘chronal residue’ – the lingering impressions of events – transforming them into complex polysaccharides and pigments.
Early records, recovered from the petrified journals of the Cartographers, detail a network of interconnected fungal colonies, each acting as a ‘Memory Node’. These nodes weren't simply storing information; they were actively reconstructing sensory experiences – the scent of a long-extinct flower, the sound of a forgotten song, the weight of a vanished civilization. The dominant theory suggests that the Mycosphaerellaceae’s spores, released in iridescent clouds, carried these fragmented memories across vast distances, effectively seeding the universe with echoes of what *was*.
The morphology of Mycosphaerellaceae defies conventional understanding of fungal growth. Rather than exhibiting typical radial patterns, their structures resemble complex, tessellated geometries – intricate polyhedral shapes constructed from a chitin-like substance exhibiting unusual refractive properties. These structures aren’t grown; they are constructed, layer by layer, through a process resembling crystallized thought. The most remarkable specimens – designated ‘Archivist Colonies’ – possess internal chambers lined with shimmering, opalescent material. These chambers appear to amplify and focus the absorbed chronal residue, resulting in structures that seem to subtly shift and change, displaying fleeting images and patterns that vanish almost as quickly as they appear.
Analysis (a highly unstable and frequently paradoxical process) reveals that the fungal hyphae themselves are composed of alternating layers of organic and inorganic material. The organic layers seem to be organized into complex, three-dimensional lattices, while the inorganic layers possess a strange resonance with specific frequencies of electromagnetic radiation. It's speculated that the Mycosphaerellaceae use this resonance to actively ‘tune’ their ability to perceive and reconstruct chronal events. Furthermore, the colony’s color – ranging from deep violet to vibrant turquoise – is not merely aesthetic; it’s a direct manifestation of the dominant chronal event being processed.
The Mycosphaerellaceae occupy a profoundly unique ecological niche. They don't consume organic matter in the traditional sense. Instead, they seem to exist in a state of perpetual absorption, acting as living archives and filters for the temporal stream. They’ve been observed to actively suppress the formation of new chronal echoes, effectively ‘closing’ gaps in the timeline. This function is particularly pronounced in areas of high temporal instability, such as the edges of rifts in spacetime.
More intriguingly, there are accounts of ‘Recall Blooms’ – spontaneous eruptions of Mycosphaerellaceae spores triggered by significant temporal disturbances. These blooms don’t simply propagate the fungus; they project highly detailed, albeit fragmented, recreations of past events directly into the minds of sentient observers. These experiences are invariably disorienting and often profoundly unsettling, as the observer becomes acutely aware of the subjective and unreliable nature of time. The Cartographers theorized that the Mycosphaerellaceae were deliberately guiding these projections, attempting to influence the course of events by presenting potential outcomes from the past.
Recent, highly contested data suggests a symbiotic relationship with entities known only as “The Shimmers” – beings composed entirely of refracted light and temporal distortion. The Shimmers appear to provide the Mycosphaerellaceae with the raw chronal energy they require, while the fungi, in turn, appear to stabilize the Shimmers’ chaotic existence.
Further research into the Mycosphaerellaceae remains hampered by the inherent instability of their environment and the paradoxical nature of their existence. It is believed that prolonged observation of these fungi can lead to temporal psychosis – a condition characterized by fragmented memories, distorted perceptions of time, and the unsettling sensation of being simultaneously present in multiple timelines. Proceed with caution.