The Mycelial Throne
The Mycelial Throne is not a seat of power in the traditional dwarven sense, carved from stone and adorned with gold. Instead, it is a sprawling, subterranean network, a nexus of Gloomstrands and fungal growth, ruled over by the consciousness of the Mycelial Crown. Imagine a vast cavern, dimly illuminated by bioluminescent Gloomfungus, where the very walls pulse with a slow, organic rhythm. The air hangs heavy with the scent of damp earth and decaying matter, and a constant, subsonic hum vibrates through the ground. This location is not a place of order and structure, but of constant flux, as the Gloom Weavers reshape the tunnels and chambers to suit their needs. The location may contribute to The Cacophony.
Key features include vast, interconnected fungal networks, and are protected by the Chitin Weave. Strange, pulsating fungi of unknown origin sprout from the walls, their caps dripping with viscous fluids. Pools of stagnant water collect in depressions, reflecting the faint light like distorted mirrors, as though reflecting The Gaze of the Deep. The Resonance Bells of Silence could be used here to amplify power.
The only inhabitants are the Gloom Weavers, who tend to the fungal networks and carry out the will of the Crown. These creatures are as much a part of the Throne as the mycelia itself, extensions of its consciousness. These connections may be strengthened by the use of Resonance Gloves. They seem to feed off the lost souls who once tried to destroy The Chitinous Swarm.
Historically, the Mycelial Throne is a relatively recent phenomenon. Created in the aftermath of an expedition to the Null Fields, the knowledge to control the fungal consciousness may be connected to that of The Forgotten Smith. The Lost Pilgrims warn of the location. The Throne represents a new and dangerous form of power, a threat to the established order of the Iron-Grip Mountains, and is a place the Silent Monks of Durin's Peak would seek to destroy. Perhaps only the Sunstone of Aethelgard is powerful enough to purify the location. Or, even the Cobalt Corsairs may be repulsed by the fungal den. However, perhaps Valia, the Empty would find this an ideal resting spot. Further exploration may need to be written in a new Chapter of Fungi. It represents a clear danger to the Order of the Azure Hand and their Celestial Alignment Ritual.