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5 traits:
Is abundant
Eats anything
Resting spore system
Sturdy
Plays liminal echo
Reproductive System:
Sexual spores are normal; ascus ejected into the air.
Asexual spores (conidia) form sawntslick (chalky residue) that travels by getting stuck on things.
Carpet Mould: A Closer Look
By Parish Steward Theran Sandway
Preface
Carpet mould is the most successful species in the Backrooms.
As a Parish Steward of Amor Incrementum, I have to be dedicated to nature in all its facets, even that which seems boring, or disgusting, or both. Carpet mould is no exception to this rule. I've had to dwell amongst it, cultivate colonies of it from nothing, even track how its spores move between levels. And over this period, I've gained an appreciation of this tiny, slow-growing fungus; a kind very few wanderers seem to possess. Indeed, very few people have much of an opinion of carpet mould at all: the species is so unobtrusive that the eye simply glosses over it. The fact that this — the most populous organism across the Backrooms — is entry 89 in this database tells you all you need to know of humanity's opinion of this mould. Most see it as mere set-dressing for levels, a part of the stage rather than an actor. It rarely — if ever — appears in the entity listings for most levels, and when I tell people the fact I opened with: that I truly think carpet mould is the strongest these realms have to offer, they look at me like I've gone mad.
I volunteered to write this entry because I feel that's a real shame. Carpet mould — though not flashy — has many extraordinary capabilities, the kind I feel people should be aware of, and respect. In particular, there are 5 key traits that I believe solidifies carpet mould as a Backrooms powerhouse, and I'd like to share them with you. I'll bring them up as and when I feel it's appropriate.
So without further ado, I present: "Carpet Mould: A Closer Look"
Overview:
Some carpet mould found in Level 2.
Need I even introduce carpet mould? You've no doubt seen it before. You can probably give me a basic description almost immediately: It's a fungus, black in colour, dust-like in appearance. It anchors itself in a surface, appearing as a kind of inky smear towards the centre from which it grows. As you move further out, it starts to look like black pinpricks peppering the wall, tree, or ground it resides on. It's simultaneous harmless and ubiquitous.
It is here we immediately encounter carpet mould's first key trait: its abundance. Carpet mould clings to almost every structure in this realm. From the hissing pipes of Level 2, to the blue surfaces of the Abandoned Office, to the decrepit barns of Level 10. A small colony grows behind the wallpaper of the Manila Room. Some lies in the shelters of 49. You can even find carpet mould clinging tight to the rocks of The Summit. So utterly all-encompassing is this fungus, that levels devoid of it are a rare breed1, and "mouldy" has become one of the defining features of the Backrooms as a whole. Indeed, the so-called "carpet mould" can be found growing on just about anything, not exclusively carpet. I'd actually wager that carpet mould predates the appearance of carpet in both realities by hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years.
There is no doubt in my mind that the abundance of carpet mould is one of the reasons it dominates the Backrooms. There is strength in numbers, and numbers tend to beget more numbers. Mould creates more mould, replacing whatever losses are incurred by potential threats, inorganic and organic alike. Additionally, whenever a new level appears, carpet mould is always the first to settle it, for there is always a colony of mould near a newly formed entrance. Such is the power of being everywhere, all at once.
Life Cycle:
Many wanderers believe that carpet mould simply "spawns in" to levels, much like a number of other entities of the Backrooms. This could not be further from the truth. The life cycle of carpet mould is in reality extremely rich and intricate. So much so, that I find in necessary to break it down into stages to properly explain it.
[LIFE CYCLE IMAGE HERE]
1. Early Growth.
When a carpet mould spore makes contact with an environment of sufficient quality2, growth begins. The mould's hyphae3 will stretch deep into the structure, warping and contorting to the grooves to make a solid anchor-point. From this location the mold will grow, reaching outward to whatever it can find.
Taxonomy:
The most common carpet mold species, Vuldaes melanus, is often compared to black mould4 from the Frontrooms. Whilst the 2 are most definitely related, their evolutionary lineages diverged thousands — if not millions — of years ago, meaning most similarities between them are largely coincidental. Indeed, there are actually many differences between the two, such as how their spores operate. But the difference that is most striking to me is their population. Black mould fairs quite poorly in nature, growing too slowly to make much of an impact on the world around it. In stark contrast, V. melanus is the single most populous species in the entire Backrooms by miles, with its only real competition being other carpet moulds. I find it especially fascinating that black mould's primary place of residence in the modern day is dilapidated buildings and old carpets, places that are the closest the Frontrooms can get to replicating the conditions of the Backrooms.
Perhaps moulds like this were destined to live in liminality.
Ecological Role:
Relationship With Humans:
Fultays in Hoofish, Sawnts in Venoshan, carpet mold has been encountered by every group in the Backrooms without fail, and picked up a laundry list of names to go along with it. "Carpet mould" is in fact a very recent term.
Despite all this, there is very little to really be said about humanity's history with the mold. Our species tends to focus either on beneficial organisms — to exploit them — or on harmful organisms — to kill them. Carpet mold does neither, and so we ignore it wholesale. If it were edible, or secrete toxins, or both, then this page would look rather different. But it is not. It is the plain and simple carpet mold, and it has no need to appeal to us.
Nobody really knows when carpet mold's history began. Certainly before us. I reckon the first black specks probably showed up 400 million years ago, when molds were first evolving in the Frontrooms. In any case, the mold has been spreading across this realm for a very long time.
Do's and Don'ts:
Do:
- Appreciate nature in all it facets. Even the most disgusting creatures have their place in the ecosystem.
- Respect the carpet mold. Simple as it may appear, you are but a guest in its domain.
Don't:
- Believe humanity has some privileged place in this world.
Carpet mould is the most successful species in the Backrooms.
Beneath its unassuming appearance lies a clever and masterfully engineered specimen. One that constantly explores, grows, fights, dies, and gives back everything it took, and more, in a way no other plant, animal, or fungus could. It is the strongest these realms have to offer. It has been here long before us, and it will be here long after us. For whilst I cannot say when the last human the Backrooms hosts will die, I can say for certain that the level they fall in will be then — and forever — mouldy.
Isn't there something awe-inspiring about that?
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