Outsmarted by a mushroom

[@ZullietheWitch]

While the Mushroom Children are effectively blocked from fighting back if you attack them during their patrol, they can actually turn hostile once they've successfully reached the pond. Admittedly though, you'll probably have bigger things to worry about at that point.

[@youngbunt]

Isn't there another place you encounter them aswell?

[@ZullietheWitch]

@@youngbunt Yes, they appear in the base of the Great Hollow.

[@guyshafor1320]

Jesus dude, you've been posting content like mad recently. Hope you've had the time to take a breath 🫡

[@youngbunt]

@@ZullietheWitch do they exhibit the same behaviour?

[@dorksours3912]

What makes the situation even more painful if someone falls into the trap is that the chest is actually worth what's inside; the Enchanted Ember, which you can get much earlier than the Large Magic Ember.

[@glorytoukraine5524]

Everyone wants to make a soulslike, but no one wants to make cute mushroom families

[@katonbot]

How do you impregnate a mushroom

[@AV524]

@@katonbotjust be a fun guy

[@aliceplanque]

@@glorytoukraine5524 there's no mushroom left for their cuteness in soulslike worlds 😩

[@quynguyenkhanh5983]

@@katonbot you're underestimate me

[@kazikek2674]

😢😢That's the true sadness of it all.

[@KingWhoShallReturn]

Your posing of the Mushroom Child and Parent hugging is adorable. I also appreciate framing Petrus as the one who would attack the children, because fuck Petrus.

[@MrJ1GS4W]

You mean “Haircut”?

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

@@MrJ1GS4W "bowlcut"

[@shaynehughes6645]

Cloth talisman using ahh

[@redfox9446]

I make it mandatory for every playthrough to throw dung pie at petrus.

[@eieneidnf]

​@@redfox9446so ya made him the OG dung eater 😂

[@drplantboss9281]

The arrangement of points in a circle also evokes the image of fairy rings, rings of mushrooms growing in clearings.

[@InvalidationX145]

That's what I thought of too. A little vestige of ancient, almost playful magic left in a world rotting away into darkness.

[@Smonkey66]

​@@InvalidationX145 i mean, theres nothing magical about "fairy rings" mushrooms form like that to get an even amount of light at all times of the day...

[@Armameteus]

​@@Smonkey66You must be fun at parties.

[@Avr33Gaming]

​@@Smonkey66yes, they likely know that fairy rings aren't magical in reality. They are doing a thematic analysis using what fairy rings tend to represent in folk lore.

[@gakulon]

@@Smonkey66 then why are they called *fairy* rings, nerd?

[@Blusterberry]

People like to focus on the item descriptions, but this is the kind of lore that defines Dark Souls for me. No words, just getting bodied by a giant mushroom and knowing EXACTLY what you did to deserve it.

[@marchmelloow]

"Phew, finally got to the bottom of this tree. Oh, and, look, there are even cute mushroom guys here. How adorable." - moments before Mushroom Dad sends me back to the top of the tree.

[@TheAlienPoison]

Ur lucky, I had to delete a character because I was stuck there with the big snake and the darned frogs gatekeeping the tree.

[@kaz7886]

@@TheAlienPoison You can get back up with enough patience, but yeah, i guess you made another character out of frustration or gave up.

[@NEETKitten]

My man didn't get there by respawning at the bonfire, Mushroom Chad just hit him with an uppercut.

[@shotgun6X]

Big snake?

[@travissmith6973]

​@@TheAlienPoisonthe key to getting back up is just don't stop moving. Though there is still a chance you get cursed by the fucking basilisks

[@ZeroEffort]

Those mushroom punches haunt my dreams.

[@charlieperaltaf]

You failed the vigor test, it seems.

[@ShinStriderHiryu]

@@charlieperaltaf everyone in the elden ring first week release getting one shotted by Margit

[@Wyllowisp]

⁠@@ShinStriderHiryuI would bet my left nut that even at the lowest vigor, its impossible to be one shot by Margit, even with a soreseal.

[@ShinStriderHiryu]

@@Wyllowisp soreseal do increase the damage u take tho, right

[@Hello-lf1xs]

I remember hearing that I think 6 mushrooms can kill Manus

[@Palidupe]

A mushroom parent sock em bopping someone off a cliff (they were already dead from the punch too) was the first thing I saw of dark souls, I treat the mushrooms with utmost respect and have never killed one

[@oedalis]

It's impossible to avoid killing them if you visit all the areas in the game. I'm guessing you didn't find them in Ash Lake?

[@Camazotz-kz9wr]

@@oedalis You can go through Ash lake without killing them.

[@cooperofchaos9225]

​@@oedalis what did you do

[@OtakuUnitedStudio]

@@oedalis You can run past the ones in the Great Hollow to get to Ash Lake.

[@vitaliitomas4057]

@@oedalis you can just run from them

[@riskybiscuits688]

2:35 That image of Petrus unwittingly about to be bodied by a mushroom parent is terrifying

[@ArkadiBolschek]

Is it bad that I'm rooting for the mushroom?

[@Khann_2102]

I didn't realize the mushrooms have eyes

[@QuiloWisp]

​@@ArkadiBolschek No.

[@atlander4204]

“Cruel and careless” describes him perfectly.

[@davidgantenbein9362]

@@ArkadiBolschekNot rooting for the mushrooms when they ambush Petrus would be bad … Petrus can’t be murdered too many times.

[@gunkcancerr]

the trip made me go "OMFG AWWW" so loud, bless their mycelium hearts.

[@Echo_the_half_glitch]

Yeah, plus the little ones seem passive from what Zullie said. They're probably playing or something in-universe.

[@THExRISER]

As someone who fell for the chest trap, I definitely felt outsmarted by the game.

[@AlexofZippo]

Seriously. "Ooo, chest!" and then the sinking feeling of knowing you just fell for the oldest trick in in the book. Literally. It's like, the foreward.

[@Greywander87]

A lot of Dark Souls is like this. The games will constantly trick and ambush you, but if you're cautious you can react fast enough to save yourself. Every so often, however, we lower our guard and receive a painful reminder. It's the sort of thing that a less experienced gamer will decry as being unfair and brutal, but it teaches you to be cautious and aware of your surroundings, and once you adapt it's actually a lot fairer than it may have initially seemed. The games demand high skill, but they also teach and train you to achieve that level of skill.

[@xonort4323]

@@Greywander87 That's what I love about Dark Souls. Sure by the end of your journey your stat sheet is a bit beefier but what really improved is your way of playing the game, wether i's slow and methodical or more brazen and mechanical.

[@Dekharen]

@@Greywander87 I like that point. The real "unfair" parts of Soulslike often lie deep within once you have actual knowledge of the games, and you can accurately say that something is unfair. I'm thinking of some DS2 areas with so many enemies it's not even fun, or Malenia being the only boss able to cancel her own animations (including her stagger animation) to use a parry, which feels very out of place.

[@davidgantenbein9362]

@@Greywander87Being observant and ready to use some tricks of your own is what makes Dark Souls fun to play. Is using poison arrows cheesy? Yes, but why should I play nicer than the game does? Constantly monitoring your surroundings and not simply walking into every trap is the path to victory even for casual scrubs like me 😅

[@TheGreatHrudini]

I wasn't cruel enough to attack something (more than once) that didn't fight back, but I was definitely greedy enough to go for the chest and get mushroom punched back to a bonfire

[@moobo3944]

I feel like the existence of these guys have had an undeniable impact on my psyche. To what extent I'm not sure but I think the world is a a better place with the Dark Souls 1 mushroom guys in it

[@diediedice]

I love these mushroom guys so much, I wish mushrooms were real

[@ten-dimension9390]

In the harsh realities of this world, these little things make all the difference indeed.

[@mrb6088]

Whilst I do love the patrolling in Elden ring I did like the static nature of enemies in Dark souls. It felt like (at least early on in the burg ect) like a symptom of their hollowing. Like they're so broken they just stand there all day staring off into space but as soon as they see you they flip to a desire to kill you. This is even something that animals with rabies will literally do in real life. Side note it also added an extra twist from the developers when you did see enemies moving. Since it was different it made you wary as hell. I for instance was terrified of those cute mushroom kids as I did NOT trust them at all even after going past them lol.

[@davidgantenbein9362]

Absolutely. It works well for the hollowed undead, though Elden Ring doesn’t have hollows, so it fits as well that it is more dynamic.

[@davidgantenbein9362]

That the little mushrooms wouldn’t fight back or explode was a dead giveaway that something was wrong there.

[@SleppySnek]

omg, the small mushroom clinging to the big one was too cute

[@KsanUwU]

Somehow I've completely neglected the simple fact, that most NPC's in the older games do not move until you aggro them.

[@augustday9483]

I noticed that Dark Souls 1 hides this really well by having "snipers" in most areas, ranged enemies that attack you from a distance and force you to push forward through packs of melee enemies to get to them. Think of the undead archers and bomb-throwers in Undead Burg, the blowdart snipers in Blighttown, and the Channelers in Duke's Archives. The level designers were very smart.

[@wadespencer3623]

@@augustday9483 And the ambushers, who hide their inactivity by hiding around a corner and coming from behind. Or melee enemies with a longer aggro range, so by the time you see them they're already coming, like most dogs.

[@Markworth]

All the way back in Wolf 3D, there existed a simple patrol system where enemies could move around in idle. Doom didn't have that, so that probably affected a lot of games.

[@elinor8569]

i feel like they standing still fits with most of them being hollow and guards they don't have any needs or desires so they just keep mechanically doing what they did when they were still human unlike elden ring in which the enemies are actually conscious and doing their own thing till you come in and grab their attention

[@edstatueson]

I played Dark Souls 1 after playing 2 and 3 (don't ask), and the static nature of the enemies definitely colored my perception of the first game.

[@rkmugen]

1:21 That's why, even in the world of the culinary arts, we're told to discard the otherwise tough, woody stalks of such mushrooms.

[@skellymen2395]

Outsmarted by a mushroom = anyone with scarlet rot

[@SunRedMoon]

Outsmarted by an onion = anyone at the cathedral of the deep.

[@aliceplanque]

They're adorable 🥹

[@crystalz-h1d]

They are so cute, I always refuse to kill the kid mushrooms in Darkroot Garden.

[@aliceplanque]

@@crystalz-h1d same, i just want to hug them 🥹❤️

[@crystalz-h1d]

@@aliceplanque ikr 😭

[@goatlover6312]

@@crystalz-h1dIt’s a shame the ones right before ash lake attack on sight.

[@eurobeat_enjoyer]

I like the sound they make when die tho

[@enjoyeanyway]

I don't know if it was intended, but it's also, in effect, a fairy circle Except, you know, the mushrooms are actually moving around the circle and not just immobile The fact that the enchanted ember (I think) is in the middle makes me definitively think this was intentional You know, enchantment and fairies, a really old tale Also, it must have been an inspiration in elden ring's shadow of the erdretree, as fairy circles are just straight up a thing around in the overworld It is logical this kind of things was there since dark souls, as it has become a staple of western style heroic fantasy But as a young girl I remember my father telling me these in real life were magical when I first saw one in the forest and I really think it's neat to find that reflected in a videogame or two, intentional or not

[@plackt]

0:50 a rough oval or… a rough mushroom circle?

[@anthonycasino8955]

Petrus of the Bowlcut bouta get his shit rocked

[@Psykomancer]

Everyone who's played DS1 remembers the first time their soul got punched out of their body by the big mushrooms. From Soft are some of the greatest teachers, though not always the kindest.

[@Night_Owl_Noah]

I never noticed the bloody knuckles...that's awesome. You start feeling badass, by darkroot, until Mama Shroom starts throwin haymakers

[@Hammerlord31]

some of my favorite enemies in the souls series

[@tomorbataar5922]

Nah, in this case it's the player that's the enemy!

[@liloma20]

THEY ARE NOT ENEMIES

[@StarshadowMelody]

"both cruel enough to attack the Mushrooms, and careless enough to chase them" **shows Petrus**

[@HollyfromtheHollow]

...Oh my God, the children walk in a giant Fairy Circle.

[@JustRob96]

Defo one of the most memorable enemies in the whole From catalogue, the punch attack is iconic

[@stevenneiman1554]

"you're mean! I'm gonna tell mom on you!"

[@Tac6497]

Walking around darkroot garden was always therapeutic for me

[@Envy1359]

2:25 This is both cute and sad at the same time… 😢

[@Heulerado]

2:10 This scene is comedy gold

[@mystycassaultunholyendings3619]

Imagine if the chest was a mimic

[@varunsvinu]

2:36 is imo better

[@marilynmourneblade85667]

Love that its Petrus on the being cruel slide getting punched, feels accurate

[@ender1546]

I was feeling so betrayed after the Ash Lake mushrooms bc when I was in Darkroot forest I didn't touch even their hostile parents. I wanna hug those big fungi.

[@manjackson2772]

Ha, nice use of Petrus. It never occurred to me that the mushroom children patrol like that, but yeah, of course they do. The big example of moving enemies I go to is the one guy on the far side of the upper level of the annex in Painted World. But I think that guy is a bit of trickery, he just has a really really wide aggro radius, so as soon as you see him, he's started slowly walking around the gallery to get to you and he looks like he's on patrol.

[@gakulon]

Glad I'm not the only person who noticed that. As soon as I read the text and saw Petrus there I went "Yeah, figures he'd be the type of guy to do something like that."

[@umukzusgelos4834]

The picture where the Fungus Child jumps into the arms of the Parent is so wholesome...

[@Taolan8472]

I absolutely love your choice of Petrus for the "cruel and careless" shot. Excellent bit of theming there, Zullie.

[@VmITImV]

Interesting fact: the reason the baby mushrooms walk around the parent mushrooms like this in Dark Souls is because, in real life, when mycelium takes hold of new ground the mushrooms, the fruiting body of the organism, bloom in circles just like this. They're called faery rings.

[@ArcRay20]

2:33 what an amazing shot with the perfect subject at center stage for the "karmic justice"🥁 edit: i know each of these games has exclusive stuff to them, but i am surprised that these mushroom folk never came back in some way after this. at least i cant think of another type of plant folk in other games.

[@ZullietheWitch]

There is technically some representation in the later games, as Elizabeth is alluded to in Dark Souls II, and her apparent corpse can be found in Dark Souls III, but it isn't much. It's possible the Mushrooms just didn't feel suitable for the difference in the pace of combat for the later games.

[@shaktosh524]

Now that you mention it, Elden Ring missed big opportunity with the Scarlet Rot. One might say that the servant of rot count since they do have fungal grow on their bodies but they are not exactly mushroom folk we have in mind.

[@shadexvii3975]

@@ZullietheWitchthere’s also other mushroom men corpses in DS3, at Farron’s keep over by the…Crystal sage scroll I believe

[@wadespencer3623]

Fungi, not plants! There actually are a few plant people though. Giants in Dark Souls 2 appear to be made out of plant matter, and when they die, they become trees. In Dark Souls 3, many of the demons who are losing their flames also seem to have a woody texture. There's also the Curse-Rotted Greatwood, but I'm uncertain if that really counts as a "person". Same unclear distinction goes to the Erdtree Avatars in Elden Ring. It's unclear how intelligent they really are. But there's also the guardians, who started as humans but have let plants grow throughout their bodies.

[@Apocrypha303]

@@shadexvii3975 thats the corpse she mentioned

[@DerpyBerb]

Excellent machinima lately. The angles used, the characters in them, the poses…. even the last couple of videos… basically great job working with the Lore and environments to show and explain.

[@darthplagueis13]

Weird little detail I've just noticed now: Only the adult mushrooms have eyes, the children do not.

[@Averageradahnenjoyer]

Don't talk to me or my son ever again.

[@RINA4D85S1]

THANK YOU! Thanks so much for making this video :)) I've always loved the design of these horrifyingly adorable Mushroom people. Just like how you've pointed out: the subtle details add a lot of character to the creatures.

[@Jm-ki4su]

the mushroom parents having blood on their skin texture is the most metal and funniest thing ever

[@tristanneal9552]

Yes, I did get ganked by those mushroom parents after seeing that chest back in the day

[@a_lost_one]

*pulls out uchigatana or other bleed weapon* Excuse me, Mr. Mushroom, I believe you and yours have some gold pine resin that belongs to me...

[@procow2274]

Wait mushrooms bleed? 🐣

[@lharsay]

Ultra Greatsword running attacks can stun them in one hit.

[@blackbomber72]

I knew this was going to be a Korok Forest Night video, so I clicked it instantly, such a nice ambience for the giant mushroom people

[@BlueShellshock]

Lesson of the day: if you are cruel enough to attack children, don't be careless enough to assume you're the baddest thing around.

[@JasoTheRed48F2]

YOU CAME TO THE WRONG POND FOOL -Mushroom Parent

[@MichaelMcKay716]

Thank you for teaching me about the Mushroom Family, love you!

[@SerPodrick]

I like to believe Elizabeth the Mushroom grew to become the Erdtree

[@Dark.Shingo]

The children don't have eyes. Unsettling.

[@thexdfacedgamer2306]

_Mfs wearing full havels armour gona be fuming after getting hit by one of these guys:_

[@alcinado2072]

Whenever I summoned a player to help me in Darkroot Garden, I would immediately Black Crystal them away from my world if they ever DARED. HURTING. THE MUSHROOM CHILDREN.

[@alfamulia0]

Mushroom Tyson

[@tony_h_ddd3151]

Mikeshroom Tyson

[@Brandonious15987]

Mohammed Fungi

[@brotherpanda]

Mycelium Myce Tyson

[@cristalviper]

who would ever hurt the little shroom babies :(

[@mrb6088]

A PTSD ridden player who knows not to trust this game lol

[@carnivorn]

me 😔 i need extra gold pine resin *really early* for weirdly-routed runs sometimes. ngl i stopped feeling bad about it after a while 😅

[@mattomanx77]

Someone who has been attacked by everything in the world on sight and previously been lured by fleeing enemies into a gank room Also gold pine resin

[@XenoverseVT]

I'm currently playing through Dark Souls III for the first time, and I came across Zullie's outfit in The Ringed City, and immediately reminded me of you and your backstory as to how your channel and fame came to be! I could never hurt those poor Mushroom children. They're too cute ;w;

[@LautrecOfCarim]

To walk within line of sight of the Chosen Undead... A shame the technique was lost with with Ostrava for so long. Yurt nearly had it figured out, too. Heh.

[@OokiiPeter]

Just like real life! Wait what

[@scood6933]

I love the (maybe unintentional) fact that they patrol in a circle because fungi in the nature grows like that. And in the center you see the parents, aka the start of the fungi.

[@Nerthos]

The player followed them home and got rightfully treated as a home intruder

[@seracris8357]

I never looked at the big ones as their parents. Now I feel bad...

[@hsckuhns]

I really love this channel a lot. She adds so much to the games and offers so many subtle bits we usually don't even consider. Not to mention they're short. I love some channels, but not the time investment. Zulli offers up the good shit.

[@Mene0]

Super cool video. And the little mushrooms falling down are really cute too

[@MrCat-zz5eo]

Seeing the Mushroomfolk being so lively makes me weep when I remember what became of them in 3...

[@TheLegion1349]

Hi zullie follower from a long time, your like the older sister that never, had always keep with new things, new surprises with the music and all the stuff combined its truly like painting , and the thing that your voice its in the mind and thats very special, that's magic sister, from a southern warlock to a witch I salute you and hope blessings from above and behind keep you safe.

[@Sxcheschka]

I love the feeling of out of place chill forest music in Darkroot Forest. Makes it feel less foreboding than it actually is.

[@jimbo_13]

The sound they make when they die is so eerie.

[@phyllotaxis]

There's actually a bird that sounds like them IRL, they're called loons. Got a lot of them where I live, was funny hearing their call from a mushroom.

[@noatrope]

@@phyllotaxismushloons

[@Winterose.]

This whole thing alone was the sole reason Darkroot Garden was my favourite DS1 area in complete sincerity, I'd be thrilled to see those mushrooms every playthrough

[@ApapaneNui]

“This does only punish players cruel enough to attack the Mushrooms and clueless enough to chase them.” *Shows Petrus*

[@CrusixOfficial]

So, I can beat up kid mushrooms and they'll just take me to the chest, awesome

[@JoseViktor4099]

Toad had a glow up on DS1. A shame they nerfed bro into an item.

[@skirdus367]

i will in fact be following them in order to make sure they are okay

[@dangerousdays2052]

Imagine how good they would taste if you chopped them up and mixed them in with some sriracha beef and rice. 🤤🤤

[@elarialialesleimmanis2350]

I am not sure if I feel old or not with this piece of nostalgia. I remember being obsessed with these guys. It was also like, the go-to thing people spoke about, if not the forest with evil trees.

[@ImThePr3s]

Two things the mushroom parents are good at: protecting their kids and throwing hands

[@that1guyinthebackoftheroom717]

I love how they actually have previous stains of blood to show they stand on BUSINESS

[@doctorreed_]

korok forest night theme is just perfect for these mushroom creatures

[@PlushLordOfTheSeas]

huh, I must have walked right past those lil mushroom fellas, or let them pass and move along since there was no reason to fight something that would just go away on it's own when you're just looking for the next bonfire.

[@WholesomeDungareeWearer]

the way the smaller mushrooms are positioned in a circle around the big ones is like a fairy circle which is what happens when some mushrooms release their spores, they cause more mushrooms to grow in a ring shape around the parent

[@TheNikKon]

Its not said enough, but the pure level of *trolling* done in dark souls 1 puts it head and shoulders above every other title, even those made by fromsoft. Truly a masterclass.

[@Necrotheos]

Y'know, sometimes I wonder if game developers watch this stuff and are happy to see someone appreciating the stuff in their work, it's like finding secrets, but those secrets reveal how much work is going into these games. I love this stuff, thank you for still uploading this stuff!

[@atif45602]

I like how detailed and thought through early game was, and then comes the second half of the game

[@Peptuck]

This sort of thing reminds me of Chrono Trigger, where virtually every single enemy encounter in the game was handcrafted with little details of how the enemies entered the battlefield, like a monster sliding down the railing of a staircase or enemies patrolling in a circle that you could sneak past if you were careful.

[@imos_theos]

This trap also assumes you'll attack a passive mushroom child which, I'd hope, most people probably don't do. I just walked by the mushroom children on my first playthrough and cautiously approached the mushroom parents until they swung at me. I don't really attack any enemies in any game I play until I'm given a reason to. It's more enjoyable to observe the world of a game you're playing than to destroy it.

[@isaackane4931]

Kind of nice to see how much effort went into creating a "trap" scenario for the player. Compared to something like, an enemy just hiding behind a corner that jumps into an instant grab animation. Which seemed like it made up most of the "traps" in Elden Ring.

[@ClumsyLvL100]

Zullie, i love your vids, thank you so much for all these years of cool trivia! ❤

[@Dialgadude]

I'll never forget my first time entering Darkroot Garden, completely uneased thanks to the wide open space in contrast with the tight corners I was used to prior to that point. I was going as slowly as possible and scanning the horizon as thoroughly as I could. I just about lost it when I turned my camera and saw two mushroom children in the far distance emerge from behind a tree, just strolling and minding their own business, and then one of them did the tripping animation. Lordran felt just a little bit bigger thanks to this small moment I had with the game.

[@procow2274]

Heccin bamboozled by a fungus

[@thetruemonarch9354]

This is something I rarely think of but, in Souls, it makes sense most enemies are just kind of hanging around, as most are Hollows which seem to only react to nearby stimuli like sound and movement. It's why I always assumed Havel, or whoever it was locked in that tower, never just busted the door down but the second you open it you smell what The Rock is cookin.

[@Mister_Eiffel]

Never forget the dark spirit mushroom elders you can face when gravelorded. Quite the vigor check

[@rieJW]

This video just makes me sadder about all the dead mushrooms in Farron’s keep

[@MISTAWULFY]

Everybody gangsta until the big shroom shows up

[@professorhazard]

beware the forest's mushrooms

[@TonyTheTGR]

I LOVED this stuff. THIS is what made Dark Souls the legend that it is.

[@Solibrae]

One nice feature of the Age of Sunlight mod is that it adds patrol routes for many more enemies throughout the game.

[@metazare]

To this day I still love the forest area with the mushrooms. I can't explain why, but something about it is extremely peaceful and calming. I like to turn the music off and just listen to the sounds of the area and watch the shroom children walk around.

[@crystalz-h1d]

Love the music you're using in your videos so much

[@Sinitsu]

It's all Zelda

[@EggBastion]

@@Sinitsu/videos And Kings Field pos others from time to time but I don't remember catching one

[@timothymenard1750]

I love the mushrooms, probably my favourite enemy in the soulsborne games

[@Saiharachii]

Startes growing muschrooms pass 10 days... thanks for the heads up...