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Post by Charlie on Nov 3, 2012 23:20:53 GMT -5
Okay, I have to be quick, but this is basically my theory. The Gorgonian Grotto was infact, a place where VFD members went to study books and stuff. They would light up the lamps and read stuff, and leave messages for one another in Verse Fluctuation Diocese. If the Medusoid Mycelium flared up, they would eat from the tin of wasabi that had been placed there. The Medusoid Mycelium was put here as a way of stopping those that were not noble from getting in. If you were noble, you would know that Horseradish/wasabi cured it, and when it flared up you would eat it, and be cured. If you were ignoble, you would not know this, and would die. I will modify later explaining how this could be related to AA
Discuss
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Post by Christmas Chief on Nov 4, 2012 7:13:59 GMT -5
According to Fiona, the Grotto was formerly a research center, so its not impossible volunteers journeyed there to read important documents and exchange secrets. However, the detritus - the letter, the wasabi - seem to have been washed up from the currents, rather than placed there by volunteers. Kit's letter to Gregor tells us something about the origins and purpose of the Medusoid Mycelium. They knew the horseradish factory on Lousy Lane could provide some cure to the Mycelium, but I'm not sure they were aware wasabi was a culinary equivalent, and it doesn't explain why there was no horseradish in the Grotto (the Baudelaires didn't find any, and surely the antidote would be fairly visible if it were necessary for volunteers to escape).
The letter also tells us the mushrooms would indeed act as a guard against villainous people. Presumably, a villain trying to steal information from Anwhistle Aquatics would die from the Mycelium waxing at some point during the journey. Something went wrong, though, and the mushrooms took over the research center.
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Post by Charlie on Nov 5, 2012 3:25:51 GMT -5
Sorry, I haven't read TGG in such a long time, I had forgotten all of that. I still think that perhaps it might be/ once have been, but yeah. It seems less likely now
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Post by Dante on Nov 6, 2012 8:23:37 GMT -5
I think most likely the Medusoid Mycelium was not grown in the grotto intentionally, or at least not "in the wild," as it were, but spread there after an accident at Anwhistle Aquatics, possibly an accident related to its destruction. The grotto would not be a safe place lined with mosaics of the organisation's history and an important pumping machine to drain it for meetings if it was also infested with a deadly fungus.
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Post by Old Swinburne on Nov 6, 2012 11:32:38 GMT -5
I haven't read TGG for a while, but wasn't it described as having a paved floor, underneath the sand? If it was, it could probably be some sort of Roman subterranean system, with the Vertical Flame Diversions being built by VFD afterwards? Or something.
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Post by Dante on Nov 6, 2012 12:00:34 GMT -5
The floor was specifically tiled with mosaics depicting scenes from V.F.D.'s history and portraits of figures who had inspired the volunteers.
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Post by Old Swinburne on Nov 6, 2012 15:07:19 GMT -5
And so my idea falls down. Ah well, back to the theorising board.
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Post by Charlie on Nov 7, 2012 1:53:01 GMT -5
Do we know where the Medusoid Mycelium came from originally? Was it being held at the Horaeradish Factory or something. Actually, what was the Horseradish Factory used for anyway? The only mention of real horseradish we get in the books (from memory) is the amount concealed in the jar of white beans. Where on Earth are they putting all the Horseradish they must produce? Veritable French Diner? Distributed between volunteers? Sold to spice companies?
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Post by Dante on Nov 7, 2012 5:08:05 GMT -5
It's unclear where Medusoid Mycelium comes from. As I recall it, Mushroom Minutiae indicated that it grew in the Gorgonian Grotto, and that was written while Anwhistle Aquatics was still in existence. Perhaps I should revise my opinion that it only spread their later, therefore, if it was already there and Gregor just took it for his experiments, but I still find it unlikely that V.F.D. had such an elaborate meeting-place where incredibly poisonous and proliferative fungi grew. Perhaps Anwhistle Aquatics was built partly to contain and control it, but after the building was destroyed then it spread out again.
Edit: Also, Kit's letter in TGG implies, but doesn't state, that the horseradish factory was constructed to create more horseradish purely to neutralise the Medusoid Mycelium, but of course people think the fungus is extinct and yet the factory still exists. I guess they just make a profit on horseradish on the side.
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Post by Charlie on Nov 7, 2012 5:37:31 GMT -5
It's always been a thing that puzzled me kinda. Like you said, if everyone thought it was extinct, why is it still up and running. Perhaps only a select few knew about the Medusoid Mycelium's continuing existance. I don't know really. Whoever left the wasabi there probably did, just saying
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Post by Lucas on Nov 10, 2012 23:40:49 GMT -5
Perhaps only a select few knew about the Medusoid Mycelium's continuing existance. I don't know really. Whoever left the wasabi there probably did, just saying Your probably right. There would of have to have been someone who knew about it. Wouldn't there be? But then again thats the wrong question.
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