Moldy Corpse

Moldy Corpse

Fungi-infested humans that can be found in the "Forest of Doom" area of the 2006 Konami Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (Japanese name: Akumajo Dracula: Gallery of Labyrinth) Nintendo Dual Screen (DS) video game. These unfortunate creatures are the end result of individuals who have foolishly consumed cursed mushrooms. Rather than being digested, the tainted myconid flourishes in the stomach, its hyphae growing outward throughout the body's arteries, veins, and capillaries, rapidly transforming the man or woman into a Moldy Corpse. There is no known cure for this condition. The disproportionately large fruiting bodies, that quickly grow out of a Moldy Corpse's thoracic vertebrae when the fiend feels threatened, can discharge large quantities of toxic spores; even the slightest physical contact with these small particles will result in a brief, but extremely painful, case of poisoning.

Moldy Corpses have 112 hit points (HP). A bounty of 95 experience points (EXP) and 3 skill points (SP) is awarded for every one of these creatures that you slay. Additionally, if you're fortunate, you may find a rare drop item after defeating one--an Amanita (a special item you'll need to bring to Wind if you wish to complete Quest #25, "Poison vs. Poison") or a Mushroom--you're more likely to get the former than the latter. They are particularly vulnerable to any attack that has the Piercing, Fire, Holy, or Petrify attributes associated with it. Conversely, they are resistant to the Dark elemental attribute. Moldy Corpse is listed as entry #068 in the game's monster encyclopedia.


Materials:
Newsprint, Kleenex, white/hot glue, wire twist ties, and acrylic paint.

Dimensions*:
(* The maximum height/width of this figure can vary considerably based on how the joints are positioned. The numbers given assume a "neutral" standing pose without the mushrooms attached.)
5.5 cm/2.6 in. x 2.5 cm/1.0 in. (highest point x widest point)

Articulation:
Nineteen points: Neck (2), shoulders (2), elbows (4), wrists (2), waist, hips (2), knees (4), and ankles (2).

Time:
Approximately one-and-a-half days. I sculpted and painted the Moldy Corpse figure in its entirety on July 1, 2008. I made the mushrooms that attach to its back the following morning on July 2.