Once classified as unseelie due to their seemingly mysterious appearance despite no young or breeding females ever being observed, the redcap is now in the process of being reclassified as seelie by the Collegium, as their nature and function are better understood. Rather than being animal, as had been supposed, redcaps are now known to be fungal, with their usual form being a nearly invisible network of mycelium. When they wish to spread their spores, however, redcaps will produce motile fruiting bodies that, to the observer, seem humanoid or even goblinoid. Since proper dispersion of spores requires a violent impact against the fruiting body, redcaps therefore mindlessly seek out combat. Once regarded as a perennial scourge, they can now best be understood as a menace that can be dealt with using a minimum of force and little danger in the loss of life and limb if a fungicidal agent is put in place.

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