The Underwood: dig to the heart.

What it is

A forest that is one living fungus under the ground. Its glowing trunks burst up round you when it wakes, and the roots at their feet lash anyone who stands near. It is based on the Oregon honey fungus, which covers more than 1,600 football pitches, and whose threads make dead wood glow.

Where and when it comes

• Under the forests: the Pinecrest Highlands, Emberwood and the jungle.
• Its heart lies about 12 metres below the ground, under the roots.
• It wakes when enough of its trees have been cut down nearby. Chopping six of its trees is what wakes it. Out in the world it does not come often, and where it was first met becomes its lair.
• When it sleeps again, it does so after about 60 seconds without disturbance.
• After one is slain, another cannot come for about 40 minutes.

Stats

Thing	Value
Health	800
Heart depth	About 12 metres under the ground
Wood it can reach	About 40 metres across
Lash	7 damage, about every 2 seconds, within about 2.2 metres of the roots
Signature: Root Burst	Three marks round you, 2.3 m across, 11 damage, about every 10 seconds
Wait before another comes	About 40 minutes

How the fight works

1. Waking. Cutting too many trees wakes it. Glowing fungal trunks burst up round you in a ring, closing you in.
2. Lashing. The roots at the foot of each trunk lash anyone who stands next to them.
3. Regrowing. Chopping the trunks does no good. They come back, and the fingers grow faster as its health falls.
4. Digging. Only its heart can be hurt. Dig straight down through the roots to reach it.

Where to hit it

Only the heart takes damage. Once it is half dead, the fingers grow twice as fast. When it is killed, the fingers crumble away.

Tips

• Plan the dig before you start. A shaft straight down to the heart is the way in.
• Do not stand beside a trunk for long. The lash comes every few seconds.
• Avoid cutting down whole stands of trees if you do not want the fight.

What it drops

Drop	Amount
Glowcap	16 to 25
Glowcap spores	6 to 11
Gold pieces	3 to 6
Emerald	1 to 2
Trophy	Underwood Heartwood

← Back to the wiki · Last updated 25 October 2026. Mantlenaut is in alpha, so things change.