So I couldn't stand by and watch the tops of the p-stems continue to shrivel, figured there was no point so I started cutting. Unfortunately I got all the way to ground level and and was left wit this:
Soft, brown mushiness, especially in the center where the meristem would be. I am not so optimistic about the viability of the corm now, but I will of course wait and see what happens over the next month or so as things warm up
It seems strange to me that this plant, even though it is a seedling of potentially questionable heritage, would do so poorly from a cold standpoint given our mild year. I have to acknowledge the possibility the soil I used (landscape supply garden soil with minimal amendment on my part) didn't drain well enough, or being a relatively wet area, wicked up (raised bed) enough moisture to keep the corm over wet and therefore causing rot.
Thankfully I have backups to continue the experiment with and will post more updates if anything of interest occurs.