Flesh Bound

From fungal infection/spreading, their spores attached to any living creature surface. The spore could spread out after attached to the surface, and led to fungal growth. The characteristics of the spore more like a soft and thin white cotton with a hint of grey. The stages of maturation: 1. Spore phase In this phase, a Carrier will release its spores and spread it by wind or touch. The spores automatically attached to the person and grew its first root, causing the spores stick to the victim skin or any surface. In this phase, the root only sticks to outer skin layer (in case of touch), or in the inner organ via air (airborne), digestion, or breathing. If the spore doesn’t contact with any living beings, the spore can survive indefinitely on any non-living surface, but only in spore or bloom phase (probably through contact with any other microscopic organisms or other funguses). 2. Bloom phase This stage happens almost instantly after the spore phase. The spore will immediately release its pheromones that induced sedative effect and hallucination. The fungal growth created pheromones that induced sedative and hallucination. During its maturation, the fungus would deep-rooted itself into the victim and released spores inside the victim. The sedative would reduce the victim’s activities (prevent the victim from pulling out the fungus or suicide), immune system and energy barrier, enhanced the maturation speed, and led to full control of the victim’s body. While the hallucination led to aggressive and destructive behavior toward certain target, especially the one that deemed dangerous for the fungus. If the spore doesn’t contact with living beings, the pheromones create illusion that lead every living being around the spore believe there’s no spore. WARNING: Burning the spores can create mass hallucination even with a respirator, when burned, these pheromones somehow able to pass any material pores. 3. Roots phase The root stage only happens if the person weakened. The root will run deep into the target blood vessels and organs. This phase will be completed in 12-48 hours depends on the victim protection, and this is the last phase where one can saved the victim. 4. 2nd Spore phase In this phase, the roots release another batch of spores into the victim circulatory system. The victim display symptoms like agitation, slurred speech, eye and muscle jerking, unable to communicate, bluish skin, subconjunctival bleeding, hyperpyrexia, bleeding from mucosa, and necrosis. These symptoms emerge only for 24 hours after the roots phase. While in this phase, the spore grows fast into small fungus all around the victim body along with new spores. 5. Carrier/Maniac phase Carrier since they now move around, continue spreading the spores. Maniac, because of the victim behavior become eccentric, sometime you can hear sudden laughter, also violence behavior. Maniac will attack any living being by sensing it (all 5 basic senses seem working). They appear like a deformed creature with spores and funguses all around its body. 6. Overgrowth phase After a few weeks, the funguses will further deform the body while absorbing nutrients from around them, causing the victim become unrecognizable. The creature size increase, and they become a walking giant plant with it spores and funguses still attached. 7. Silent phase After a few months, Overgrowths will grow silent and enter hibernation. During this phase, they become vulnerable, so protection from Maniacs or other Overgrowths are needed. 8. Evolved phase The maturation completes in 4-6 months. In evolved stage, the Overgrowth will lose its form (like metamorphosis). Not many information since no one has seen a living Evolved, and Silent stage is very rare.