The blighted refer to all of the ideogenic species created through Blight's blights. All blights created by Blight require direct or nearly direct transmission from existing species members. Some of the blighted that exist in the present Age of Reunion are listed below. Their CSMA classifications are included.

As of right now, all blighted can be considered semi-open species owned or co-owned by Auspice. 

Acquisition

If you wish to design your own blighted character or import an existing design, please consult Auspice with a description of your character idea, including name, pronouns, and how they were blighted. You can use this form: 

Name:
Pronouns:
Blighted Species: (which blighted species they are)
Source Species: (e.g. human, extradimensional being, closed species [see options below], cognitively enhanced animal) 

Origin: (how they were blighted; feel free to include exact or estimated dates)

TH Username: (only needed if this is your first blighted; for adding to the ML) 

Once you have permission, your character's details will be added to the Blighted ML without a number. Once you have the design, TH profile, and basic character details, Auspice will give an ML number. 

You can also commission Auspice for a design. As the blighted are by nature hybrids, the price and method of acquisition will vary depending on the source species. For humans and humanoid species, you can make use of the form for humanoid/humanlike notion and semi-custom designs, or consult Auspice for a custom. 

Certain closed species can be blighted as well. See specific details: 

• Umin: Luminwild, Alterumin

• Guluriums (created by Void_Gremlin): blighted Guluriums

• Taums (created by Happy): blighted Taums

Blight Creation and Modification

When Blight creates a new blight, the process is not entirely deliberate. They may have a clear vision—a concept, an aesthetic, a feeling they want to evoke—but in most cases, Blight guides the process more than they control it. Many characteristics of a blight emerge organically from this process: abilities Blight didn't consciously design, transmission vectors that simply felt right, and perhaps most notably, weaknesses. These are rarely something Blight chose to include; they tend to emerge as natural counterbalances, the magic stabilizing itself in ways that Blight cannot always predict.

Once a blight exists and has spread, it is not entirely static—but it is not easily changed, either. Blight can revise an existing blight to some extent, and any changes will take hold in newly infected individuals. Existing progeny, however, are unaffected; the blight they carry is already part of them. The more a blight has propagated, the harder it becomes to alter, as though the magic grows more entrenched the more it has taken root in the world. Blight can also modify a single individual directly—but like creation, this process is unpredictable, and the outcome may not be quite what was intended.

General Characteristics of Blights and the Blighted

Blights are magically created pathogens that can take many different forms—viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms, mutagens, parasites, or pure magic. The red fluid of Blight's body, which can be referred to as their "blood," contains all of the pathogens they have ever made. Nothing will infect others unless Blight wills it, but if it is touched and especially if it is ingested, Blight can infect the individual with anything they have created.

All blights require sufficient cognition to fully express their conversion. Human-level cognition is the general threshold; without it, a blight may fail to take hold, produce an unstable or partial effect, or simply cause illness. Animals can occasionally act as carriers or develop minor symptoms, but do not undergo true conversion. If an animal's cognition is expanded—through magic, gaining an Idea, or other means—they may become susceptible.

Certain properties are universal across all blighted, regardless of strain, emerging from the nature of Blight's magic rather than any individual blight's design:

• Perfusion: Blight maintains a connection to all their progeny. They can sense the location of any blighted individual, and with focus, can read their emotions and even their thoughts. They can also exert influence — issuing a command, instilling a compulsion, or nudging behavior in a subtle direction.

• Endogeny: All blighted are incapable of rejecting or hating Blight, even those transformed against their will. They are not compelled to feel warmth toward Blight and may be entirely indifferent, but active hatred is beyond them. Blighted individuals also share an instinctive recognition of and familiarity with one another—members of the same species understand each other naturally, and all blighted carry a sense of kinship with each other regardless of strain.

• Harmony: Blighted individuals cannot develop prejudice against one another. Personal grudges and conflicts are possible, but they are incapable of forming negative generalizations or expectations about other blighted without direct personal experience. This is a subtle effect rather than an imposed compulsion—it does not prevent conflict, but it does mean that the kinds of systemic bigotry that exist among ordinary people cannot take root among the blighted.

Chimeric Blighted

Most blights are able to hybridize to some extent—that is, multiple blights can infect the same individual. A blighted individual who is affected by multiple blights can be referred to as a "chimeric blighted." However, there are some considerations: 

• The blighted do not have any compulsions to infect other blighted. 

• The blighted have some resistance to other magical alterations; this includes other blights. There is a lower probability of a new blight successfully infecting an existing blighted. 

• Even if a blighted individual is in a state that is more instinctive and/or with reduced cognitive capacity (e.g. frenzied Alterveins, feral Lunarwilds, feral Ravenous types, etc.), they will sense a familiarity from other blighted. They would only attack another blighted if they were provoked (such as by attacking/injuring them), but some may not attack even then. 

As such, it is unlikely, though not impossible, for a blighted to become chimeric by accident. Those who do become chimeric usually either have prolonged and/or repeated exposure or specifically request to receive that blight. 

Here is a quick reference of the species listed here, in the format: 

Blighted Species Name | Blight Name | Co-Creator (if any)
CSMA Classification: (classification according CSMA.)
Creation Year: (in-lore year of creation)
Concept: (brief descriptor of the concept behind the species)
Warnings: (content warnings specific to the species)

Altervein | Alteric Blight
CSMA Classification: Hbx.P8.I3.Ss10.D0.T1.V9 • M2.Ci4c2.Li10.A6.W1
Creation Year: 1413
Concept: vampires
Warnings: blood, death, references to adult topics

Petalkin | Anthemia Blight
CSMA Classification: Hbx.P4.I3.Su2.Dp10t3.T3.V9 • M2.Cc2.Li8.At1r10.W1
Creation Year: 1475
Concept: flower gore/Hanahaki-inspired species
Warnings: flower gore, references to adult topics

Sporavenous | Sporavas Blight
CSMA Classification: Hb.P9.I10.Ss7.Dp1.T1.V9 • M6.Ci3c10.Li9.Ap9r10.W5
Creation Year: 1481
Concept: fungus-based cognizant zombies
Warnings: death, seizures, cannibalism, gore, mushrooms growing from body

Mutaravenous | Mutaravas Blight-Corruption | Collaboration with Eltrane (SymeSynth)
CSMA Classification: Hb.P9.I10.Su6.Dp2.T1.V9 • M9.Ci8c7.Li10.Ap9t8r10.W5
Creation Year: 1489
Concept: biomass-based cognizant zombies
Warnings: death, seizures, cannibalism, gore, body horror, assimilation

Eonian | Eonian Blight
CSMA Classification: Hx.P10.Ss10.V9 • M3.Ci3c5.Li10.A3
Creation Year: 1490
Concept: immortality hybridization blight
Warnings: none

Lunarwild | Lunarwild Blight
CSMA Classification: Hx.P7.I1.Su2.Dp4.T1.V9 • M1.Ci1.Li3.Ap6t8.W0 || Hx.P7.I9.Ss6.Dp4.T1.V9 • M9.Cd6c3.Li3.A8.W8
Creation Year: 1505
Concept: were-beasts
Warnings: animal bites, ferality, references to adult topics

Carriophor | Blighteria carriophum | Collaboration with Micro (VoidGremlin)
CSMA Classification: Hb.P7.I6.Ss4.Dp2.T1.V9 • M9.Cc4.Li10.A8.W4
Creation Year: 1595
Concept: zombie vulture-beasts
Warnings: death, decay, body horror, gore

Exuvian | Metarus Blight
CSMA Classification: Hb.P9.I7.Ss3.Dp2.T2.V9 • M7.Ci2c3.Li10.Ap7t6r9
Creation Year: 1915
Concept: molting arthropod hybrids
Warnings: body horror, parasites, bugs, references to adult topics

Mercurian | Mercurial | Collaboration with Simulacra
CSMA Classification: Hbx.P8.Ii10s6e10c2.Ss9.Dp10t1.T2.V9 • M9.Ci10.Li10.A9.W5
Creation Year: 2011
Concept: symbiotic metal replicating nanomachine entities
Warnings: symbiosis (entity within body)

Eradicated Blights

Bloodblighted | Black Bloodblight
CSMA Classification: Hbx.P9.I10.Ss8.V10 • M2.Cd10.Li10.A9.W0
Creation Year: 1463
Eradication Year: 1710
Concept: mindless vampire plague
Warnings: death, blood, loss of cognition

Ravenous | Ravas Blight
CSMA Classification: Hb.P9.I10.Su6.V10 • M4.Cd10.Ld10.Ap9r10.W0
Creation Year: 1470
Eradication Year: 1709
Concept: mindless zombie plague
Warnings: death, cannibalism, gore, parasites, loss of cognition

Alterveins were the original strain of vampire-like entities made by Blight — the first transformative blight that Blight made. They infect others by sharing blood, referred to as Alteric blood, and they have considerable a craving to both drink blood and a minor compulsion to infect others. They develop sharper teeth and pupils that become slits while they are excited or experiencing cravings. They have minor sensitivity to sunlight and a minor degree of shapeshifting, able to transform into certain animals or creatures. They gain minor powers to manipulate blood.

See the full details on the Altervein page. 

The Petalkin are those infected by the Anthemia blight, transmitted primarily by semi-magical, semi-biological pollen released by existing Petalkin. When wounded, Petalkin sprout flowers from their injuries instead of bleeding, and they possess extreme regenerative abilities with no sensation of pain. They can have an appearance identical to their appearance prior to blighting or enter a "blooming" state with distinct characteristics. 

This blight was created around 1475, not long after Blight's Actualization. Blight's original intention was to destroy a village with their more destructive blights, but they met a person who was kind and soft—but also blind, chronically pained, ostracized, and hurt by others. That person offered kindness even to Blight, even while lamenting the opportunity to see the lovely flowers of their hometown, which they once ran across fields of as a child. Blight decided to offer this person a gift: a new blight that would take away their pain and let them see beautiful flowers every day. That person accepted, and thus became the first Petalkin. 

Genesis and Lifecycle

Anthemia primarily spreads through pollen transmission, primarily affecting those who are badly hurt, chronically injured, frequently ill, and/or experiencing profound emotional pains, including loneliness and heartbreak. The vulnerable become infected by breathing in pollen released by other Petalkin. In united society, most Petalkin have magitechnological implants or enchantments that prevent involuntary pollen production.

The infection manifests differently depending on the nature of the individual's "hurt":

• Physical wounds:  Over 1-2 days, they stop feeling the pain of their wounds. Any persistent or new injuries after that point will bleed less and heal faster, along with bloodied plants growing from the wounds. 5-10 days after infection, with more severe injuries leading to faster transformation, they will no longer shed any blood and the blighting is complete. 

• Emotional wounds: Those afflicted by "heart-wounds" such as loneliness or heartbreak begin coughing up bloody petals within 3 days of infection. They gradually lose their sensation of pain along with the symptoms growing more severe over the course of 1-2 weeks, peaking during the last third of the timeline, where they will cough out full, clean flowers. After this, the symptoms eventually cease and the blighting is complete. If "heart-wounds" are concurrent with physical wounds, symptoms will follow the physical timeline with the addition of coughing up flowers. 

Anthemia has relatively low infectivity under normal circumstances, but Petalkin experience seasonal cycles where infection becomes more likely. During spring (and rarely during other flowering seasons), Petalkin experience a blooming cycle. This manifests differently for different individuals, including but not limited to the following possibilities: 

• The Petalkin becomes unable to suppress their blooming and releases significant amounts of pollen with higher infectivity than usual. 

• The Petalkin experiences something like a mating cycle, where they have increased urges to engage in intimacy and can release aphrodisiac aromatics when excited. These Petalkin will plant seeds in others' bodies, which become a dormant form of infection. If the individual experiences intense or lasting hurt, then the seed will activate and blight them. 

• The Petalkin's body becomes extremely fragile, leading to easily losing fingers and limbs (which grow back in seconds). Where their body parts fall, a small garden of Anthemia flowers will bloom indefinitely. 

The cycle manifests in ways the individual would be least opposed to, though it cannot be completely avoided. More details can be found on the blighted reproduction lore page. 

Petalkin typically have double to triple their original lifespan, though there are rare cases of extreme longevity. They maintain their youthful appearance until death, which feels much like becoming sleepier and sleepier each day until they lay down and cease to wake. They tend to be able to sense when their life is coming to an end. Once they enter their final rest, Anthemia flowers bloom and overtake their body. The body will be completely gone within a week, and the flowers that remain are referred to as an Anthemian Garden. These flowers are infectious, but less so than living Petalkin, and they cannot spread far from the site of where the Petalkin laid to rest.  

Characteristics and Abilities

The most distinct characteristic of Petalkin is their floral regeneration: all physical injuries result in flowers growing from their wounds instead of bleeding. 

• Growth can happen regardless of the kind of injury, including cuts (flowers from wounds), impact (flowers from mouth), and burns (flowers popping up on surface). 

• They may sprout flowers from their mouth and eyes when sad or emotionally hurt, instead of crying. 

• So long as the flowers/plants are still on their body, they can control them, using them for purposes such as self-expression, extra limbs, and weapons. 

• Flower types grown can be influenced by a Petalkin's personal understanding of floral symbolism.

• Flowers can be real or fictional, and have realistic or unnatural colors. Commonly, vines and leaves of plants grown have a particular color for a Petalkin. 

Petalkin do not have any sensation of pain, though they retain other sensations; due to their lack of pain, they tend to injure themselves easily. However, they have extreme regenerative abilities that allow them to recover from nearly any physical injury. 

• Their wounds heal within seconds to minutes, though full incineration or other similar obliteration can still kill them. 

• The flowers they grow will remain on the surface of their skin, though they can fall off easily as well. 

• Their lack of pain and quick regeneration tends to lead them to think little of injuring themselves to access their abilities. They may, for instance, cut the skin of their collar or arms to grow "clothing" made out of the material of petals and leaves. This clothing can have an appearance quite similar to normal clothing if the Petalkin practices with manipulating their plants. 

Petalkin do not need to eat, though they can; they are able to survive on photosynthesis and water. A little sunlight every day can sustain them, or they may bask in the sun for ten hours to last them several months. If they need water, they can injure themselves to grow roots that extract nutrients and water from the soil. During winter months or other times of dark and/or cold, Petalkin do not feel pain from cold or lack of light; they simply become sleepier and softer. They often gather in piles for warmth and mutual grooming (brushing hair, cleaning each other, etc.). 

In their base state, Petalkin do not necessarily have distinct visual characteristics. They can enter a blooming state, however, that has distinct characteristics. They can also manifest minor or specific characteristics of blooming at will, which include: 

• Petal-like "ears," with shapes and colors varying from individual to individual.

• Hair with colors of flower petals; this commonly affects base form for many Petalkin. 

• Eyes with unusual colors and pupil shapes.

• Hair that behaves like controllable vines, able to grow, shrink, and move at will.

• Flowers blooming in their hair. 

• Small claws. 

The flowers they bloom may also release aromatics based on their emotional state. These are magical-biochemical compounds that induce effects in other beings regardless of species, though they are much less effective for non-biological species. For example, a Petalkin can: 

• release an aromatic that improves mood when they are happy. 

• release aromatics that attract other Petalkin but repel others when they are sad.

• release a sedative aromatic when they are in extreme distress, which has a calming effect on themself and a paralytic effect on others. 

• release an aphrodisiac aromatic when they are aroused. 

The intensity can vary, with some individuals generally having more intense aromatics and some releasing lighter ones. They will only be released if flowers are present, such as if they were hurt or in their blooming state. Many Petalkin will manifest their claws to injure themselves if they want to manifest their flowers. 

Behaviors

In the early years of the Anthemia blight's existence, Petalkin naturally gravitated toward light-rich environments. They often formed peaceful communities in meadows, forest clearings, and other sunny locations. These communities might have simple housing or they may simply live in the wilderness. For the most part, they had simple, peaceful lives away from the sources of their original suffering. In general, Petalkin communities are gentle, with most members lacking a desire to fight others, though they can be formidable in combat if provoked given that the more injuries they sustain, the more material they have to manipulate. Some continued to live amidst in broader society, spreading the blight naturally through daily interactions, intentionally or not. 

As the blight spread and years passed, different societies responded differently to them. Some magical societies accepted them and even saw them as blessings, given their low infectivity and the way they took the pain away from those who were suffering. Blighted communities often accepted them, with the company sometimes leading to multi-blighted individuals. Various stories and myths around them cropped up, including stories similar to the concept of Hanahaki disease; Blight encouraged the spread of many of these stories, as they often led to the blighted seeking deeper connections with others and thus spreading the blight to them as well (which is a happy ending in Blight's books). 

In the present Age of Reunion, Petalkin have employed their abilities for endeavors such as therapeutic gardens and counseling. There are processes for controlled infection, involving proper informed consent, with some individuals (such as those with chronic pain or other health issues) applying to become blighted if they do not have a personal Petalkin contact. 

The Sporavenous are a species of "cognizant zombies" created through the infection of a biological host by the Sporavas fungus. They are colloquially referred to as Sporas. The "Ravenous" broadly refers to all "zombies" created by Blight.

Most Sporas exist in a quarantined area consisting of a Sanctuary and a limited area of "hunting grounds;" this region is called Somorva. They are immortal, not aging and regenerating from most injuries, so long as they somewhat regularly consume raw flesh of any creature. Manufactured "meat" developed in united society can sustain them, but they tend to feel weak or ill in the long term.

A small number of Sporavenous live in united society with magitechnological implants that significantly reduce the infectivity of their body fluids and spores, in addition to suppressing their compulsions to attack uninfected individuals. However, they still need to eat raw and fairly fresh meat frequently to reduce the risk of triggering their feral state. In an emergency, the implant can also sedate them and teleport them to a facility where they can be calmed down. 

Genesis

When an individual is infected, the fungus integrates with the host's brain and spinal cord, leaving personality and will intact but causing the development of intense urges to consume raw flesh of uninfected individuals. An individual can be infected by Sporavas through body fluids and inhalation of airborne spores. If an individual is bitten or swallows a fair amount of blood, spit, tears, or other fluids, the infection is rapid, occurring over a matter of minutes. After 1-10 minutes, the individual will lose consciousness, go through a tonic-clonic seizure of 10 seconds to a minute while blackening fluid leaks out of their mouth, eyes, and nose, and then they immediately gain consciousness in a feral state with intense hunger. 

If an individual is infected through airborne spores, the infection is much slower, occurring over a few days to a few weeks depending on their level of exposure. They may start to experience blackouts or missing memories, which eventually escalates to absence seizures. Eventually, they will experience a tonic-clonic seizure similar to what those infected by fluids experience, arising as a Ravenous. 

Sporavenous usually do not emit spores, but every month, they go through a fruiting cycle. During this time, their aggressive urges decrease and they sprout mushrooms, usually out of their back or the sides of their head, that release a large amount of spores. They are compelled to protect the mushrooms until they are done releasing spores, after which the mushrooms fall off. These are actually safe to eat, and are considered a rare delicacy by certain crowds.

A certain level of cognitive and biological complexity is needed for the Sporavas fungus to take root. Humans are most susceptible, with most normal animals having a degree of resistance to infection; the more intelligent the animal, the more susceptible it is. If they are infected, they gain a level of cognition similar to that of a human.

Characteristics

A human infected by the Sporavas fungus has the following characteristics: 

• pale pupils that look somewhat like cataracts.

• black or very dark body fluids (blood, tears, spit, other fluids).

• extremely slow and faint heartbeat (10-30 bpm), no natural body heat, and sluggish blood flow.

• black nails

A prominent behavioral characteristic is that they go feral, or "ravenous," the moment they catch the sound of a heartbeat combined with the scent of a living, organic being that is not already blighted. An intense hunger and compulsion to bite consumes them, often leading them to attack. If the heartbeat fades or the scent is no longer present, then the urge can fade; both must be present. Scent blockers can work to prevent the urge, but it is still considered very risky for a uninfected individual to be near a Ravenous. A feral ravenous has the following characteristics: 

• black/dark veins might appear on their face and body. 

• they release excessive amounts of black/dark drool. 

• their sclera or the entirety of their eyes may turn black/dark.  

They need to eat their body weight in raw meat every six months, whether in small amounts or all at once, but in reunited society, most tend to eat regularly. If they starve, they will become indefinitely ravenous before their body starts blackening and decaying. 

Given their regenerative abilities, they can actually eat pieces of each other to sustain themselves, but doing so is mentally uncomfortable and the flesh has a tougher, bitter quality, so it is generally avoided. 

Abilities

• Immortality: they do not age and can regenerate from almost all injuries, so long as they somewhat regularly consume raw flesh of any creature. All their body parts can be controlled and move independently even if cut to pieces. They can generally only be destroyed via fire, annihilation via magic, and other similar methods of obliteration, though they are fairly weak to fire. 

• Physical strength and agility: they have drastically increased strength and agility, though this mostly presents in their feral state. 

• Distributed and enhanced cognition: their cognition is distributed across their Sporavas-laden brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. This allows them to multitask easily and for them to remove separated body parts, in addition to enhancing their memory and other cognitive abilities. However, they do have more instances of their limbs having "a mind of its own," acting in a way not expected to the main brain cognition. 

• Metabolic suspension: they can suspend or balance some of their metabolic processes. For instance, they do not need to breathe, as the fungus sustains them through anaerobic respiration. They can also shut down their senses and lock their body in a state similar to rigor mortis to enter a sort of "hibernation," in case they do not have access to any food. They might appear like a human corpse in this state. They will "reactivate" at the scent and sound of a living creature that draws extremely close, and they will immediately attack upon awakening. 

• Minor shapeshifting: Sporas can shapeshift in minor ways, which can allow them to permanently or temporarily change elements of their physique to better align with their identity. 

• Regeneration: while basic wounds and reattachment of parts occurs automatically, Sporavenous can also activate full regeneration for a part attached to their central nervous system. Depending on how much needs to be regenerated, this can lead to exhaustion and activation of a feral state. If their body parts are not destroyed, they are compelled to consume any pieces lying around. Very rarely, multiple parts (e.g. if head is separated from spine, or if the body was bisected down the middle) can activate regeneration, but the "clones" will be strongly compelled to tear apart and eat the other, even if they are far apart. After consumption, the memories and experiences are merged. 

• Mycelium growth: Sporas can induce separated body parts to break down and grow "Sporas mycelium," which they are able to instinctively communicate with and control, though the mycelium has its own natural growth patterns and can have something of a mind of its own. If left alone, the mycelium will naturally grow and consume organic material to form fruiting bodies that release a small amount of spores. Sporas can reabsorb all the mycelium by touching it. They can also direct the growth for purposes such as construction and artistry. Sporas who feel especially close to each other may place a piece of their flesh in another Sporas's body, establishing a connection that allows them to intuitively understand the others' emotions, intentions, physical state, and more. If they also receive the other's flesh, the connection becomes mutual. If several Sporas do this with each other, they can form something like a hivemind network. The Sporas who gave the flesh can remove it from one who received it by making physical contact, if they wish. 

Hives

Lunarwilds are a strain of "were-beings," including werewolves, that have lasted to present day. In their base state they look human and are not infectious, but they can transform by will or under the moonlight into a different form (not necessarily a wolf, but usually an animal) that is much more animalistic and infectious, with any bitten creature also becoming infected with the Lunarwild blight. Lunarwilds have severe reactions to silver.

See the full details on the Lunarwild page. 

The Carriophum blight creates Carriophors via exposure to the saliva of existing Carriophors. The infectious agent is the Blighteria carriophum bacterium, which can only live in rotting or partially rotting flesh. 

It was created through Micro's experimentation with the Lunarwild blight to create a zombie-like disease as a "gift" to Blight around 1601, after the "mindless blights" were eradicated. Blight then further refined the blight before releasing it to the world in the form it is known as today. 

Carriophors eat and completely disintegrate dead or rotting material, normally carcasses left behind by Lunarwilds. Like vultures, they eat the carcass down to the bones, leaving only basic compounds that nourish the soil below. Typically, they follow a pack of Lunarwilds or some are mixed into the group. They are completely blind, but their sense of smell and hearing is extremely acute to make up for this loss of sight, and they recognize decaying flesh by the smell. 

Genesis

Those who eat any decaying flesh exposed to Carriophor saliva can become one in turn, since their saliva is potent in distributing the blight. The blight cannot persist for very long after the flesh is fully decayed, however, so environmental infection otherwise is limited. Consuming the saliva of a Carriophor may make one sick but blighting is unlikely without a "catalyst" of rotting flesh. However: 

• If an individual is afflicted with a condition that causes ulcers or necrosis, exposure to saliva may lead to blighting. 

• Most bites from Carriophors can cause blighting if not treated immediately. Their bites stop blood from clotting and can cause necrosis in most cases. 

Otherwise, it is actually quite safe for the living to interact with them. 

If there is rotting flesh present for the Carriophum blight to form a reservoir in, the bacteria will start to multiply and invade the host's cells, mutating them over the course of several days. The host may become violently ill, vomiting out black liquid the smells of decay as their flesh darkens and their body mutates. Their eyes will lose vision, the flesh blackening and leaking black fluid like tears, while their sense of smell will become more enhanced along with the smell of decay becoming pleasant to them. Eventually, they lose consciousness and enter a state like death with no breath or heartbeat, during which the transformation will be completed. From that point on, the bacteria will provide the body's energy supply at a cellular level.

Characteristics

These are visual characteristics that are always present in Carriophors: 

• beast-like appearance

• no eyes

• some exposed flesh

• overdevelopment of teeth (large teeth, sharp teeth, fangs, and/or multiple rows)

• growth of wings, typically bird-like

• body fluids (saliva, blood, etc.) are all black or otherwise very dark 

  • Saliva is less viscous (more watery) while blood is thicker, like honey. 

These characteristics are sometimes present:

• development of bone structures like spikes and talons

• a pharyngeal jaw—a hidden secondary mouth like some eels 

• mutations—these are more likely to develop the longer they live and if they consume decayed Carriophors, and can include:

  • additional mouths 

  • additional limbs

  • unusual or distorted anatomy

Additionally, they have no heartbeat, and breathing is not necessary. They have no sense of pain, along with a somewhat dulled sense of touch. Their bodies are cooler than most animals, but not completely cold. 

Their flesh is generally unpleasant to the taste, being a mix of sweet, sour, and bitter. 

Behaviors

After transformation, Carriophors will be driven to consume more carcasses to fill their stomach with a place for the blight bacteria to multiply. Normally, they do not exude much of a scent besides external scents that linger on them, but if they go too long without eating, the bacteria may consume some of the Carriophor's own flesh to sustain itself, which can cause them to release a scent of both sweetness and rot, with the sweet smell marking them as 'not food, need food' to other Carriophors. They will not feel pain, but they will become ravenous, and their body may start to visibly decay after 1-2 months without eating. They can still move around even if a significant portion of their body has rotted away, but eventually, if their brain is consumed or rotted—which may occur after 3-6 months of not eating anything—they will just become a rotted carcass that releases a scent that strongly attracts other Carriophors to consume them.

Many Carriophors form flocks that follow Lunarwild packs, many of which go on monthly hunts on the full moon. These pack-flock pairs may or may not be social and friendly with each other, but there is generally at least some communication. Some merge into one group, rather than separating the flock and pack. Since Carriophors do not need to eat often, outside of feeding times, they may remain with their flock or engage in their own personal activities. In some cases, Carriophors do not communicate with others and simply scavenge where they can.

Carriophor flocks typically have some sense of a leader, though it is typically informal and their roles vary. However, they are generally responsible for calling other members of their flock when it is some for a mass feeding, such as when a Lunarwild pack is on the hunt.

Abilities

Human Shapeshift: Carriophors can have a humanlike or humanoid form, taken by will, though their default is their beast form. This form either has no eyes or empty, black eye sockets. 

Enhanced Olfaction and Hearing: They have powerful senses of smell and hearing, able to locate members of their flock from long distances. They can hear their flock's calls from no matter how far away they are, so long as they are in the same atmosphere or airspace. 

Ageless Immortality: they do not age.

Regeneration: For a week or two eating, they can regenerate any injuries, including lost limbs and decayed parts of their body. They can even regenerate parts of their brain if only a portion was damaged. 

Decomposition: Their saliva can accelerate the decaying process of any flesh that has started the process of decomposition. However, this does not affect healthy flesh.