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Cordyceps Brain Infection
The Infected are mutated humans, reshaped into horrific new forms by a recombinant fungal infection (Cordyceps Brain Infection.) The fungus grows while the host is still alive, taking away their higher brain function (and with it, their humanity), causing the resulting creatures to be hyper-aggressive, who will attack any uninfected human on sight.
Runners: Humans afflicted by the first stage of the infection are known as Runners. They still possess a sense of humanity and retain most of their human features, with notable exceptions of rotting and discolored skin. The Runners run at humans and travel in packs. They try to fight back against the fungus, but can't stop it. Since they still have their sight, unlike Clickers, they will more easily spot you from a distance.
Stalkers: Have the vision and speed of Runners, with the ferocity of Clickers. The most notable physical traits that define the Stalkers are the distinct croaking noises they make, the beginning of fungal growths on the head and face with only one eye left, the development of pseudo echolocation, and their discretion upon spotting a victim at distance. They will strafe and take cover, eventually closing in on the victim, hence the name "Stalker". Up close, Stalkers are very aggressive and will charge directly at the victim. Stage 2 may take place anywhere between months after the start of the infection (Stage 1) and up to a few years (Stage 3).
Clickers: They have had prolonged exposure to the fungus and are completely blind. Navigation is still possible using an adaptive echolocation, similar to that of bats. This makes an eerie clicking sound, thus earning Clickers their nickname. Their appearance is less human than that of Runners, with their faces being skewed and scarred by fungus. Clickers are comparatively more aggressive than Runners and no longer resist the fungus. They aren't bound by morality or reasoning anymore, having lost their humanity long ago. They will always attack upon sound (or allegedly smell).
Bloaters: The fourth, final, and most dangerous stage of infection. Bloaters take a very long time to develop, making them the rarest of the infected. They are covered in thick fungus that effectively doubles as armor plate. Due to this protective covering, they can withstand multiple hits from weapons such as the Shotgun and Hunting Rifle, and even hatchets and machetes making them extremely tough to eliminate. Bloaters are extremely aggressive, but are rather slow-moving causing them to be more predictable than other infected. Like Clickers, Bloaters 'see' using echolocation to locate and trap a survivor. Because the fungus has completely deformed their face and blinded them, their echolocation is a lot less refined than the Clickers. If a Bloater grabs a survivor, it will forcefully rip their jaw apart through brute strength, or grab the player's head and smash it, killing them instantly. There is no way to defend yourself if grabbed - the result is an instant kill. Bloaters will throw sacks of Mycotoxin, a toxin produced by many fungi in the real world. The sack will explode on impact, spraying the target with the toxin. The Mycotoxin will hurt the player over time, so it is recommended to avoid these deadly clouds.
A LITTLE MORE BACKGROUND: The fungus reportedly originated in South American crops; various newspapers in the prologue support this claim. The fungus infects the human brain, growing mycelium inside the brain tissue and killing the brain's cells. This erases their memories and drives them insane, modifying their instincts to seek no goal other than spreading the spores to others. Eventually the fungus will kill its host, and will then grow out of the host's head to spread spores. Public reaction to the Infected has been catastrophic. As the vicious fungus has taken hold of the majority of the population, spreading havoc and panic far and wide, the worldwide pandemic causes the total breakdown and destruction of society through widespread violence; the failure of martial law to contain the outbreak, the military's increasingly violent efforts to censor information, and the near-extinction of mankind. The Fireflies - a militia group formed in response to military oppression - have conducted a mostly futile war against the dysfunctional government. The group is one of the few remaining organizations that believe they can create a vaccine through study of the fungus and its hosts. Those who are clear of infection are ordered by martial law to reside within a Quarantine Zone. The military at one point bombed areas outside the Quarantine zones to withhold the infected and executed anyone suspected of infection on sight.
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