Warning to you delicious cupcakers, some slight spoilers.
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Common Infected: The most basic and regularly encountered infected, whether they be man or animal. Easy to spot due to the blood running down from their eyes, otherwise look exactly like their previous self. Have increased strength, durability, and speed. Suffers from a decrease in intelligence and has a low potential for growth. But there are always exceptions.
When not chasing something, they enter into a sort of lethargic state where they either stand still or walk extremely slowly. Sometimes they can even be found in dark places hibernating, unaware of their surroundings. They do all of this to seemingly conserve energy.
Sometimes, it is not rare to find them attacking and consuming each other out of hunger. Or maybe something deeper makes them do such a thing?
They are usually the only infected who are unable to see the Walkers.
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The Walkers are special individuals who are able to walk among the common infected unseen. The infection in them is active, but has not turned them yet. Unfortunately, it is not all fun and games. They are oblivious to the virus changing their mindset, making them less empathic towards their own people.
Laying within them is a hidden power, just waiting for the right catalyst to come along and awaken them.
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Night Hunters: These nightmarish and extremely sadistic beings may only come out at night, or else they risk death due to the Sun. UV lights can damage them similar to sunlight, but without a high amount and a lot of time will be unable to kill them. Even with that weakness, they outclass nearly every other infected whether they be common or special.
True to their name, when night falls and the Sun retreats these monsters come out from their hiding places to prowl. They hunt anything, whether they be human or infected, and torture them horribly before killing them. Only a few special infected are able to ward them off, but then again, Night Hunters are rarely alone and prefer to hunt in packs.
From strength to intelligence, every aspect of them increases exponentially. Especially their regeneration. Given enough time, they could heal from even a severed limb.
With biological armor able to block anything below an assault rifle, claws and teeth that can easily tear through flesh as if it were butter, their ranged attacks, ability to adapt, and a desire for slaughter all come together to form a near perfect killing machine.
However, a small downside is that the majority of them like to play with their food and look down on their victims. Though, it is understandable when they can kill almost anything they come across.
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Bolter: Perhaps one of the more stranger types, the Bolter rarely ever engages in combat with another lifeform. The only exception would be when they are pushed into a corner and forced to fight. If anything, they resemble deers more than flesh eating monsters.
Since they tend to run away rather than fight, their diet consists of eating the dead. Though, for some strange reason they don't consume the special ones and opt to ignore them.
They have odd gray skin along with a sickly and frail looking body. Their arms and legs are far longer than an average humans. A lack of hair whatsoever makes them look even stranger.
Speaking of legs, despite having almost no muscle they can out of nowhere suddenly erupt with incredible speed. Even the quick Night Hunters are unable to catch them. But that will change given time.
These scavengers seem to pick up anything that interests them, usually something shiny, and take it back to their nest. Although, whether they use these items is unknown.
Unfortunately due to them only feasting on dead common infected, they can never come to their full potential. But if they can, they would surely become a force to be reckoned with.
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Juggernaut: A hulking infected of pure muscle that towers over most other creatures. At their smallest, these giants come in at about 7ft tall and at their largest will be around 12ft.
For some reason, they are constantly angry and lash out at anything that gets too close. It is still a mystery on where all that rage comes from.
With all that muscle, it is unsurprisingly to find out they carry a massive amount of strength. Even able to outperform a Night Hunter. Unfortunately, they heavily lack agility and mobility. But to any who underestimate them, they would soon become a meaty paste of flesh and bone.
Their attack patterns are very simple, only being punches or the rare kicks. However, despite their usual low intelligence, some have been seen wielding a weapon or even a shield.
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Alpha Variants: The Alphas are peak evolution, superior to their counterparts in every fashion whether it be strength, intelligence, cunning, and speed. Unlike nearly all other infected, they have the ability to communicate and the wisdom to hold conversations.
The majority rule over their subjects with an iron fist, and kill any who defy them or anger them. But some have been seen to be more lenient, more caring to their minions.
One of the terrifying thing about them, is that not all were born that way. Some special infected consumed enough lifeforms and went through plenty of battles to forcibly evolve themselves, shedding off their previous weaknesses. These are by far, the most powerful and dangerous Alphas.
The potential within their bodies is enormous and it is unknown where their limits lie. Given enough time, they might become strong enough to wipe out entire cities by themselves.
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The Breeder: This special class infected is an odd one to be sure for a few reasons. One of them being is that only women can be found among their ranks. The reason for that is still unclear.
By themselves, The Breeder is not well versed in the art of combat. However, they make up for this by being constantly surrounded by infected. Except for other special infected who generally ignore them and lack any interest, the more common ones do everything in their power to protect The Breeder and listen to any command they have.
They are very picky about who may guard them and only surround themselves with the strongest common infected. The weaker ones however, are to be food for the children.
To be captured by The Breeder, is to suffer a cruel unimaginable fate. Once taken into her nest, she will place her umbilical cords up all her victim's holes until over a foot is inside them. Then, she will pump them full of her strange liquid. The victims are placed into a hallucinogenic state where they constantly writhe in pain. It is unknown what they face in their own minds that makes them suffer so.
After a very short growth period, the Ripper Babies emerge from their chests in a horrific and painful manner. They are cared for by The Breeder for a brief time, before being sent out into the wild to fend for themselves. Though, some do continue to stay with their mother and protect her with their lives.
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The Behemoth: By far, this titan is the strongest infected to walk among land. Their gigantic size is the first thing people see, being anywhere from 10 meters to as high as 50 meters tall.
Like their size, the look of each one varies from Behemoth to Behemoth. Some are skinny, while other would be fat, a few even develop armor rather than only relying on their skin.
The larger they are, the more powerful they are. Even the weakest and smallest ones are invincible below Alpha level. But when they do evolve, they become walking nukes capable of wiping out a city by themselves if they wanted to.
However they must be careful, if they become complecant and lazy; their fellow Alphas will catch up to them and even overcome them. Luckily for the denizens of whichever planet they reside in, they are extremely rare and barely appear.
Unlike the Juggernauts who only have strength, The Behemoths have both that and the agility of a cat. Although the majority of them are unable to speak, they have a surprisingly large amount of intelligence.
They are also the only infected who refuse to follow others orders, similar to the Alphas.
If they come across the opposite gender, they proceed to mate immediately to produce an offspring. Like all other infected, their child is far more dangerous than the parents who birthed it.
But if they come across the same gender, they fight for superiority and for territory. Due to their pride, rarely do the fights not end with the death of one party.
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Mimic: A deadly and dangerous foe that you never see coming. True to their name, the Mimic hides in plain sight while wearing the disguise of another. As a friend, or a brother, and maybe even a lover.
These beings would rather stab you in the back with the face of the one you trusted most then fight you head on. A good portion of them love to keep their victim alive long enough, just so they could see who ended their life. And just like The Breeder, they do not make for fantastic fighters.
On the Mimic's hands are extremely sharp nails that vary in length, but are usually six inches. Using them like an artist, they expertly and surgically remove the skin from their victim's body. Then, the Mimic stitches the skin onto his/her own and morphs into the one they just killed.
However, it is not only the skin they take. Voice, memories, personality, little quirks, and even flaws, they take them all. Becoming a near perfect copy that could fool just about anyone. The Alpha version is even worse, since not only are they actual perfect replicas, they play the long con unlike their counterparts that only see the meat in front of them.
Some Mimic's try to create their own unique body by taking the best parts of multiple people. But no matter how hard they try, they can never hide the ugliness.
A newly born Mimic, or one that has yet to change, is an abomination that hates it's own form. A disgusting face missing a nose, ears, mouth, and eyeballs. Just like above, they lack any sort of skin below and only show the red muscle underneath.
When they see their own reflection, they do everything in their power to cover it up. Even if it involves attacking other infected or simply taking it from the dead.
The last thing about these doppelgangers, are their mesmerizing voices. They put the victim into a slight hypnotic state that clouds their mind and forces them closer and closer, similar to a siren. The Alpha is able to take this a step further and with enough time and exposure, enslave their prey.
As for the unfortunate sailor who has become a slave, they would go to any length in order to please their new master. Even at the cost of their own lives.
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Ripper Babies: These horrid little creatures are the offspring between The Breeder and her victims. With their dangerous weapons, small bodies leading to enemies letting their guard down, and unpredictable nature, it all combines to make them extremely dangerous in combat. It is recommended to never fight them indoors, as their strengths are heightened further.
Like their name might suggest, they have the appearance of a monster baby. Because of how they were born, they are a weird combination of both the native and Breeder who birthed it. This leads to the child having the physical traits of both it's parents. Sometimes, this can cause both infected and the native species to mistaken them for a regular helpless child.
Their height is small, usually only being around a foot to four feet when caught in the wild. When first born, they are a mere eight inches long. Although their size can change depending on who one of the parents is.
The growth rate of these little nightmares is extremely exaggerated. Within just a week or two of being born, they are ready to fight and kill. After two months, give or take, they are fully grown and take on their adult form. Once an adult, their danger level rises exponentially.
Similar to the Mimic, the Ripper Babies would rather use an ambush type of strategy and attack their foes from the cover of darkness.
This deadly little infected has a wide range of lethal weapons within it's arsenal. To start with, the teeth. Even when just a baby, these fangs are already fully developed and ready to tear any flesh apart. When being born, they use them to escape from their parent's chest rather forcibly. Which unfortunately, causes the victim a metric ton of agony.
Next up would be their speed. Due to their light weight and small stature, they are highly agile and can move insanely fast. Usually, one never sees them coming. Even if known to be there. Only a few special people have fast enough reaction times to actually see them coming and dodge out of the way.
Now onto their claws and tongue. Both are razor sharp and with just a touch, could slice flesh open as easy as tearing paper. The tongue shoots out extremely fast and is strong enough to support the baby's weight. So on occasion, they will stick it into the ceiling or the side of a wall and use it to swing from place to place.
Finally, the umbilical cords. Similar to their mother, the Ripper Baby has four or more cords attached to their back. They are it's strongest and favorite weapon to use. Almost always the cords are longer than the user itself and can lengthen or shorten at will, making for an unpredictable weapon. The tip of the cords are very sharp and have the similarities of a knife.
However, these beings do have one glaring flaw. Their fragility. With just a single well placed hit by an average human, these creature will most likely either die or come very close to death.
Naturally their physical strength is lacking as well and when compared to other infected, they seem very weak. Even against a normal man they are inferior.
Perhaps the most fortunate, or unfortunate, thing about them is that they are unable to become Alphas. Without the help of a little something extra, they will never evolve no matter how much they consume.
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Unique Infected: The Uniques are the rarest infected to appear. Like their name might suggest, they are one-of-a-kind beings that come in all shapes and forms.
Some are gigantic monsters of destruction that can eclipse a Behemoth in size, while others could be as small and weak as a rat. A few could be the greatest geniuses, or the dullest tool in the shed.
Unlike other infected, the Uniques can choose to side with the enemy instead of their own brethren. Unfortunately, this makes them a target of hatred from other infected who see them as defective.
Their level of power varies and the weapons they have access to could range from incredible simple, to extremely complex and special.
For example, some have the ability to command the common and special infected by use of mind control. Others are able to shape-shift their body into a multitude of things including wings coming out of their back or a blade manifesting itself through the arm. A couple would even have powers ranging into law-defying concepts that make no logical sense.
Although unable to evolve into an Alpha, they do not have to worry as their potential could at times rival them. Speaking of growth, it can be quite sporadic. A few would have the limitless potential to destroy a world, while others could cap-locked at the level of a normal special infected.
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Acid Spitter: A disgusting and ugly looking monster with a fascination for melting things with acid. Rarely do they ever engage in melee combat, rather preferring to stay at a distance and throw their horrid bile at their foes.
Without exception, every single one of them is beyond fat, with rolls on top of their rolls. If anything, they almost resemble a mean old lunch lady from a high-school cafeteria, one that looks like she poisons the food for fun.
Inside their mouths are these awful and rotted teeth that can't be used for anything, whether that means attacking or chewing. Which might be a reason why they turn every meal to sludge.
All over their greasy and slimy skin are numerous leaking boils. Just like their blood, the liquid coming from these putrid boils is acid. They usually use these as a defense mechanism for when a target gets too close, able to shoot at close range almost like a shotgun.
Their main and only form of attack is acid. Unlike most other infected, they do not gain anything from consuming their enemies. Instead, all that energy goes towards their acid and makes it stronger.
At first, it starts out at a mild green. Then, as it grows more powerful, it changes in color. After green would be yellow, followed up by orange and then red, finally stopping at their last form. Pure black, able to melt anything it comes across nearly instantly.
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Plague Commander/King Rat: One of the more rare types of animal special infected. A tall, cunning, and sinister strategist that is to not be underestimated.
This dangerous rodent usually hides deep within the sewers, making the vile and disgusting complex network of tunnels it's underground kingdom where it rules as King. However, how they accomplish this is not through overwhelming strength, but instead mind control and a vast intellect far above their lowly peers.
As they are not physically capable, they would much rather stand in the back surrounded by the special infected 'Bodyguard Rat' and let their army take care of business for them.
Their armies are usually nearly endless, being as low as a few hundred, to being at an exaggerated one hundred thousand. While under the control of the Plague Commander, every rat will gain a small buff towards speed and strength.
Within their never-ending swarm, are a large variety of soldiers. A few, similar to the Bodyguard Rats, are their frontline tanks containing a large amount of strength and durability. Not only do they have melee fighters to keep their enemies at bay, they have a multitude of ranged ones that use slingshots to pelt their foes.
Many, many more could be found within their ranks, as the Plague Commander keeps breeding new ones to fuel his conquest.
Unfortunately, a small downside they face is feeding their always hungry and ravenous armies. Because of that, they must constantly engage in battle with either one another, or the surface dwellers up above. But when there is no other choice, they sacrifice a portion of their forces to feed the rest in a grotesque act of cannibalism, or risk a rebellion.
Similar to other infected, the Plague Commander does have an Alpha form, shedding off their physical weakness and boosting their mental capabilities. They become a true terror, with a grand desire to flood the planet with their kin and consume anything in their path.
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Bone Spikers: You never find one without the other. These bony creatures always travel in twos, never separating unless by death. If one were to fall, the other would surely follow soon enough, usually by suicide.
They are more than just partners or teammates, they are soulmates, bounded for life. Because of this special relationship, they have an incredible team synergy with one another, almost as if they have a telepathic link between the two of them.
All across their body is a white bone armor that can protect them from a certain level of attack. Though, it is still far below that of a Night Hunter's. Despite the heavy look of the armor, it does nothing to hinder their speed and mobility.
Their name comes from their main form of attack. From their two wrists, they can shoot out high speed bone spikes to strike from their favorite position, long distance.
However, if one were to be unlucky and approach them, they would find themselves impaled by large sharp spikes that come out of the armor. These new ones can't be fired, but can retract but into the armor at will, ready to be used again.
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Speedster Cat: Certainly, these speedy runners are amongst the fastest and most agile infected. They are just as quick as the Bolters, if not at times greater. However, unlike their cowardly rival, they are highly aggressive hunters that come in two forms.
The first is the domestic house cat. These are by far the slowest ones and least dangerous ones. Though, if one were to underestimate them because of that, they would soon find four inch deep claws within their jugular.
The second comes in the form of the big cats. Namely Lions, Jaguars, Tigers, Leopards, Cougars, and worst of all, Cheetahs. The reason why they are far more dangerous than their domestic cousins is blatantly obvious. They are usually at the top of the food chain themselves, being expert and lethal killers even before the virus transformed them.
After being infected however, the big cats transformed dramatically. Stronger, larger, and most of all, faster. Their teeth and claws undergo a complete change, lengthening and becoming far sharper than previously. And unlike their weaker counterparts, have a special property within them that causes their unfortunate prey to bleed endlessly.
Usually, both domestic and big cat versions like to take the slow and patient route, ambushing their prey as apposed to a frontal assault. Fortunately, one weakness they all seem to share is fragility. Though, their skin is still extremely tough.
The most dangerous and lethal amongst their ranks, are the Cheetahs. Even before, they were the fastest land animal on Theia. However, the infection mutated them beyond their brother and sisters, giving them unparalleled speed.
If that wasn't enough, all Cats can also camouflage themselves using the nearby terrain, showing a high level of both intelligence and cunning.
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Silver Webspinner: The Silver Webspinner, the name coming from the color of their webs and body, is an Arachnid that has been transformed from a normal spider. Instead of being the size of a finger or perhaps a palm, these nightmare fuel monsters are almost always the size of a dog.
Their size is not the only thing about them that is improved. Enough strength to throw a grown man as if he weighs nothing, such speed that running is ill-advised, and plenty of intelligence to place cunning traps. Add them all together and they make up a deadly opponent.
If one is unfortunate enough to be caught by them, the Webspinner would then wrap them in their tough silver silk until cocooned entirely. Afterwards, the spider would sink their sharp fangs into the victim and inject them with a lethal and paralyzing poison.
Once sufficiently weakened, the poor soul is eaten alive as the spider consumes their mushy organs and leaves them as a husk. Their corpse is then hung from the ceiling, seen as an ornament and displayed as a decoration for others to see.
The superior version and guardians of the Nest are the Royal Guards. These car-sized Arachnids are never found outside of the perimeter of the Nest, always on guard from any intruder that is foolish enough to enter.
Instead of spiders, it seems more fit to call them Knights. The heavy and plated silver armor across their body seems nearly impenetrable. Unfortunately, despite it's thickness, it does nothing to diminish it's quick speed. One of their signature moves is running as fast as possible and ramming into their target with all their weight.
Their legs are more like swords, designed specifically for slicing their opponents apart. Unlike their lesser counterparts, the Royal Guards are unable to shoot out webs of their own. However, this seems to do nothing in stopping their feeding.
Lastly, the most dangerous and important is the Queen. She is the center stone for every Nest and births every Webspinner without a mate. Like with the Royal Guards, her size has increased even further than them, easily twice or sometimes triple that of her protectors.
Her webs are sticky and tough, unable to be broken by normal means and cannot be burned. The intelligence this insect harbors is frighteningly similar to that of sentient beings like humans. Underestimating her will call for a swift death.
The eight legs on her body are a strange sort. Similar to the Guards, they are extremely sharp and could seemingly cut through space itself. However, there is a layer of gentleness to it. Perhaps it is for walking on her webs without harming them.
They are usually born out of sheer luck, whether it be through egg or necessity. When a Nest already has a Queen and she lays an egg that contains one, two different things might happen.
The first is the cruelest option. The old Queen, sensing her position is threatened, will kill the unborn one usually by way of eating it. The reason for this is because unlike the rest of her children, the unborn Queen is unable to be controlled by the older one.
However, the second way is that she protects the egg with her life and when born, raises her like a daughter. Usually, this leads to a wholesome ending with either the new Queen leaving to start her own Nest, or the two staying together to grow their power as mother and daughter.