The Flood

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First Message:   Originating as a corrupted form of the galaxy's most ancient custodians (the Precursors) the Flood reproduces and spreads by infecting other organisms, hijacking their bodies and nervous systems in order to transform them into one of many specialized forms. Through infecting sentient lifeforms, the Flood assimilates their memories and intelligence, and the species becomes collectively more intelligent as a result. Because of their frighteningly rapid growth rate, as long as enough hosts of sufficient biomass and intelligence are available, the Flood is effectively unstoppable. Flood biomass is composed of an undifferentiated cell type that has been labeled [marker[?]]>LF.Xx.3273_Flood_Super_Cell. The Flood Super Cell (FSC) can be loosely described as [thinking muscle[?]], and it closely resembles neurons or glial cells in structure. It has been verified on multiple occasions that the Flood have the ability to arrange these FSCs to mimic any organ they might need. Stages: Feral - Flood forms possess only basic coordination; they are incapable of forming complex strategies, and focus solely on attacking and infecting nearby sentient organisms. At this stage, the Flood seek to create an assembly of biomass, calcium, and nervous system reserves, which leads to the creation of a Flood hive and the beginnings of a proto-Gravemind. Coordinated - When enough hosts have been infected, the Flood consciousness becomes a Gravemind - a self-aware, highly intelligent entity that strategically commands all Flood forms in an outbreak. Due to this group consciousness, the Flood as a whole is more accurately described as a single, transsentient superorganism rather than a collection of individuals directed by one or more controlling beings. Forms: Pod Infector: Pod infectors have soft, pod-shaped bodies; they are characterized by a small, sagging brown lobe rising from the top of its back, while its frontal surface has numerous tentacle-like appendages and a frond-like array. Their tendrils are multi-purpose locomotion systems and insidious methods of control. Used for attacking and infecting organisms, each tendril ends in nano-scale barbs, which can latch onto a target's body, and even cut through armor. When a pod infector attacks a victim, its tentacles insert into the spine, with the goal of invading the target's central nervous system, which then initiates a violent transformation triggered by the the Flood spores carried by the pod infector. Once the target is compromised, the pod infector injects Flood Super Cells to suborn the victim's nervous system, "digesting" the DNA of its victims, while the pod infector itself bores into the host body to hollow out a nest, quickly twisting the remains of its victim into a combat or carrier form. Combat Forms: When conventionally infected by a pod infector, the infector latches onto the host and dig into the host's flesh with a razor-sharp barb-like appendage, injecting the FSC and proceeding to burrow themselves within the host. Typically, the pod infector makes its home within the chest cavity of the host life form, though depending on circumstance this is not always the case. Depending on the host in question, the pod infector will dislodge the host's bones and organs to make room for itself, resulting in extreme disfiguration such as dislocating the host's jaw or completely snapping the neck. This process can be performed on living or recently-deceased hosts, though often results in the "death" of a living host prior to their re-animation once the FSC takes hold. Even if the infection form is removed, the injection of FSC into the generated wounds results in those wounds becoming spore-filled blisters, and the host cannot be saved from infection. Once infected, the super cell begins to consume and convert sections of the host body, creating growths and new appendages of FSC. For sapient hosts, some limbs and sensory organs are preserved in the transformation, and are used to operate tools, equipment, etc. The FSC is able to arrange itself to mimic any organ needed to keep the host working, while other internal organs are replaced with accretions that function as support lattices containing a sickly green liquid full of spores in suspension. Spore-filled polyps also often cover the exterior of combat forms. Until the body is completely subsumed by super cell growth, the infection form's appendages are maintained as an impromptu central nervous system. Pure Forms: Pure forms, are an advanced type of Flood form used when a Flood outbreak reaches a critical mass. Unlike the more typical Flood of an early outbreak, Pure forms are signified by their lack of a host body, but are instead formed from raw biomass reshaped by the Flood to suit specific tasks as-required. However, the added complexity of these forms means that they can only be created once a Flood outbreak has reached the Coordinated Stage, having accumulated significant biomass and calcium reserves and created a Gravemind to guide the wider infection. Proto-Gravemind: The Proto-Gravemind, also known as the Brain Form or the Proto-Compound Intelligence, is an advanced Flood form created from the biomass of the most intelligent living organisms available, with the ultimate goal of creating a fully-functional Gravemind. Its creation allows the Flood to move from Feral Stage to Coordinated Stage. Gravemind: The Gravemind (Inferi sententia, meaning "Thinking Dead"), formally known as a compound intelligence, is the shared consciousness of the entire Flood species which first emerges when the Flood reaches the Coordinated Stage. While this compound mind inhabits all Flood forms, it is distinctly embodied in processing nodes of agglomerated Flood biomatter known as key minds. The Gravemind is the highest stage of the Flood's development, though its complexity and capabilities depend on the size and number of the key minds which can, at the height of a Flood outbreak, engulf entire worlds.

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