- The guide is for those who are infected by the Corruption, and not characters who casually choose to partake in cannibalism.
Awhile ago, a group of scientiests in Below started stealing Soulstones. They were funded by several heads of authority, and were able to do so without detection. They believed in their cause, which was a good one: they hoped to craft a race that was immune to all diseases, mutations, and injuries. To do so, they tried to tamper with dark magic, which failed. They often carelessly left a small group of stones out on the table in a research room. However, after one of their failed experiments, which had required more dark magic than usual, the stone they had focused on became volatile. The stone shattered, affecting the stones around it. They absorbed the magic it gave off, and began to exhibit dark, crack-like markings.
Upon discovering these stones, the scientists were intrigued, as they appeared to be imbued. Curious, they opted to wake them. They were surprised to find that the children who appeared seemed... wrong. They lusted for flesh, and were often starved, locked in rooms they couldn't escape. They grew up hostile, in an environment without love or affection, constantly being treated as mistakes.
The children exhibited an interesting social structure. The child whose stone had been closest to the experiment who had corrupted all of them appeared to be a leader of some sort. The other children called her the Queen, and rallied around her. When the children eventually grew to be adults, studied for all their lives, the Queen ordered them to attack the scientists, finally earning their freedom.
They learned about the world of Below from the shadows, lingering on the sidelines, gaining the strength and knowledge they'd need to survive. One Haunted Hallows, they attacked. They swept through the Grendel, Asterion, and Leviathan University grounds, murdering those who were in safe houses and anyone they could find on the streets. Hoping to find safety, the university officials sent anyone they could to the Asphodel Gardens Academy, hoping it would be a safer haven. There was no such luck - the corrupted arrived there shortly after, murdering quite a few of the staff, and injuring several students and teachers alike. Thankfully, the youngest students remained untouched, tucked away in the safest parts of the Academy.
It appeared that the attack was only a diversion, for the corrupted announced they had the information they needed, and then abruptly left. No one knows where they retreated to. Those who were infected and kept behind were rounded up. They were given a medicine specially formulated to keep their violent needs down, and synthetic meat was created to keep their thirst for flesh satiated.
Cannibals are physically stronger and more active than the average Nightmare or Daydream. They have elongated claws and sharp teeth that are specifically made to tear apart living beings. They have dark eyes, with glowing red pupils, which give them the ability to see easily in both the light and dark. Their bodies are covered in black vein markings (or white markings, if their skin is dark enough). They are violent, having a morbid fascination with torture and death, and they find nothing morally wrong with murdering someone for fun. Their emotions tend to be more extreme, and while it varies between individuals, their anger can turn quickly into a blind rage, happiness twisting into a malicious and manic excitement. They are completely incapable of feeling compassionate emotion towards someone who is not infected.
The Queen is the center of Cannibal culture, and they are drawn to her. They must obey any of her orders - if they disobey, they'll feel an intense pain fine-tuned to what would be worst for them. If this pain goes on too long, it can kill them. Luckily for them, they are naturally inclined to please the Queen and do not often feel the need to disobey her.
Cannibals hold their innate corruption in their saliva, and they can infect outsiders with a bite. However, they do need to eat. They can only gain their unique requirement of nutrients from meat. Eating any other food as a substitute will cause them to starve, and they typically consider other food to taste disgusting. They prefer other Nightmares and Daydreams, and will usually not turn to consuming other animals unless they are starving. It is not uncommon for Cannibals to corral groups of the uninfected away for safekeeping, to consume when they feel fit. They do not generally share meals, and stealing another's stored food could result in a fight. The food stores of the Queen is considered untouchable.
The Cannibal who corrupted an Infected is seen as their "Master." There is a level of posessiveness at play in this dynamic. If a Cannibal harms another's Infected, it can often result in fights, although every Master differs. Sometimes they don't care what happens to their Infected. The Queen can do whatever she likes, of course, and often plays favorites with the Infected: some are considered nothing to her, while others are considered elite.
The Infected are physically stronger and faster than the average Nightmare or Daydream, but not nearly to the same amount as any given Cannibal. They usually come with only one or two of the typical corrupted traits, although the wound where they were bitten will almost always be dark, with vein markings protruding from it. They are unable to infect other people.
The Queen is the center of corrupted culture, and the Infected are drawn to her. They must obey any of her orders - if they disobey, they'll feel an intense pain fine-tuned to what would be worst for them. If this pain goes on too long, it can kill them. Luckily for them, they are naturally inclined to please the Queen and do not often feel the need to disobey her.
Like Cannibals, They are completely incapable of feeling compassionate emotion towards someone who is not infected. Also like Cannibals, they can only gain their unique requirement of nutrients from meat. Eating any other food as a substitute will cause them to starve, and they typically consider other food to taste disgusting. They prefer other Nightmares and Daydreams, and will usually not turn to consuming other animals unless they are starving.
Once they wake up, the infection has fully taken hold. All Infected has a motivation, a biggest fear, that changes their personality and changes them into who they are now. For example, someone who was afraid of people will become violent, desiring to hurt anyone near them for their own protection. Someone who was innocent may become entirely childlike, oblivious of the carnage they are causing around them, or perhaps even enthralled by it.
With the pills, the patient can regain normal emotion and thought, and the need to consume other people will be gone. However, at random times, their emotions will spike. Rage or random urges of violence can suddenly appear. The pills give the person a chance to rationally work through those feelings, rather than acting purely on impulses. Unfortunately, the patient will not forget what happened before they were given the cure.
Missing one dose of the cure will cause emotions to become more exaggerated. After missing two doses, the Infected will begin to smell other people and perceive them as food. The third missed dose causes the patient to revert back to their Infected state, but their body has built up an immunity to the cure, and they cannot begin to take it again. However, there are measures taken to avoid this: all cured Infected are tagged with a tracking spell, which alerts authorities if anything goes awry. If they miss a dose, they will be sent an alert, via various methods, to warn them to take a dose. If they miss two, authorities will physically arrive at their location and force them to take the dose. If by some chance they miss three, they will be put on a hunting list and killed on sight.
The Queen is much faster than her wards, and she can infect with a single touch, not relying entirely on biting (although that has its joys for her, too). During a battle, she tends to stay back and allow the other corrupted to fight while she works on infecting those around her.
It is unknown what killing her will do to the corrupted. Some have tried, but none have succeeded. It is also entirely unknown what a child of hers might be like, or what it would mean for the other corrupted.
The Cannibals live at the top of a mountain, inside of an abandoned and forgotten mine. They have reconstructed the inside of the mines to make homes for themselves, the centerpiece of the abode being a spiral staircase that winds all the way from the top to the bottom. While some of the corrupted prefer a more natural, cave-like home, others have carefully carved the inside of their den to feel like an actual house. Life in the mines aren't entirely primitive - thanks to X, the corrupted have their own cell phone service and internet, which is untraceable (don't bother asking how it works, X won't tell you). There are hundreds of tunnels in the mines, and one could get lost easily if they aren't careful. The Queen's den is also here, with her people, but her den can only be found by her mate or her communicator.
There is currently an undetectable spell placed on the mountain that causes anyone who sees it to immediately forget. Those who try to get closer find themselves turned around, winding up exactly where they came from.
Below is a list of roles within the colony:
Queen: Only one exists, as the heart of all corrupted society. Current Queen: Sibel
Queen's Mate: The second-in-command. They lack the intrinsic influence and control the Queen has over others, but they still wield a great deal of power. Current Mate: Phobos
Communicator: There is only ever one Communicator, and they handle all relations between the corrupted and the uninfected. They are also the Queen's mouthpiece, issuing her orders if she is not present. The current Communicator is proficient with electronics, and has hooked the colony up with electricity and various other useful things (like wifi). Current Communicator:X
General: A Cannibal who has been given the ability, by the Queen, to order other corrupted to do their bidding. There are usually several, and they lead battles. Current Generals: Muffy and Javlin
Doctors: These invaluable individuals are typically kept away from battles, as they keep the colony safe. They are skilled in taking care of any disease or injury, and function as a remote hospital for the colony. Head Doctor: TBA (owned by Yushika); Other Doctors: N/A
Cannibals: Those created either through breeding as pure corrupted, or were awoken with the Queen.
Infected: Those corrupted through being bitten by a Cannibal, or through the touch of the Queen.
Meals: Uninfected people who have been corralled by the corrupted for consumption. They are kept within the territories of the mountain. Some are owned by certain Cannibals, some are owned by the Queen, and some are free-range.
