THE VIRUS
As it seems people have many different views on what exactly the Virus does, here is a stage-by-stage description.
The virus effects the Soul and slowly destroys it, but there are 'symptoms' that can tell this is occuring. These were categorized into various stages....
STAGE ONE
The infected person seems relatively normal in this stage. Except that gradually, over time, their desires and more basic needs become their primary focus. They begin to become more violent, and care less about other people. Their emotions change in such a way, that love often turns to a possessive obsession, and dislike turns to a violent hatred. At the very end of this stage, they often become paranoid.
STAGE TWO
By this time, some people have been 'diagnosed' with the Virus and some haven't. For some, the emotional shift is enough to trigger the realization - but for others, it may take reaching this stage. This is the stage where the physical body is effected by the Virus. It starts out slow, and some infected people are able to hide the changes at first. Uncontrollable bone growth in specific areas, sometimes resulting in what would almost seem like horns, or sometimes spurs from the ankles - almost anything can happen. The skin will often become discolored, and other obvious physical changes occur.
STAGE THREE
By this stage, in almost every case the infected person has been diagnosed. How that person is then treated differs, but in many places they were executed or confined. It is in this stage, however, that the Soul is on its final descent. Slowly, the person seems to turn into nothing more then a beast - slowly losing their memories, their emotions all focusing down on basic survival needs. For a while, they function as this sort of beast: and then, eventually, they become would could only be regarded as a lifeless husk. If they have survived to this stage, they usually die in this last part.
