Tainted

The Tainted, also known as Ferals, are people infected with a virus-like Grimm parasite that drastically alters the infected victim's body and instincts.
==The Tainted==
===Virus===
Little is known about the supposed virus, and no known counter has been found beyond standard hazmat gear. It appears that as long as direct skin contact is not made or inhaled, the Virus cannot spread.
===Feral===
Ferals are those who have come into contact with the Grimm "virus" and have fully turned into what most describe as monsters. The resultant mutations differ for every subject, but are more diverse for Lilmothiits.
The host's body undergoes a drastic change. Their bones, typically in the hands first, break and reshape into vicious claws capable of tearing through flesh and metal alike. Teeth become sharper and jaws stronger, as their entire skeleton becomes harder and more difficult to damage, while their senses are enhanced. Simultaneously, the subject becomes more primitive and instinctual with time. Lilmothiits often grow shaggier and darker fur to the point of being black at the most advanced stages, while Humans grow something like fur or leather across their bodies. Both races will grow painful looking shards of what looks to be bone sticking out of their body from the transformation.
They retain any knowledge from their past life, and as such most will understand technology but unable to wield it because of their altered forms. This has been proved by records of a Feral attacking a generator to disable an electric fence during it's escape of a containment facility.
Ferals act based on Grimm instincts; former friends and enemies become no more or less than prey. Only the killing seems to matter to them. They possess hightened agility and strength, making a lone Feral dangerous to hunt, even in groups. Because of their lethality and highly dangerous status, all Ferals are listed as Kill-On-Sight targets by both the Order and Remnants, and should never be confronted by anything short of a militarised search-and-destroy group.
Ferals in early stages of transformation show signs of attempting to cling to their former lives, showing regret or emotions at what they do, or displaying sadness when members of their originating species try to kill them or force them away. It is unclear how long it takes before they pass into being a full Feral, as the time seems to vary by individual cases.
There is no known cure to the Virus, even in early stages of transformation. Turned Ferals are impossible to revert back. Efforts using Aura and Crystals have been proven to slow the transformation, but such things are impractical and largely ineffective over time.
==Feral Hybrid==
Rarely, a Feral hybrid can be born, often when a female victim who is pregnant becomes infected and turned their child or children are partially altered as well. Other times a female may become impregnated by a Feral, although rare, which results in the same end: an partially altered child bearing both normal and Feral characteristics.
Hybrids are mostly normal in appearance with few alterations to their physical body, but mental alterations can vary from basic to drastic changes. These include a strong appetite for hunger, especially towards meat, being more sexually active and from a younger age, and becoming quickly distress when someone either invades their personal space or enters their territory (e.g. bedroom) without any form of permission from them.
Many hybrids can live their lives without even realizing they're different from "normal" people.
==Trivia==
*Remnant founder Nospace based the Ferals partially of the Flood, both being a parasite-like creature that drastically alters their host.
Category:Grimm
Category:Species