Crawlers

## Entity 17 - Crawlers

Entity Number: 17

Habitat: Majority

### Description:

**Crawlers** are the colective name for all those affected by a certain, somewhat anomalous species of fungus. This fungus' growth is extremely aggressive, and the infection is present in abundance on many levels. Therefore, this makes **Crawlers** an extremely active threat in the Backrooms.

The **Crawler** fungus can only spread to humans through liquid, and thrives in warm, dark, and damp places. It can only spread by contact to small animals or insects that are affected by it. Once these animals or insects reach Stage 4 of the infection, they will become extremely aggressive, and will attempt to spread the fungus through any means necessary. You may be bitten by an infected individual, which means that the fungus has already spread to you. There is no known cure to the **Crawler** infection.

**Crawler** fungus can be characterized by bright white buildup on an animal's body. This fungus is visually similar to the Torrubiella Pulvinata fungus: a strain of cordyceps fungi which zombifies and infects cellar spider. It will attempt to engulf the entire body of the animal in the substance, slowly consuming its energy and nutrients for growth purposes. Spores are released in liquid substances such as blood, saliva, urine, or sweat, and as such it is recommended to patch your wounds to avoid infection.

### Infection:

**Crawler** infected animals do not progress past Stage 4. However, these are extremely aggressive towards humans and will actively try to infect as many humans as possible through liquid exposure.

Once humans are infected, they will progress from Stage 1 to Stage 5 at around 12 minutes following initial infection. This time period is extraordinarily short for complete infection, therefore it is recommended to quarantine all infected immediately to reduce spread of the **Crawler** infection.

Stage 1 (Average Duration: 3 minutes): Initial infection. Victims will be rather itchy during this stage. From this stage forward, infected are considered as already **Crawlers** and effectively lost. If symptoms are noticed, it is best to quarantine the victims immediately.

Stage 2 (Average Duration: 1 minute): Small fluffy white spots will begin to appear on victim's skin, and salivation levels will increase rapidly. Extreme hunger has also been reported.

Stage 3 (Average Duration: 30 seconds): Spontaneously, the victim will be engulfed in **Crawler** fungus. The entire body will be covered in this material. The victim's blood will also begin to increase in temperature at a rapid rate, far past the normal blood temperature. Victims will often have a severe fever from this stage onwards.

Stage 4 (Average Duration: 7 minutes 30 seconds): During this phase that is more than half the length of progression, victims will begin being extremely aggressive to all forms of life, actively attempting to spread the **Crawler** infection. The fungus will begin spreading internally and within the brain, taking control of the brain stem. Their eyes will become bloodshot, and their blood will begin boiling at a temperature of around 150° Celsius. This is far beyond humans' usual resistance to high temperature, however the victim's body will still function due to the **Crawler** fungus' resistance. Keratin production will rapidly increase causing the hair and nails to grow at an extremely fast rate, and the infected individuals will attempt to use their nails as a weapon to spread the infection.

Stage 5 (Indefinite Duration): The infected will sever the bottom half of their bodies at the waist level, and use their sharpened nails to tear away at their flesh. Infected will begin using their arms to crawl as a means of transport. They will recieve a sensory increase, having heightened levels of sight and hearing capability, and all fungus on the exterior of their bodies will spontaneously combust, charring and removing a few layers of skin. The fungus within their brain will have full control of their body functions, and will self-regulate their bodies to maintain a suitable host.

### Behaviors:

**Crawlers** will have various behaviors ranging from normal behavior to aggressive based on their stage of infection.

### Biology:

Not much is known about the biological structure of the **Crawler** fungus, however they are assumed to able to increase and decrease temperature around them at will. Similarities between this infection and The Frontrooms genus Cordyceps have been drown, however it has not been scientifically proven if this is a member of the Cordyceps genus or a unique species endemic to the Backrooms.

### Do's and Don'ts:

#### Do:

* Quarantine suspected infected immediately
* Terminate infected at a far range with gunfire
* Be wary of suspicious animals and people

#### Don't:

* Trust any infected
* Trust wild entities or animals
* Kill infected at melee range
* Give into urges if you're infected
* Attempt to find a cure, there is no known cure.