Parasite

The Parasites are a species of hive-borne entities that infest and assimilate all bio-mass into their ranks. They can be considered the penultimate antagonists of Flopcraft, as their malicious actions caused not only the Behindmen to notice the planet, but also caused the complete and other extinction of all of Flopcraft's moons, which they now inhabit. Along with their use of Buglins and other shadowy Parasite castes to assassinate empires, and destroy everything we know.

There are 6 categories that each of the Parasites fit into.

"**Primitive**" Parasites are formed when a number of Assimilated Creatures gain enough victims on their own to combine together to form a new, more deadly beast. When these new Primitive Parasites obtain enough victims, they will evolve further into their much more dangerous "**Adapted**" forms - accompanied by a lightning strike.

"**Pure**" Parasites are an uncommon sight, in earlier Phases. They are only able to be created in very specific situations and act as sort of bodyguards or high Tier troops; because of this, they are exceptionally powerful, and are not to be taken lightly when spotted.

"**Deterrent**" are immobile Parasites, that are formed by Stage III Beckons. These Parasites cannot move from the places they've emerged from, and act as the main defense line of Parasite bases.

Being the strangest and strongest category, "**Ancient**" Parasites are the most dangerous of them all. Arriving at your doorstep after killing a Stage III Beckon or when the Infestation has reached a high level, they insane regenerative properties and are very aggressive.

## Description

The Parasite Nest, or just simply the Parasites or Parasite are a massive hive of varying organisms. Unlike the Hive, or the Sculk, the Parasites do not follow anything, or anyone. Instead, these creatures attack and assimilate out of pure malice, and out of instinct. They are unrelated to any magical system, and as such are completely devoid of loyalty.

Their incubation processes are also as alien as their motives, with their life cycle beginning as Buglins, who then hatch into Ruptors. These Ruptors infest creatures, turning them into semi-mutated zombies. Upon these creatures gaining enough bio-mass, they melt into a puddle of living flesh, and meld with another of their kind. From this writhing mass emerges a new parasite. While at first convoluted, this system does work effectively enough to allow the Parasites to swiftly dominate worlds.

### Infested Moons

All of Flopcraft's moons were once filled with life, teeming with sapient life of myriad advancement. This life was deemed fit for existence by the Behindmen, and as such spared from their wrath. However, they were not spared from the Parasite Nest. When the infestation began, each moon began to wane in light, each slowly, like a lightbulb, going out. One by one, each moon was replaced with a colony of the Nest, and no life remained.

With this morbid fact in mind, what has stopped the Parasites from simply using the many moons of Flopcraft as a foothold to attack. The explanation to this is Mythril, a natural parasite deterrent, it stops these nightmare creatures from considering our world as their next colony. However, Mythril does not stop smaller parasite activity, and some Buglins managed to survive by rapidly mutating into Silverfish. It is also theorised, and suspected, that many members of the Shadow Empire of old were Parasites trying to attack the world from within.