Alien Parasites

*Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light...**This article is about The Dark Pictures Anthology's third installment,* ***House of Ashes***
***.***

## Biographical Information

### Died

May 30, 2003 (Determinant)
May 31, 2003

## Game Information

### Debut

The Assault (Determinant)
The Horror (Determinant)
Strange Aeons (Determinant)
Daylight (Determinant)
The End

### Death

Slayer
The Truce
The Assault
Enemy of My Enemy
Strange Aeons
The Vault
Semper Fi
Daylight
The End

### Cause of Death

Impaled
Burned
Explosion
Stomped

### Status

Numerous dead

**Alien Parasites** are the main antagonistic forces of *The Dark Picture Anthology*'s third installment, *House of Ashes*. They are the true cause of the vampires' animalistic and sadistic instinct.

## Appearance

The parasites have a similar appearance to that of a fish. They have shells around their bodies, with a notable deformity near the tail. The torso has a transparent skin with visible organs inside. Tentacles can be seen protruding from around their head, with smaller ones coming out of their mouth. Once they infect a host, they will use the tentacles to create thorns protruding from the back and to replace the host's incisors in order to suck blood, respectively.

## Characteristics

The parasites are a group of extraterrestrial organisms that are able to reside within organisms' bodies and infect them. If the host is still alive, the parasite will have to kill it first. Afterward, the parasite mutates the body and transforms them into monstrous being that thirsts for blood. This infection however would make the hosts' bodies vulnerable to ultraviolet light. If an infected individual is still alive, they can be saved by forcing the parasite out of their body via exposure to ultraviolet light.

If the human victim's brain is damaged, then the parasite will be unable to infect the body and will exit it. If Clarice is shot in the head by Jason or caught in an explosion caused by Nick giving the wrong directions, her brain will be destroyed, and thus she will not reappear as a vampire.

## Biography

These creatures were a group of bloodthirsty parasites which were picked up by a ship of a space-faring alien race during the latter's travel. The parasites infected the crew, which wreaked havoc and caused the ship to crash into Earth's surface at the Zagros Mountains. The parasites would then dwell underground inside the aliens' bodies, turning them into vicious vampires.

On May 17, 2231 BC, while the Akkadians and Gutians were at war, an eclipse started, allowing the parasites to subsequently kill or infect everyone, including Akkadian General Balathu and Gutian soldier Kurum, either one of whom would later be known as the Ancient One.

Millennia later, the parasites slaughtered several more people including members of The Hodgson Expedition, infecting Randolph Hodgson's wife Mary and presumably his financier Agnes Bradshaw.

At the end of May, 2003, the parasites awoke and started hunting again when an American Unit and an Iraqi patrol were plunged underneath the mountains due to a firefight.

## *House of Ashes*

### Main Story

The parasite will appear if Clarice is brought to the temple and Jason shoots her. It will be seen crawling out of her mouth. After Rachel is impaled by the Ancient One, the parasite will be seen coming out of the latter's mouth to infect her.

If Rachel is infected and Eric is aware about the vampires' weakness, he will purge Rachel's infection, causing the parasite to run away. The protagonists then give chase outside the Star Chamber and can kill the parasite. If Rachel is a vampire and a protagonist successfully bashes her head with a rock, the parasite will be seen hanging out of the crushed head. However, before it can do more, another protagonist kicks the body into a water.

### The End

A dead parasite will be seen being extracted out of an alien's body by an agent. Their fluid is also seen stored in a canister, which the gains the label X-1172. If Rachel is cocooned and at least one survivor makes it back to Camp Slayer, she will be rescued and the parasite will be removed, saving her life.

## Killed Victims

Victims
 Cursed | Balathu
 Bloodbath | Clarice
 Strange Aeons | Rachel
 Same condition; Rachel volunteers to be cocooned; Jason fails QTEs to avoid the spores. (Curator's Cut or Shared Story)

## Trivia

### *Secrets*

* Notes on the parasites are mentioned in the Parasite Notes and the Creature Life Cycle.
* A parasite can be collected as a secret after its death.

### *Deaths*

* The parasites are ones of many characters in the anthology which always die.
	+ Moreover, the parasites are ones of many characters in the anthology which die off-screen.
* The parasites are one of many characters in the game, as well as in the anthology which (can) die from:
	+ Impalement. In the parasites' case, they can be impaled by a stake.
	+ Being burned. In the parasites' case, they usually burn within their victims' bodies when exposed to incineration.
	+ Explosion. In the parasites' case, they are always blown up from the explosives Nick planted in the vault and, possibly, by the mines Jason and Nick set in one of the catacombs' corridors.
* The parasites are ones of many characters in the anthology which can kill the protagonists. In the parasites' case, they can kill Rachel.

### *Trophies*

* The parasites are associated with the trophy "*The Thing*".

## Gallery

A parasite attempting to reinfect RachelConcept art