The Fray

The Fray is the name for **K-5**. The infection that resulted in the apocalypse, the Fray spread fast and was ubiquitous amongst the world - No corner was untouched, the world was fractured.

## **Stage 1**

After exposure to the Infection, within 1-12 days the infected individual will start to decay, bodily functions begin to shut down, and the infected begins to display heightened senses of aggression and rage.

Infected individuals still hold their personalities and human characteristics, however this begins to gradually decay 1-3 days after turning.

Depending on the location bitten, the skin pigment of the infected individual may begin to turn yellow, a rancid smell emanates from the body aswell.

### STAGE 1.5 "Paleskin"

A rare sight in the infection, after 1-12 days of exposure individuals that turn "Paleskin" fight off the infection, individuals in this stage still suffer after-effects of the infection, changes to their physical structure, damaged voice boxes, and skin of gray-white coloring. Infected individuals also keep mental capacity, although this may be damaged.

It is currently unknown *how* the infected fights off the infection, but this has lead to many still fearing these individuals, many believe they are infectious, although this is false, many survivors will be intolerable of individuals of this category.

## **Stage 2 "Wraiths"**

After 3 days to 6 weeks, the infected individuals of stage 1 transform into Stage 2, the infected individuals brain has now succumbed to the infection, and it has underwent extensive changes by the infection. Higher brain function and basic human instincts are entirely lost and replaced, the infecteds skin has rotten and began to peel, revealing muscles and bones - They still hold their prior human strength, resulting in them being formidable opponents in close quarters; especially in hordes.

Infected in this category begin to move into dark, damp environments and seek out other infected to form groups with. These hordes may lead into the amalgamation of "Nests" (see stage X)

The namesake of Stage 2, Wraiths is due to their shrill, high-pitched raucous shriek, and their eerie, shambling decayed appearance.

## **Stage 3 "Husk"**

After 6 weeks to a year, the infected has reached stage 3. Infected in this stage have decayed and rotten to the extreme, resulting in exposed bone, shambling flesh, and their loss of higher bodily abilities. Husks have lost their ability to hear, smell, and see. While husks by themselves are easy to deal with, they have almost-always formed into hordes of hundreds of individuals, which can result in an timely end to even the most brave of survivors.

Husks skin have turned entirely red by this stage, they're namesake; "Husks" are due to their husk, corpse like body's, and their slow, shambling movement.

## **Stage 4 "OMEGA"**

Stage 4 is a rare stage of the fray infection, infected individuals in stage 4 have Cancer like cells, they are constantly dying, multiplying, reproducing, and evolving. DNA structures within the cells display very rapid and aggressive DNA and RNA structures, leading to the formation, splitting, and restructuring on DNA cells on the fly.

Creatures in this stage are far different from those of the past stages, they constantly consume biological matter, which causes increased aggravation and lack of self-preservation, other infected hold these traits, but omega cases are heightened to the extreme.

When the frankfort incident happened, we were surprised at what the fray could do, and this lead to increased research into the fray.. We believe there are *multiple* other instances of omega class creatures, we believe they may hold "traits" related to their environment, multiply this with heightened consumption of biological matter, extreme cases of evolution and growth, and the likelyhood of restructuring of neural functions and pathological instinct... We believe that this may give omega classes "Abilities" whether that would be flight, strength, or whatnot.

Further research is delving into the Omega's, there may be hundreds to thousands of them. And we fear what they'll become.

## **STAGE X "Nests"**

Nests are fray "homes" that have been entirely transformed by the Fray into "Nests" by them, the fray here have amalgamated into a horde and transformed their sorroundings into a nest for them, this is akin to insect nests, just that.. it's worse.

Research is sparse, and we are unsure of what nests truly are, but the walls are made of deceased and living individuals, the area can vary from sewers to abandoned hospitals.

Stay clear, *at all costs.*