Parasites and symbiotic life-forms

[Villamvihar]

Though relatively rare in nature, there exist creatures or plants that leech off other organisms to survive, sometimes causing great harm to their host. While not necessarily dangerous or lethal, these beings take resources from others without giving anything in return, usually attaching themselves to the bodies of their hosts in some way. In this, they are the exact opposites of symbiotic life-forms, which have a mutually beneficial relationship with the body they become intertwined with. Regardless of their nature, sometimes these beings can play a crucial role in the world, or expand it in a way that makes it more intriguing.

There are many forms of sybmiosis and parasitism in the natural world, so it would take ages to list them all, so feel free to use your imagination when inventing one! Remember, a parasite only takes resources from the host, but a symbiote will either provide something in return, or use something that the host produces as an aside while still benefitting the host. There are no hard rules concerning these entities, and you can use the sheet below to help you create one, or you can make up one on your own.

Name:

Parasitic/Symbiotic:

Appearance:

Host(s):

Relationship with the host: Describe how this life-form affects the host and vica-versa; what sort of resourced it uses and what sort of resources it provides, if any.

Method of attachment: Describe how the life-form attached itself to its hosts.

Method of removal:

Method of reproduction:

Spreading mechanism: How does the life-form spread from host to host?

Lifespan:

 

[Salsacookies]

Name: The Mist Worm

Parasitic/Symbiotic: Parasitic

Appearance: When in the mist, it exists as microscopic larvae, guided by wind currents. When in the host, it looks like a worm, with coloring similar to muscle. They range from string-thin to rope-thick, and noticeable bulging and wriggling through the flesh underneath.

Host(s): Anything organic that wanders in the mist is fair game.

Relationship with the host: The worm releases a chemical that dulls all physical sensation of the host, but causes the person to be addicted to uninfected material, constantly feel hungry, and become compelled to consume and devour any living, uninfected creature he sets his eyes upon. This chemical also causes the flesh to become loose, which allows for easier travel through the body, but causes the body to rot and decay quicker. The brain is unharmed, and the chemical allows the host to survive normally fatal wounds or amputations with little or no notice.

Method of attachment: It attaches via broken skin or ingestion, and is blown on the victim in the mist. If the host is too deep in the mist, however, he will most possibly die via liquefaction and disintegration due to oversaturation of Mist Larvae.

Method of removal: None

Method of reproduction: Asexual reproduction

Spreading mechanism: Transmission via bodily fluids or direct transfer.

Lifespan: Open air: Until it dries out. Host: Until hosts dies, and the body dries or decays.

 

[Archwar]

Name:
The Trymatha

Parasitic/Symbiotic:
Symbiotic

Appearance:
Appears as a hair strand thin creature with blackish scales sparkled with a few red spots. All along the body are protrusions sporting a tiny hole that is used for the gathering of nutrients and release of chemicals. Also along the body are thousands upon thousands of hooks that are used to cling to the digestive tissue.

Host(s):
Typically many sentient species, but has been known to attach itself to sapient species. Even plants similar to the Venus Fly Trap.

Relationship with the host:
The Trymatha attaches itself to the digestive lining gathering nutrients to survive and expelling wastes as food is moved through the intestine. The Trymatha also secretes hormones that are theorized to strengthen the lining of the digestive tract and also emits a chemical signal that attracts bacteria and viruses before detaching from the lining and wraps itself around them as they devour them. Also has been known to clean the digestive system.

Method of attachment:
When food is eaten. Also airborne, but it is rare.

Method of removal:
They can't survive very long without food unlike many other species so simply starving them would be a simple way. The host can still eat food, but it has to be light as the Trymatha will only take the right portion.

Method of reproduction:
'Budding'

Spreading mechanism:
When a person eats infected food and the rare airborne one. Also stepping through a pile of feces can be a way, but expect to have lots of unwanted guests.

Lifespan:
Trymatha can live for undetermined amounts of time. They will move on to another host when their host dies or they are rejected by the immune system.

 

[Immortal_Chaos]

Name: Urchall

Parasitic/Symbiotic: Symbiotic

Appearance: In its adult state it appears as a deep purple flower, with varied sizes. It starts off visibly as a small bud growing from your arm, which eventually flowers.

Host(s): Generally anything about between the sizes of a cow and a cat, however there is a rare version of it called a Deadly Urchall which focuses on larger varieties of animals

Relationship with the host: It has a generally great relationship with its host. This flower grows stimulants and hormones and places a small amount into its host to improve its hosts survivability, therefore it's own. With some intelligent and sentient beings it can be learnt to send out different waves, some being used for either mental manipulation, or telekinesis. The more flowers on you, the more power, but the hormones can cause sporadic behaviour, and in high doses can kill.

Method of attachment: Urchall's start life as a microscopic flaky spore. It drifts around in the air and gets swept distantly around by the wind. Eventually, it may find a host, and have minature hooks to keep it in place. By being exposed to keratin for about an hour, it causes the seed to germinate, sending a shoot down to carefully navigate into the skin. It feeds on the little nutrition, and starts using an amazing technique to move itself to a better position (generally on the arm), by sending a shoot down, then retracting a shoot behind to make it fall forwards. Once in a perfect place, it sends gentle roots to extract energy from the bloodstream. Sometimes if multiple Urchall's are attached they can act as a cancer. Soon they will grow quickly, then start developing a bud, which will grow and grow, then flower. Harnessing energy from the sun, it will create hormones and pipe them into its host. It will live for six months at most, before withering away.

Method of removal: It can be difficult to remove a young Urchall, because if you simply cut the flower, the roots are still in your skin. You can burn away the plant, but it is painful. The best way is to wait until it is dead, and when it is withered it's easy to pluck from your skin. You may need to bandage the hole from where the Urchall was.

Method of reproduction: Urchall's send out unfertilised spores, or blank spores. These are fertilized by other plants fertilising dust. The dust latches itself to the floating spore, and will dig inside. In the air, the spore will develop, then float around waiting for a host

Spreading mechanism: Kind of explained that above

Lifespan: Approximately six months

 

[Mundane Monster]

Name: Keyute (key-yoot)

Parasitic/Symbiotic: Symbiotic

Appearance: The Keyute has only one appearance from birth to execution. It resembles a small child of roughly six years with blackened pupils, serrated teeth and a thick forked tongue. However, if it's mouth is closed it simply resembles a European featured child with an eye defect.

Host(s): The Keyute target humanoid young aged four to ten years.

Relationship with the host: The main purpose of a keyute is to produce more keyutes. Because the species are all physically children, they cannot reproduce sexually, so they infect humanoid children and slowly suck out their humanity and replace it with Keyute features. The process takes about four hours, unless interrupted.

Method of attachment: Keyutes must bite their host, and remain in place for four hours.

Method of removal: A keyute can be detached from its host by simply being pulled away, however due to it's oral mechanisms, a chunk of flesh from it's host will most likely be ripped off. To kill it however, the keyute must be beheaded.

Method of reproduction: The entire process is the process of reproduction.

Spreading mechanism: The humanity of the host is taken away and replaced with Keyute features.

Lifespan: Keyutes have no documented lifespan, they remain in child form from birth to execution. Meaning that they live until someone kills them.