[ ZOMBIES: A BREAKDOWN ]

[Dizzy]

Z O M B I E S _{a breakdown}
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• Causes and Symptoms
• Typical Physical Indicators
• Low, Moderate and High Risk
• Settlement Locations

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Causes and Symptoms
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The only commonality that every single one of the earth's major natural disasters has in common is this: They all happened naturally, organically. The end of the world is a seemingly over dramatic phrase for a regional natural distaster. The Bubonic Plague and the Great Famine are, in their own rights, the end of the world. This end of the world, however, was a little more severe (meaning, it took over the entire planet). This end of the world was brought on by a toxin in all of the major food plants. Mass consumption of the toxin essentially causes the human brain to melt, causing the person who ingested it, to essentially start to lose their minds. Slowly, but surely, they resort to cannibalistic tendencies, and start to live off of nothing more than human flesh.

When one starts to ingest the plant, they might start realizing that they don't remember things as well as they should. Their urges seem more carnal; the need to feel someone else's flesh beneath them, or to tear it apart from the body of whomever is unlucky enough to be around them. Then, there is the hunger; the paranoia. Turning into a zombie is very much so like losings one mind.

Some might think, that because of that description, there is no way for a perfectly normal human being to turn into a zombie, just by a bite. That is, however, far from the case. Much like a blood born virus or disease, it can bread from the swapping of blood, or simply from a bite. The toxin is carried in the saliva. The toxin is completely immune to all of a bodies natural defenses. It may take a while for the person who was bit to fully turn, but they will turn, none the less. Unless, they were to be killed before the entirety of the illness set in on them.

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Typical Physical Indicators
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For the Zombies that have a lower level infection, they appear to be just like anyone else. They are perfectly in control of all of their movements, and their own thoughts. However, for those that are further along in their path to full blown 'zombiehood' they have difficulty controlling their motor functions, and tend to walk or run much like a limping person would. Their muscles start to turn to mush, just like their brains. Needless to say, when they are in such a state, they don't think to bathe, or take care of themselves in any capacity. So, put two and two together about the type of wardrobe that they would have.

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Low, Moderate and High Risk Infections
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Low risk infections are seemingly, nothing in comparison to the other infections. When one is a low risk infection, they are just like everyone else. They have shorter tempers, and have difficulty remembering things. They have frequent headaches and black outs, which is, presumably, when they feed. It's the conscious' own way of preserving them from knowing what they've been doing. Most low risk zombies do not know that they are zombies. They contracted the infection from either a bite, or from ingesting too much of the toxin in either plants or in the meat of animals that feed off of the plants.

Moderate risk Zombies are one step above the low risk zombies. The black outs and headaches are far less frequent. Some even start to embrace what they are becoming in this stage, loving the fact that they are all but impenetrable. This is where the insanity starts to set in. They start resorting back to carnal rituals, and care for nothing more than sins of the flesh and for the taste of it. Fits of rage are far more prominent while they are in this state as well. They are likely to attack for no reason; and of course, feed more. The more they feed, the faster they will deteriorate.

Which leads to the last stage of infection. At this point, there is no redemption. There are no more black outs. The body starts to decay, but there is no pain to be spoken of. All they have is their insanity and their hunger to keep them going. The sunlight burns their decaying eyes, forcing them to hunt only at night. The flesh of animals no longer satisfies their needs. They want to feed off of their terror as they rape them. They want to feed off of untainted human flesh. For those that are fortunate, they'll do it in that order.

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Settlement Locations
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Since, most of the Zombies that are involved in settlements, are high risk infections, they don't technically have a place to call their own. They lack the capacity to do so. They prefer dark buildings, and caves. Their decaying eyes won't allow them to go out during the day all that much, unless, of course, it's cloudy to the point that no sun can be seen. They travel around, however, always on the prowl for food. Just because one place was clear of zombies before, doesn't mean that it will be for long! Not to mention, of course, that there are hordes of zombies that like to float around the more populated settlements, grabbing any stragglers that they can.