Ophiosinensis - The Zombie Bugs

[Cheesigator]

Ophiosinensis
_{"Zombie Bugs" | "Zombie Parasites" | "The Parasites"}

I. Introduction
II. Description
III. History
IV. Range & Ecology
V. Reproduction
VI. Notable Figures & Note for the Players

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______I. Introduction
As if those in the heavens look down upon us and laugh, it seems these Parasites were created as a joke to the divine, themselves, and on all mortal creatures.

Most have common fears--fear of death, of zombies, of bugs, of horrific and grotesque deaths. Ophiosinensis are all of these things wrapped into one! These Parasites can be found just about anywhere in the universe, and exist solely for the purpose of finding host bodies of any species to devour the brain of and take control over the host body. This is considered their final metamorphosis: a sentient parasitic space bug that took over the body of your loved one and now roams the world wearing their skin suit.

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______II. Description

_{Temp image by meeee}

A Parasite is traditionally found by themselves in a pale, flexible carapace, with a slight oplacent sheen. Depending on age they can range in length between 17 and 50 cm (6.7 and 19.7 in). As they get older their bodies continue to grow, and thus finding one over 21.59 cm (8.5 in,) as it's typically encouraged for them to find host bodies before they get too large to fit in a typical sentient creature's skull. They are incredibly robust, able to enter hibernation for seemingly unlimited amounts of time, survive in the vaccuum of space, extreme hot or cold temperatures, under vast amounts of pressure, or even at the bottom of seas. They are known to be nearly impossible to kill.

Their exoskeleton is composed of overlapping segments, ending in a tail that allows for dynamic movement in air or water. They have 8 legs, with the front pair used to grab things while the others provide locomotion. They have one pair of large, compound eyes with 12 color cone photoreceptors (in comparison to the average human's 3.) They have four sets of jaws with which to chew and eat food, and a pair of adept mandibles that help them break into the host skull, make a hole and pull them inside as they start to eat the brain.

Like a mosquito, they feature a proboscis located underneath their tails. This proboscis is typically hidden in a sheath underneath the Parasite's body, but it extends and hardens when they are ready to attack their prey. Ophiosinensis aim for the base of the skull where it meets the top of the spinal column, and secrete a specific kind of saliva through this which is used to aid in the paralysis of their prey, poisoning the host's brain and slowly killing them.

Similar to terrestrial isopods, they are capable of curling up into a perfect sphere to protect themselves or hide. They are hunted for their exoskeletons which are often used in jewelry and accessories for exorbitant prices, due to the dangerous nature of hunting them.

______Hosts

Upon selection of a host and full integration into the host body's system, Ophiosinensis slowly change color over time to a pitch black and hardened exoskeleton, and they grow to fit snugly inside the skull of the host.

Ophiosinensis are capable of incredible feats of biomatter conditioning; while they are not only telepathic and often use this as a means of communication in their species, they are able to interface with the brains of any biological creature they deem fit, through a process known to them as ""growing pains."" As the Parasite's original body grows and stretches to fill the skull of its host and fully take it over, it leaves them feeling hyper-sensitive and usually constantly in pain as they receive input from the nerves of their body as well as the host's. For a period of several weeks they regularly excrete a thick viscous black mucus from the various orifices of their host body--this is completely natural, the literal secretions that the parasite is pushing out of the old host. So it sometimes looks like they have nose bleeds, are crying, or coughing up blood. To them it's mildly uncomfortable and really not that different from having a runny nose.

As they push out the host's old fluids, they slowly consume the host's original brain as their body grows to fill that void. Through this process they absorb all of the host's memories, knowledge and a perfect copy of their personality. Eventually the Parasite's body becomes rooted inside of the host's as they command the host's cells to replicate and change as they see fit, such as mending the broken link between the spinal fluid and themself, any wounds, or changing physical appearance (such as changing dentition to fit a carnivorous diet.)

When taking on a host body, the Parasite absorbs the brain and any inherent biological powers that body possessed. A parasitized Pilot would still have all the original powers and abilities, as would a shapeshifter, mage, etc. These are often things taken into consideration by the Ophiosinensis as it considers options of what host body to seek--many deliberately pick host bodies to suit their specific needs (or even personal aesthetics.) However, not all are so lucky--a Parasite may be forced to pick a host out of desperation in a dangerous situation, and unfortunately once the process of integration has begun it's impossible to switch.

A Parasite can reanimate a recently deceased body within 2 days of death.

Typically, the only giveaway that a host body has been taken over by a zombie parasite is that their sclera change to black and the irises tend to take on some kind of bioluminscent glow, which can also be found in the fluids they secret once the host's original fluids have been cleared out. It is considered honorable, and highly encouraged, for an Ophiosinensis to change or alter the host's face in some way so as to not completely desecrate their memory, or imply that they are trying to become a "doppelganger" of that person. Once they complete the takeover of the host's body, they are their own separate person. The only times where a Parasite may opt not to follow this tradition, and keep as close to the original host as possible, is for the purpose of infiltration and spywork, which is rare.

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______III. History

Ophiosinensis come from a distant galaxy where they are looked down upon, thought of as vile and disgusting creatures, and generally considered to be dangerous and abhorrent pests. They barely manage to scrape by, their home planet having long since been overtaken by invaders, and tend to fend for themselves as best they can; when someone sees a zombie bug, they try to kill it. The only ways to survive are by killing and parasitizing host bodies bigger and stronger than their own to protect themselves. Infection of other creatures is always how they've survived and is a part of their natural life cycle, which is something that many other species find incredibly offensive and morally wrong.

They can't help the way they were created, the way they evolved. It's just how they function.

Many are tired of the treatment but there is little they can do to stop it; little they can do to organize when so many are spread across the galaxy with no way of uniting to fight for any kind of rights or a cause. But there are some of their kind working to rectify this.

Due to their horrific nature, they are one of Aedolis's best kept secrets: the government knows of their existence, but does their absolute best to keep word of them from seriously spreading on the streets. Imagine the panic the public would fly into if they realized any of their precious or beloved Pilots could become a zombie!

This isn't to say they aren't found in Aedolis--they definitely exist there, but they do so in secret to avoid being... Snuffed out.

The separation of their species is only a few generations old, so many Ophiosinensis stress upon their children to do their best to find and reunite with as many others of their kind as they can find. They are the only ones who can truly understand each other after all, and because of this feel strong senses of kinship and protectiveness when they do find each other by chance "out in the wild." They maintain connections with each other and tend to be very distrusting of other species.

Regardless of what host they've ended up in, no Ophiosinensis forgets what it truly is, and that blood bond it shares with others of its kind is far stronger than any other.

[Cheesigator]

______IV. Range and Ecology

Though they originated in a galaxy far away from this one, through innovations in space exploration technology they have made their way from their home planet out into the vast reaches of space.

Any place that has some kind of sentient life in it and access to spacefaring technology, and you're guaranteed to find one of these zombie bugs under a rock somewhere. Or feasting on your grandma. Hey, when was the last time you called her?

They are strictly carnivorous, eating anything from other insects to other lifeforms, and can glean protein from just about any living creature with little repurcussion, even if that creature would be considered poisonous to most. If they go too long without eating, or enter too extreme an environment, their body will shut down and they will go into hibernation... Like a hamster.

Once entering a host body they are able to change many things about the body, including its digestive system and method of obtaining nutrients. Just because they take over the body of an herbivore doesn't mean they will starve; they will adjust and the body of an herbivore becomes a carnivore.

Similar to lobsters, Ophiosinensis have no known lifespan and may very well be immortal. Research on this matter, however, is insufficient to produce any solid conclusions.

[Cheesigator]

______V. Reproduction

Ophiosinensis reproduce via parthenogenesis, which is a natural form of asexual reproduction in which growth and development of embryos occur without fertilization by sperm.

Essentially, they produce their own unfertilized egg cells in clutches of typically 150-300 eggs which then form embryos on their own. In this regard, their species does not have defined genders but often tend to take on preferred pronouns after exposition to other species that use them. They all have the same basic organs and there is no sexual dimorphism in their species.

Eggs take only 3 months to hatch in ideal conditions, often being carried within the host body of the parent Parasite in a sack they have created for their offspring. So maybe be careful next time you tap someone on the shoulder or slap them on the back or chest--you never know when a flurry of tiny zombie parasites will burst out right at you.

They grow at an alarming rate, reaching full maturity after about 6 months. In this time they stick close to their parent Parasite, learning everything from them and learning the ways of their people as well as how to function, before they finally leave their parent to pursure lives of their own and find their own hosts.

Ophiosinensis have no set breeding time and choose when to do so.

[Cheesigator]

______VI. Notable Figures & Note for the Players

Imon- An older Ophiosinensis who's managed to nab himself a pretty rare host body. He's now utilizing these powers to the utmost of his capabilities, searching the universe for others of his kind to gather them together on a planet in another solar system that he found where they can build their own civilization and become more than bugs hunted for sport.

Mortis- A massive bio-mech suit roaming the lands of Edanith.

Umufgachi [NPC]- One of the oldest Ophiosinensis, living in the body of a colossal prehistoric creature that lived on Edanith in eras long past.

Poltergeist [NPC]- A loyal follower of Imon and one of the first he recruited to his Haven.

Demolition [NPC]- A loyal follower of Imon and one of the first he recruited to his Haven.

Note for the Players

"Okay Cheesy, why would I want to go to the effort of making a space parasite when they won't even be easily determinable as one and will just look like literally any species?" You ask.

8D WELL HERE'S A WHOLE LIST FOR YOU MY FRIEND!

1. Morality:
Did you ever watch the Alien movies and find yourself sympathizing with the Xenomorphs? SAME! They didn't ask to be created and now that they're here everyone hates them literally for existing! But let's be real: the Alien universe is a catastrophe no thanks to Mr Scott so how about having the opportunity to play to the same concepts of morality, fairness in creation and the universe, and what it truly means to be alive, with something that's very similar to a Xenomorph?

2. SURPRISE, MOTHAFUCKA!
Have you ever debated killing off a character or deleting them because you're just not happy with how they turned out? Well a Zombie Parasite is practically your Get Out Of Jail Free card! Keep the character's core visual design and give them an entirely new personality by saying they got eaten by a space bug. Nice!

3. SURPRISE, MOTHAFUCKA! Part Two, Zombie Electric Boogaloo:
Ever wanted to make a character with a deep twist or dark secret to be revealed through roleplay later? Wellllll why not have them be a secret zombie? Because of the nature of these lil guys you really don't have to put "zombie bug" as their species identifier on their profile until you feel like it's relevant. Just think about the possibilities! Your grandma could be a zombie, your best friend, your lover--or the guy who works at the 7-Eleven! What a twist!

4. You want gore? You got gore!
By their sheer nature zombie bugs can be pretty gross! Carnivorous sentient zambinos that wander around in the skinsuit of somebody you used to know, leaking black fluids and dripping glowy slime whenever contextually applicable, you can do so much fun stuff with them being big hungry beasties! Hungry, hungry beasties...

5. Look it's a zombie but more fun:
I don't know what else you want me to say it's a sentient zombie THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS! D8

A word of warning:

Obviously it would be easy to say that your Ophiosinensis took over the host body of a god. That they now have the power to destroy planets or change the entire lore of the world. But realistically it is almost impossible.

While some Ophiosinensis have gotten extremely lucky or had the opportunity and privilege to take their time in hunting down the perfect host body (like Umufgachi and Imon,) doing so is an incredible feat. A powerful being is powerful for obvious reasons, and all the stars in the galaxy would have to practically align to get a Parasite a shot at capturing one. Think of it in Pokemon terms: getting a god body is like encountering a shiny in the wild, no hacks. And also managing to capture it without killing it first.

So be realistic, give your zombie bug some constraints and be amazed at how well it can do with very little!