Auger Worm Colony: Vicious parasites that infect both Humans and Lycans to harvest their life essenc

Auger Worm Colony: Vicious parasites that infect both Humans and Lycans to harvest their life essence to fuel further growth. The worms infect humans turning them in to Lycans which then serve as colony guards, sources of energy, and further vectors of transmission. The worms secrete stimulants in to the host body augmenting their strength and regenerative abilities in order to sustain them. This has serious ramifications if the host begins the Lycan transformation process. Extermination of a colony is a long, arduous, and extremely dangerous ordeal. In some instances Auger Worms have been used as a potent plentiful source of magical energy. This is accomplished by creating a colony around a Queen then harvesting said Queen when she reaches the desired size/density. Due to the ethics of producing and gathering this energy the process is universally reviled and illegal. Infestations are infrequent but when one does appear it must be dealt with swiftly before widespread damage can occur.

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1: Auger Worm Queen. Queens serve as the core of a colony laying sacks of worms that are then dispersed by infected Humans and Lycans to further grow the colony. Queens survive off the magical life essence gathered from infected host bodies. They will pile themselves up around her body as she draws out their essence. Heavily guarded and hard to locate. Though defenseless on their own they are often protected by Infected Alphas and hordes of infected humans.

2: Infected Alpha. Lycans that survive the infestation process and begin to leverage the apparent benefits of the Worms. Larger than normal Lycans and hyped up on stimulants they are terrifying foes that must be dealt with swiftly.

3: Wormhost. Some Lycans become living colonies themselves carrying an inordinate amount of worms within their body. Physically mutilated and mindless they serve as aggressive vectors of transmission to new hosts. Known to explode.

4: Infected Lycan. Lycans that have been exposed to Auger Worms.  Lycans are the best source for the worms because of their immense size, strength, regenerative ability, and ferocious disposition. One Lycan can host 10′s of thousands of worms making them perfect host bodies.They primarily serve as colony guards roaming from egg pile to egg pile. Serving their Queen blindly they will attack any perceived threats to the colony.

5: Infected Human Stage 2: Infected Humans mid Lycan transformation. Because the worms are the source of Lycanthropy the process is slower than usual and can be quite drawn out. Signs of transformation are obvious with longer limbs, increased stature, and canine features. Known to sling egg sacks and charge en masse.

6: Infected Human Stage 1: Humans freshly exposed to Auger Worms. Individually they aren’t a threat, but must be exterminated as there is no known process to reverse infestation. Most humans actually do not turn in to Lycans but serve as incubators for worm colonies. Piles of bodies riddled with worms are a common sight in an infested area.

7: Auger Worms. Around one inch long these worms are the primary vector for spreading and growing a colony. Burrowing in to their host the worms secrete stimulants and hormones in to the host body hijacking bodily functions, impairing mental ability, and increasing physical strength. When outside of a host body the worms lie dormant in fluid filled sacks that can be lobbed at targets in an effort to gain new host bodies. The worms have the ability to trigger Lycan transformation in humans based on the needs of the colony. This is a permanent process. Once infected a host cannot be cured and must be eliminated.