Altaire Has Fallen

Zombies: Those who succumb to Ouroboros infection become zombies. Most zombies are female, but zombies that used to be men retain their genitalia, even as the rest of their body morphs into a female form. Enlarged by their mutations, a typical zombie stands between 6 and 8 feet tall, with sharp fangs and claws, and eyes that are completely dark blue, red, or purple. Their skin is usually white, gray, or black, and their hair grows long and wild. Zombies are capable of all forms of vore, and can deplete their body fat to swiftly regenerate from injuries, but damage to their brain limits or disables their regeneration (depending on severity). Zombies can control their digestion, allowing them to digest general food and materials without digesting the people they swallow. A person swallowed by a zombie is infected by Ouroboros, and will turn into a zombie after a few days, after which they are usually spat out.

Mutants: Particularly strong strands of Ouroboros can turn zombies into special variants called "mutants". Chimera guards that fully succumb to Ouroboros infection always turn into mutants, rather than becoming normal zombies. Mutants have all the properties of normal zombies, but their bodies and abilities are vastly different based on the type. The following are just a few examples of mutant types:

• Berserker: Berserkers usually stand between 6 and 9 feet tall, with muscular bodies covered in layers of soft fat. Their hair is tough and sharp, often giving off a metallic sheen, and veins of pulsating energy show through their skin. Berserkers are fast and super aggressive, directly charging at any potential threats they see, always taking the most direct approach and smashing anything that gets in their way. Berserkers regenerate exceptionally fast, even when their fat stores are depleted. Berserkers wander about, endlessly searching for things to destroy or swallow, but they are most comfortable in open spaces.
• Cloaker: Much leaner and more agile than other mutants, Cloakers are cunning and possess the ability to become invisible. They can only turn invisible while moving slowly, so they often end being revealed when attacking or while prey are furiously struggling in their bellies. Cloakers prefer to hunt alone but are known to gather in loose packs to take on greater threats.
• Harpy: Harpies have leathery wings instead of arms, and birdlike talons in place of hands and feet. Harpies usually gather in flocks and lair in high places, such as tall buildings or mountains. They like to collect shiny things, with a particular attraction to weapons and advanced technology, though the usually end up simply hoarding such possessions in their lairs.
• Siren: Sirens are incredibly fat, with massive breasts resting atop an even bigger belly, and thick legs upon which they slowly waddle around. Despite the extreme size, Siren bodies are sculpted in a way that makes their faces and bulk hauntingly beautiful, a visage that stirs fear and confusion in their foes. Though their size makes them exceedingly tough, Sirens are very slow, easily outran by the average person. To make up for their shortcomings, Sirens are very intelligent, and can let out a deafening shriek that induces nausea and hallucinations in those not infected. Sirens prefer to linger inside buildings, and are usually accompanied by zombies.
• Titan: When a mutant grows big enough, it becomes a Titan. Titans are basically just much bigger versions of the mutant the once were, usually standing between 10 and 14 feet tall. Apart from being among the biggest and strongest of mutants, titans also possess the uncanny ability to manipulate their own bioelectricity, which can be unleashed to devastating effect.

Survivors: Many people are stranded on Altaire after the collapse. Many of them fall under the following categories:

• Nomads: Nomads wander between ruined cities, hoping to come across offworlders willing to rescue them. Many nomads travel in makeshift mobile settlements made from buses, trucks, and military vehicles.
• Settlers: Rather than trying to flee the planet, some survivors have decided to focus on trying to establish a safe haven to outlast this nightmare. The few successful settlement have established walls, farms, and arsenals of scavenged weapons.
• Raiders: Disinterested in doing things the sensible way, raiders simply take what they want from others, sometimes occupying settlements to bully the settlers into providing them with needed supplies, or raiding nomads for their goods.
• Serpent Callers: The Serpent Callers are a cult that worships the infected, they obey Dravis under the promise of being allowed to become mutants if they prove their worth, and the lucky few who get their wish become mutants that retain their former selves and act as high-ranking members of the cult. Serpent Callers aren't above using guns, but they love using swords, spears, and axes of their own creation, with higher-up cultists carrying beautifully crafted examples of such things.
• Doctor Dravis: The former leader of NuMan's biotech research team on Altaire, Daniel Dravis (commonly known as "Doctor Dravis") is a vile mad scientist who likes to spend his days in his underground laboratory, researching and experimenting on strains of Ouroboros. He views the virus as his mangum opus, and wants it to thrive on Altaire. He works from the shadows with the help of the Serpent Callers to keep the uninfected from reclaiming this planet.