S.M.A.S.H

This is a pseudoscientific project I’ve been working on which focuses on the effect of a fungus which rapidly mutates different animals and some plants. I hope you enjoy the journey and learning along with me! (Tw graphic-ish descriptions of zombification processes of animals)

[riveredwater]

Domesticated pigs

Domesticated pigs are famous for being messy, disgusting, and dirty, but they are actually quite clean and intelligent little guys. They communicate in a variety of ways, and grow to “market weight” in 5-7 months. This is quite a transformation. they are also able to root out many different foods from the ground, most commonly known for their truffle harvesting.

Behaviors

Pigs, once mutated have developed an even more sensitive nose, they frequently scavenge for food, they have developed even better burrowing skills, and carve out small chambers in the side of hills. but are quite docile under the Texas heat. So for days in which the temperature is over 60 degrees, they prefer to stay in their dens, and instead scavenge during the night. This makes them more crepuscular in the spring and summer, and more diurnal in the winter and fall.

They are very social creatures and often make dens composed of multiple connected chambers with a complete social hierarchy, with the dominant one having the deepest and most insulated chamber. Pigs will also frequently use pieces of the brush to camouflage the entrance of their dens and keep the heat out. When encountering other droves of pigs they are frequently curious and social with each other. And are very passive unless cornered, in that case they’d be mostly defensive.

Diet

As stated before they mostly scavenge for roots and other such things, however they’ll also eat carrion, bone, fresh carcasses, fruits and vegetables, and of course grains. Similar to real world pigs, the diet each has will change how much their excrement smells. The mutated pigs are different in this way as it’s not only the smell that changes but also the composition of the gasses. When eating more poor quality foods the gas they produce has a noxious effect to the health of those exposed to it for long periods of time or in high concentrations. This effect can range from simply being unbreathable (can’t get oxygen from it) or creating mild hallucinations and shortness of breath, to slight chemical burns, weakness, and nausea.

Rage

Pigs are able to rage when their life is in danger, this rage is so intense it uses the instability of the fungus to unlock the DNA of boars while usually takes generations of stray pigs in the wilderness to regain. This transforms them (and their creature sheet) over to that of a boar (It ports over the percentage of its health relative to the max health of the boar, example: pig at 10/50 hp, transforms into boar and now has 30/150 hp). This transformation is unable to be undone.

Wild Boar

Pigs are very close to their boar ancestors in terms of genes. In just a few generations in the wild, pigs are able to completely transform into wild boar and undo thousands of years of domestication. Wild boar are also very similar to pigs in the fact that they’re social creatures, have similar diets, and reproduce very quickly. However they also commonly have tusks, a coarse coat, and split their society up into groups of females and their children, called sounders, and solitary males.

Mutations

Similar to pigs, boar also produce a noxious gas, yet theirs is a lot more intentional. Boar’s gas is also much more potent, to the point of being hazardous. Their gas can cause blisters and chemical burns to form on the skin, throat, and lung tissue of those who encounter it. This is coupled with them growing to roughly 4’ tall and with a very strong fight response to anything it views as predators.

Behavior

due to the rush of adrenaline that is released into the boars bloodstream when threatened, these beasts act erratic and headstrong. This behavior results in attack patterns that rely on ramming techniques to either gore or knock over their opponents.

[riveredwater]

Deer

I have referenced deer in the post introducing this project and a general idea of the fungus, and today I get to tell you all about them. The deer, after the fungus infects them, change in a couple different ways. These changes were mostly caused by the fungus but also due to different factors such as changing hunting strategies from predators (see coyote and the hawk I’ll write about soon) to altered dietary capabilities.

Mutations

Deer are a very prevalent sight in my community, it’s always a nice time to see them (unless you’re alone at night). But the deer have changed due to this fungus. They’ve developed sharp canines and a digestive system with omnivorous capability. This is one of the first species which has a difference in mutations based on the sex (Bucks have antlers as normal and much longer canines as well as being roughly 4 inches taller on average than the doe’s. While the doe’s have gained, instead of antlers, a two spikes on their head).And have grown a thick membrane around their abdomen, which, like a camel’s hump, stores water. This water is then released as a mist through pores in their skin, creating a very thick fog when done in herds. They use this fog as a defense mechanism to obscure the area around them and escape using that opportunity.

Hunting

Deer have been one of the most famous prey in history though many stories of deer depict them as this unknown and surprising danger. Due to their mutations they have much more in depth hunting practices. When encountering a substantial threat, herds will release stored water and conjure a thick fog, then as they do the doe’s in the herd move to a safe distance while the bucks loosely encircle their prey on the edge of their views, appearing to be in much greater numbers than they truly are, disorienting and terrifying the threat at the center of this whisper rushing across the brush. Then they begin attacking each member of the threat one by one. They latch onto them with their holepuncher-like fangs and drag their target off into the fog. The deer group up with each other and tear the prey apart with gruesome and deep puncture wounds. This happens to each member of the threat until they are all in shreds. The doe rejoin the bucks and the whole herd enjoy their meal.

Some herds frequent the territory of the coyotes and run ins between the two are not an uncommon occurrence.

Materials

Because fog is produced by very clean water vapor, the deer’s skin is very effective in filtration. And any leather made from the skin is very breathable as well as durable, despite the often rotten patches that the mutated animals have. The membrane can also become a very effective and antibacterial storage place for water

Misc

(Tw death)

We went into the brush, I know it was stupid now, but I figured it’d at least be safer than the city. You know, less cars on the roads out there, less people, and I thought less of those beasts. We, my brother, a couple friends, and I, were all at my house when it hit, I’m still not really sure what happened. But we had seen apocalypse movies before, end of times and all that. We knew to do two things: board up the house, and prepare. After about a week, the bulk of the chaos began to die down. we got in the car and somehow found a street that was open enough to use. As we got over to the outskirts of the city we encountered some deer, or at least at the time that’s what I thought they were. They were about 50ft away and just staring us down like normal. A weirdly dense fog crept up as they were. Stressed as we all were, Dan, my brother, said to “just run past the creepy thing”, And so I tried. But as I got up to speed and drove on the left, they slammed into my car and flipped the whole thing on its top. We tried to get everyone out of the car, but Dan was completely missing. I still wish I reminded him to put his seatbelt on, or maybe I don’t. Maybe what came next was worse than a broken neck on rocks beside the road. The deer chased us down, through the brush and trees. I didn’t look back, but I heard the screams. First David, there was a wet crunch and then I head him drop with a pained yelp. Then Tim, he ran with me for a good bit, but the moment we stopped to rest, thinking maybe they just took David and we could at least escape, the deer’s angular jaw clamped down on his shoulder and hauled him away. I didn’t stop running after that, I only got away because of what I assume was a small fire that must’ve been set by some poor guy who they found next.

[riveredwater]

Wasps

(This one is a bit of a cop out I won’t lie, but it does make sense as far as many wasps behaviors and such. Also I think if I sized them up or made them any more angry, all humans, animals, and structures would cease to exist in a very bloody massacre). The wasp is a very dangerous species in this world. As with many species they reside in the ground, but instead of having underground nests this mutated version has a habit of burrowing in groups then falling into a deep hibernation just feet away from each other.

Seasonal habits

This species—unlike others—responded to the lack of energy via a long hibernation to sustain its life and slowly mend its body. This hibernation lasts for most of the year (from spring to the beginning of winter). The campaign begins in March at the beginning of spring, so they won’t encounter this bug until they either wake it up very rudely or it wakes up on its own. The species awakes in this cycle in order to avoid being frozen into the ground.

Mutations

These not-so-little creatures have grown to a decent size of 2 feet in length, and attached to their rather bombastic stingers is now a bomb. More accurately it is a couple of fluid sacs in which lies two chemicals. These two spontaneously react in a very explosive way when mixed. The wasps now removable and barbed stinger has been attached to tissue which, when ripped out also tears the two sacs which are pushed together and create a Grenade-like explosion that propels the stinger through whatever danger it attacked. This ends up pushing a new hole into the attacker as well as heavy explosive damage and chemical burns.

Misc.

The combination of these factors create biotic minefields around the plain patches of the town and the hill country surrounding it, making new hazards and issues for the players to navigate and consider. As well as a very powerful makeshift explosive device that can be crafted once gangs and militias have stolen the military supplies from surrounding stores. A resource which provides high risk as well as high reward.

As a reproduction method wasps also use their explosion to spread the fungus’s spores, as well as giving their own eggs the chance to feed on their own and their prey’s body once hatching.

(Tw death)

My friend and I went out to the old field next to the Amazon center. We were planning on scraping out the last of the goods it could supply, but everything went so, so wrong. We started off our journey over by the highway. Snuck down and made sure to keep out of sight from the crow scouts and vultures. In full camo and burning up in the underbrush, but we persevered. It was just outside the chain fence. When we crossed over the field filled with a bunch of these little dirt mounds. I crossed over first, fast and silent, I gestured for my buddy to come too. But just when he was running through, I saw him slam down on one of those mounds. It didn’t take it too kindly, and burst up from under the ground. Its antenna seemed to be broken and it was furious. I couldn’t even yell out to him before I saw its stinger push through his chest. As he fell to his knees the damned thing exploded. Chunks of him went flying, and the stinger shot through my arm. Luckily I had a med bag, so I got out, but I’ll never forget how gruesome that Yellowjacket left him. I made sure to never go out near those mounds again.

[riveredwater]

Coyotes

Coyotes are a fairly common canine animal that’s found in many different types of wilderness in the States. They have a variety of fun traits which make them a very prime candidate to mutate. Some of their traits include:

Pack animals (similar structure to wolves in which a breeding pair and their offspring compose a pack)

Territorial (using urine or feces to mark it)

Omnivorous and more than capable in scavenging

3-4ft tall at shoulder height

Incredibly fine senses of sight, sound, and smell.

How the mutation works:

The apocalypse changes some things. Instead of changing their size or many behaviors differing, something much more peculiar happens.

Coyotes develop the ability to create and ignite a type of gel-like liquid napalm from inside their bodies. Most of their insides have been lined with flame retardant fungal tissue with an especially thick layer at the esophagus and mouth.

Ingredients for the gel are secreted and mixed in a chamber connecting to the stomach, which then dissolves slightly in their stomach acid and undergoes a chemical reaction to form the napalm in solution.

If the solution is evaporated or boiled to a certain point, then a thick and gel is left, if boiled longer, malleable clumps of an amber hued substance remain (though very stable while solid, can be mixed back into water to return to a gel-like state which is highly flammable).

This gel is then regurgitated by the coyote on command, and ignited just after leaving the stomach. The napalm inside the coyote gains more and more heat as it travels up and begins its burn, and by the time it finally exits the mouth it reaches a critical heat and once landed on any vegetation it creates a very Smokey fire leaving only ash behind.

The napalm gel dissolves any organic matter it lands on and begins to use it as fuel, (though grass and other easily flammable materials are absorbed much faster). Because of this it doesn’t often spread, instead creating a spot of fire until the napalm has fully burned away.

The napalm itself would require water for sustained burns. Though if it dries up before finishing a burn it solidifies leaving amber clumps in the wake of a hunt.

Physiology:

Coyotes have been changed by this high heat permeating through their bodies.

As stated before, their throat, mouth, and coat have become resistant towards heat and fire. Unfortunately their sense of smell has been permanently damaged due to the smoke inhalation and intense heat coming in contact so often.

Their vocal cords have also been damaged, just not to such an extent, their normal yips and howls have been reduced to pained yelps or more commonly silence. Due to this they use other methods to communicate

However their throats have developed somewhat of a spiked collar of sweltering jets of fire (via small slits around their necks), much like what happens when removing slag during the Bessemer process.

This not only provides a very effective defense against any would-be attackers, but also provides a very menacing effect that scares many who encounter them.

Hunting techniques:

Coyotes use this mutation to their full advantage while hunting.

While in packs they stalk their prey until the environment becomes favorable (staying stealthy by keeping the gel in their stomachs, which makes their flame collar mostly vanish with just a very small glow of embers left in terms of light). Then all rush their prey at the same time while shining their collars brightly and strategically leaving walls of fire as they run.

These walls of fire eventually force a herd to separate and the coyotes collectively single out one to finish their hunt. This prey no matter how big or small gets encircled by flame. As the smoke gets thicker and the heat stronger, the coyotes bound in and out of the circle, taking pot shots at their target until the smoke, heat, and wounds finally force them unconscious.

As the flames die down the coyotes wait around the circle, guarding potential scavengers or vindictive herd members from stealing away their kill. Finally once the napalm goes out, they eat.

This hunting strategy proves effective time and time again and many different packs survive on the outskirts of the city due to it, stalking the brush land for deer, rabbits, or just about whatever else wanders too far into the hill country.

Pack size

in most areas there are five to six adults as well as the pups born that year. But groups in urban areas tend to be smaller.

[riveredwater]

The Common Grackle

The first concept to cover is this little guy. They are native to North America and they, being migratory birds, love to come down to Texas in the winter in plagues. They are small omnivorous dark feathered birds

Weeks before the mass infection of the fungus, the grackle population in my town had been steadily growing as winter came, just like normal. Though as the season began to change, the grackles never migrated back north, in fact it seemed like they just kept growing in number, countless of them filled trees and power lines. Small plagues of them were even bold enough to roam the school courtyard in search of discarded food, which they found in plenty. When the day of the mass infection did come it was horrific. Birds began dropping from the sky as if they simply died mid-flight. Of course this attracted curious students, who flocked with worry or fascination. Then the murmuring turned into screams, fires popped up across the courtyard, smoke began to rise from the roof of the school. And worse than the fires were the pools of blood and spurts which flew from the newly wounded students. Though once small, now standing at 3 ft tall and evolved for the crushing of scraps and prey alike. Newly formed and powerful beaks with spikes protruding from them intended to cause a nasty bite. And able to travel at speeds up to 15 miles per hour. The greenery of the courtyard was replaced with thick pools of crimson all converging their flow into a singular river. Few students escape with the help of police on duty and brave teachers who either guided kids out of the building or sacrificed themselves, though of course many tried to flee. This massacre marks the start of the apocalypse, and in tandem, the campaign.

My initial idea for their abilities was very small minded because I mostly considered them just as little velociraptor birds because of their tendency to run with their mouth open. But with a bit more depth of research I have a bit of a better idea to change things up.

And this can be explained in world by the fact that they were the first species to be infected by the fungus outside of the extremely susceptible animals in the lab. Due to this the grackles didn’t have a full transformation, and subsequently either had too much fungal tissue and just ended up decomposing or collapsing, or they had too little and had no motor control, which killed them off. Some grackles—of course—did survive, but it was a fraction of the mountains of them which were infesting the city.

For those which did survive, they were in hiding for a bit as the fungus adjusted and slowly transformed their bodies even more. (Because of its slowness and lack of mass tissue growth it wasn’t lethal because of the time the heat had to disperse and the small amount of heat being made, though grackles hunted frequently in the forests up wind, where the fungus hadn’t reached yet, thereby spreading it).

Due to them being called a plague and their tendency to carry different diseases, I think their mutations would reflect that more accurately. An aura of pestilence around the grackles (a short range in which the spores/diseases they spread are most highly concentrated and have most chance to infect other organisms), though to balance this and due to the immense amount of disease they carry, grackles have reduced stamina and health because of their body’s immune system fighting against the diseases they carry.

They’re three diseases they carry most commonly and are be summarized by cause and their effect here:

Histoplasmosis: a fungal infection of the lungs which can have the symptoms of fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, cough and chest discomfort.

Candidiasis: a fungal infection, most commonly referred to as a yeast infection. Which can present in the nails, and mouth

Salmonellosis: a food borne illness spread through food and water (most commonly uncooked eggs and chicken). It’s colloquially known as salmonella. (This wouldn’t be airborne and instead infect the water sources they drink from and food they begin to eat)

Each of these diseases (causes and symptoms found on google, I am not a professional) could be ported into a ttrpg as debuffs. Much like the poison breath of a hydra doing damage over time or fatigue points slowing down movement speed, etc

This is the end of the first animal mutation concept, I hope anyone who read, enjoyed!

[riveredwater]

Hi this is my first post and time using tumblr in general so forgive any mistakes and/or inexperience that bleeds through my words. I intend to describe what this project is and make in depth posts for different concepts in the world

S.M.A.S.H, an idea that has been with me for a little bit. An apocalypse that takes place in modern day Texas, specifically in a town in the Austin-San Antonio corridor. I plan to incorporate many different species of the area, and chart their development, general transformation percentage, symbiotic relationships that form between mutated species, defense mechanisms, hunting practices, and whatever else I can think of when delving into each species. This apocalyptic world and all of its species and changes is something I plan to port into a ttrpg GURPS campaign. I hope you all enjoy this journey as much as me!

The Fungus:

The beginning and cause of the apocalypse as a whole. Created by a large company’s pharmaceutical department led by a Dr. Simon Adler(working name), with the idea and task of emulating a healing factor similar to the axolotl’s abilities. To achieve this goal the team began experimenting with implanting different forms of parasitic organisms with the intent of creating an organism with the ability to sustain a state of symbiosis in which it took nutrients from the human host and created new human tissue in return. they decided a fungus would be best for this, but I’m not sure if any type or species that fit the traits exist in the real world. The scientists then experimented on rats and other animals to see if this gmo fungus was able to connect and acted in the ways they intended, unfortunately it just didn’t take. As a last ditch effort they hypothesized that in order to make it able to infect many types of species they’d have to make the genome of the fungus itself unstable and rapidly adaptable to organic material it encounters. To do this Dr. Adler blasted a sample with radiation, while this killed most of it, the remainder proliferated very quickly and latched onto every animal in the lab (they were specifically more susceptible to fungal infection in order to ensure that the experimental fungus could take) and collapsed all at once.

I feel like now is a good time to specify how the fungus works and what actually makes this an apocalypse instead of just a very fast bio weapon.

The fungus first spreads by spores that are shot in clouds into the air, the spores then breathed in and deposited deep in the lungs of animals.

These spores then infect the area, and slowly move toward the brain, replacing healthy tissue with its own as it goes (the fungal tissue can show up as many different things, from spring and spongey to calcified and hard like coral).

Once it reaches the brain it cuts off all motor control, this causes the animal to collapse, seemingly due to death.

The fungus then rapidly consumes energy from the host and incorporates itself into healthy tissue throughout the body

This process takes only minutes to finish to completion. Due to the speed of such a change heaps of heat is created. many animals end up spontaneously combusting, spreading the fungus into the air even more. The few who can bear it, become mutated by the fungus into different creatures with new abilities and physiology. (Different animals have different rates at which the fungus can incorporate itself, meaning some animals are much more likely to combust than others, ex: ravens are very unlikely to survive, while deer have such a high survival rate that whole herds of them still roam after the apocalypse).

The animals in the lab then rapidly became much larger and starving due to the quick growth, this presented as a feeding frenzy. The entire team of scientists were killed in the lab due to either smoke inhalation or mauling from the animals. Due to the lack of perceived danger of the study initially, safeguards such as lockdowns or automatic vent closing and backup systems were absent from the facility. This caused the spores from the laboratory to gradually waft up and out into the city above. This vent specifically had become a widely used resting place of grackles, which will be the first mutated animal that I’ll dive deeply into in the next post.

If anyone has any suggestions on the story and/or the science behind it I would appreciate each and every one of them (same with tips on how to blog and that sort) thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed and have a nice day!