Breakdown: Infection Types and Stages: Growlers
Type 1 infected were the first to be documented by Princess Twilight and the research team she assembled to study the infection. Growlers go through multiple stages of infection that vary in temperament, and by the time they've fully succumbed to last-stage infection, they are more mindless beast than they are pony.
Known Type 1s: Bow Hothoof, Cheerilee, Big Mac, the list goes on
Stages: Early Infection (incubation period/before the point of no return) - Fever, Flushed Face - Sweating - Lethargy - Confusion & Dizziness - Sensitive skin (esp. around the face and eyes) - Eyes Itch Stage 1 - All previous symptoms have worsened - Insomnia - Saliva overproduction becomes tacky and green - Small green pustules form like pimples over the face and neck - Irritibility - Darkened Sclera, Green hue surrounding pupils - Site of Infection (bite) leaks green pus Stage 2 - Loss of flight (weakened wings) in pegasi, magic loss (horn decay) in unicorns - Saliva overproduction worsens, constantly dripping from the mouth - Dark Sclera, Irises almost completely green & glowing - Constant nosebleed (possibly from pustules growing inside the skull cavity?) - Violent behavior, Memory loss, Nocturnal behavior (Sensitive to bright light) - Thick, gray tears, mucus-like consistency - Deformed teeth, sharpened to points - Coat desaturation Stage 3 - Massive pustule overgrowth through the skull and face, stretching down the neck and around the original bite - Feather loss, all Magic is gone, Increased strength (Earth pony Growlers are two times stronger than Growlers of other pony races) - Dark, Green-Black saliva has become glue-like and appears to be used for immobilizing frantic/fighting prey - Extreme malnutrition due to an all-meat diet, the body cannot handle the carnivorous change in sustenance - Loss of self (ego death), purely motivated by hunger (and predatory instinct) - Blind, Acute sense of hearing, Acute sense of smell
Type 1 infected are highly dangerous, and though they can and will show aggression towards other Growlers, they are also capable of swarming in large groups to take down prey. Noise and smell attract them, and they hyperfocus on scents and sounds when tracking prey. Keeping oneself clean and neutrally scented, as well as quiet, is of high importance. Currently, Growlers have the highest population of infected, but they are being gradually outlasted by their arguably more dangerous sister Type, the Watcher. Stage 2 Growlers lack most, if not all, memories of their past lives, but retain intelligence and are capable of cooperation and verbal communication. They only converse with other infected, though they have been known to communicate with captors (Twilight) when pushed. In the story, the dots have not been connected, but I, the writer, am assuming you've noticed that infection type is connected to the location of their bite. Those bitten on their forelimbs gain the Growler infection mutation. Growlers are known to be aggressive even toward other infected, but will avoid Watchers like the plague unless swarming. Stage 2 Growlers will not attack a pony if said pony is infected; they can sense and smell the infection. Stage 3 Growlers are 50/50 on if they attack an infected (early to stage 1(Type 1) infected) pony, the same odds they have with any other infected (minus, of course, the Watchers, whom they avoid).