@pinkseas egg headcanon!!
So, the egg grows stronger when people die near it, but I also headcanon that things like natural disasters or bombing from wars can help the egg be able to spread above ground, hence why the people of the SMP regard it as a manifestation of suffering. More scientifically, the egg relies very specific soil to settle on above ground before converting it into manganese rich soil, which in turn stunts other plants growth. The egg “eats” the sodium, potassium and magnesium rich blood of whatever was killed, absorbing it into its membrane which then takes on the classic rich red coloration, seen through its protective outer shell. However too much iron in particular can even harm the egg’s main shell, which isn’t as hardy to the mineral as its child vines.
Thus, the egg has a specific extended chamber where excess waste is shed in the form of a sticky red like substance that it has its host members clean, as well as relying on the calcium stored in special chambers from its victims too offset too much iron. However too much calcium is more dangerous to the young vines and offshoots and must also be shed by the eggs waste product. Interestingly, calcium has a silvery white color, and it is believed to cause the other side of the paradoxical discoloration of red pigmentation in addition to the adding of red pigmentation caused by high iron.
So the egg causes slightly different symptoms depending on the type of host (Hannah, a Fae cannot handle iron, and thus suffers from way too much calcium, while other Egg victims usually suffer from too much manganese , especially those who plant the vines around.
If prolonged contact is made with these waste products infected people can suffer from the telltale symptoms of calcium/manganese poisoning. This is often referred to as “the secondary infection stage” as it mimics the host of neurological and cognitive problems that come with exposure to the egg.
In type 1 of the disease, the more common type, it would cause dystonia, irritability, insomnia, headaches and impaired speech. (Bad, Ant, Etc)
In type 2, symptoms consist of nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, lethargy, and confusion. (c!Hannah)