Ethereal Thorn Plague Host

They can easily reproduce by infected someone with their thorns or blood, and it can result in the victim turning in 1d4 days. However, if the victim dies before turning, they will begin to form fleshy spore sacs on their body. The spore sacs act like a last defense mechanism to continue spreading the virus. By inhaling the spores, the victim will become infected at a much faster rate, usually 24 hours.

Stage 1

The least dangerous off all the stages, but still deadly. The hosts appear to still be alive, but with black veins running across their body. They bruise easily and their eyes look sunken in. Insomnia takes over, so they appear constantly tired. This stage lasts about 1-4 days.

Stage 2

The host is now extremely exhausted, with their body starting to produce bumps where rashes are forming. Their eyes are bloodshot with yellow sclera and the host has a near feral look to them, with their gums bleeding. Vines start to poke out from their orifices. This stage is roughly 2 weeks long and very agonizing for the victim.

Stage 3

While the host has lost all control over their body, they are somehow still alive and see what the fungus is doing to them. Vines are bursting through the bumps on the victims body and roots burst out around the ankles, dragging along the ground. The limbs begin to stretch, causing screams of agony to come from the victims as their blood -- once red, now black -- pours out on the ground. Their eyes are completely sunken in, covered by a writhing vines while their jaws are stretched open to reveal black, gaping maws. This is known as the longest stage, lasting five weeks.

Stage 4

The host has finally died, but the plant still lives on. However, the roots have firmly latched onto the ground and stuck the host where they stand. The vines are at their longest, reaching up to ten feet in length. The host releases spores every few minutes in the hopes of infecting new hosts to continue the fungal virus' life. This stage is the most dangerous, and the most lethal. It has zero empathy and has grown to be a size taller. For example, a small size will now be a medium size, or a medium size will be a large size.

The fungal virus doesn't need to eat living matter, but water is a nutrient to keep the plant healthy. If anything, the fungal virus feeds off the blood of their victims.

They are very docile creatures when left alone. As long as a source of water, living or not, is not within range, they remain in a dormant state and just wander around aimlessly until they reach their final stage, where they become rooted to the ground.
  When a source of water is close by, they stalk toward it. If it fights back, they'll attack viciously and dangerously, releasing spores into the air as both a defense mechanism and a poisonous effect.

Currently, their only known location is Ansa Thalas, first appearing in the Old Village and Residential areas of the town.