Parasite FAQ

Note: Please read all the parasite info before looking through these. If you have a question and don't see it on here, there's a high chance that it's been answered in the info.

If you have a question that's not answered in the info or any other board, I'll post it here after answering it for you.

1. Why do the parasites' hosts develop the ringed eyes? The parasites change the eyes to let others know that the animal is a host rather than uninfected. The eyes also aid other parasites in knowing just who is controlling that animal.

2. Why don't the parasites have to breathe? Can they survive underwater? They don't need Oxygen because they didn't come from Earth. They don't need to breathe, however air helps them regulate pressure. If underwater, they can survive but they tend not to enjoy it if it takes away too much heat from them, and they may become stressed out.

3. Just how intelligent are the parasites? They cannot develop technology, but they can figure out how to use objects as tools; use advanced, detailed communication in various forms; plan for the future; learn and teach the language patterns of other animals to other parasites(they can understand different languages of different animals, but cannot speak them as they have no means of speaking in such a manner); and very easily learn and remember the behaviors and brain patterns of animals. They have special intelligence, high in a lot of areas and lower in others. If there must be a comparison, they have the intelligence of an adolescent human; but this is not very reliable.

4. Is an infected animal stronger than an uninfected of the same species? Yes, they gain full control over the brain and feed the muscles better than the brain does normally to bulk them up further.

5. Is there any chance of a host regaining control over the parasite? It depends. If the parasite is inexperienced and/or the infection is new, it may be possible. It's up to you, just please do not do this too often, or use it to cause mayhem.

6. A. How do the parasites communicate? Are they telepathic? They are not telepathic. They communicate in their own language that just sounds like a bunch of odd squeaks, whistles, clicks, huffs, etc. to other animals. They will also clack their jaws, or tap/scrape the ground to cause vibrations; though these methods do not work when in a host as the parasites cannot read vibrations properly from inside, and they do not have the right jaws for clacking.

6. B. So, do they still use their same language when inside the host? Yes, they will learn to control the vocal chords of their host to be as similar to their native language as possible. They can also speak the language of the host they claim and that of previous hosts they've had.

7. Can a parasite feel pain inflicted on the host? Sort of. If the pain is severe enough, the host will react, and can gain partial consciousness and attempt to regain control. This can be uncomfortable to the parasite. But, no they cannot feel the host's pain, though they can read what host is feeling(they know, but they don't feel it themselves).

8. Is the host conscious while the parasite is inside? Sometimes, this is up to you. Sometimes an unconscious host can wake up partially causing a bit of discomfort for the host. Consciousness does not mean they can control themselves.

9. Can the parasites access and look at/read the memories of their host? Yes this is how they can pretend to be their host if interacting with other species in an attempt to lure them to kill them or take them as a slave.

10. Wait, if the host is unconscious are they asleep, do they dream Can the parasites see the dreams? Usually no, they don't dream if they're unconscious. It's usually a blank coma-like state if they are unconcious. If for some reason they do, yes the parasite can look in on it.

11. What if a parasite dies in the host? Well, this is quite broad. What stage is the parasite at in the host? To put it simply, the parasite just stays there. If the parasite is in the out-of-body form within the stomach then the dead parasite's body will begin to cause some problems. The host cannot vomit the parasite out of their body, and it cannot be passed nor digested due to its natural body form and can cause a bacterial or viral infection as its insides deocmpose. If the parasite dies in blood steam-form, they can become like a blood clot and eventually cause real problems. If a parasite dies in brain-form the host may wake up, but they will never recover from the brain damage. They also may shift in and out of consciousness and will experience severe head pain. They also are at risk for a severe brain infection by something other than the parasite. Other parasites will likely kill off this host as they are either useless to be infected and/or prone to death at any time. 

12. Where exactly are the parasites from? The parasites are from a planet far from this solar system; they were sent here via comet by another alien race.