Manikin
When an organism was contaminated with Sculptoris, they would devolve into creatures known as manikins. Manikins could also be crudely referred to as zombies. Unlike the undead puppets raised by necromantic magic, manikins were fully autonomous and driven by a mindless bloodlust. Manikins also differed from possessed created by Ectoplasm infestation in that manikens were still living organisms while possessed were simply corpses animated by amorphous parasites.
This condition that mutated people into monsters was called manikinism.
Transmission & Vectors #
An individual could turn into a manikin by contact with mutagenic Festerplains tissues scraped from the Living Jungle. This tissue, called Sculptoris, had to be ingested or enter the bloodstream directly.
Manikins and carnites could also transmit manikinism through their own bodily fluid and tissues.
Causes #
Manikins were first discovered by Serberker warriors exploring the Festerplains. The warband of Cuprum Nomads was thrown into confusion after several of them, infected by various means, transformed and attacked their comrades. The survivors returned to their home, shaken and telling tales of "things that looked human but weren't".
Manikins were also often be caused by somatomancer initiation. Tissue from the Festerplains was introduced into a prospective somatomancer's body in order to enable them to utilize their body-altering magic, but if their own powers weren't sufficient enough to control it they could succumb and transform.
Symptoms #
The beginning symptom of manikinism involved a debilitatingly high fever. This was soon accompanied by bloody bowel movements and acute epistaxis. The mental acuity of the infected also deteriorated as the brain mutated.
Eventually, the infection assumed full control of the individual's body[^1]. At this point, the manikin would begin to take on a twisted appearance, growing things like longer nails to scratch others, jagged teeth with which to bite targets, stronger muscles to run/crawl/leap better, etc. Manikins developed random assortments of mutations as various aspects of the Cyclopean genome were activated within them. Some manikens might have developed acid spittle while others could grow large bony blades from their forearms.
Manikins were driven by an irrational desire to kill, spilling blood whenever they could. They also required meat to survive, and would attack animals or people in order to acquire the sustenance they need.
Treatment #
There was no cure for manikinisms once they become symptomatic. The only way to stop the progression of the infection was to amputate a limb.
Prognosis #
In majority of cases, a manikin would continue on to the final stage of mutation and become a violent threat with a high likelihood of infecting even more individuals. In some fringe cases, a manikin could actually die before mutating. This was usually from underlying health issues that the manikin may have already been suffering from.
Sequela #
A manikin's level of mutation increased as time progressed. The longer a manikin survived, the less natural it became. Mutation rate also increased with time, and eventually mutations were so rampant that they crossed the line of becoming a Carnite. Most manikins were either felled by swords or starved to death.
Hosts & Carriers #
All somatomancers were carriers of manikinism because they cultivated mutant Clyclopean cells within their own bodies. As such, the fluids and tissues of a somatomancer could transmit manikinism just as effectively as the fluids and tissues of carnites and other manikins.
Prevention #
When exploring the Festerplains, the covering of bodies in armour and wrappings could help minimize direct contact with Sculptoris.
[^1]: This usually took 48 hours, or less in smaller subjects. For example, human children and women may take slightly less time to mutate than an adult human male