Description[]
An image of a spine, thought to be an unnaturally large larva, photographer presumed to be alive.
Entity 35 or "Spines" are small bundles of what appears to be a mix of human bone and tree vines that take a vaguely humanoid form. Spines make very little sound and it is often difficult to know when one is approaching. Spines are small generally only being around 3 feet tall, though they have been known to grow up to 7 feet tall due to unknown reasons. Spines are capable of changing their size due to their bodies being mostly hollow and not lacking any specific form, being made from vine-like human bones.
Behavior[]
Spines do not directly attempt to harm wanderers and serve more as a parasite, having two methods of entering the human body.
Entry Method One[]
When a wanderer is found awake, a Spine may attempt to enter a piece of its biomass into said wanderer's body via several methods, these include, stabbing a wanderer and breaking off the limb used to stab, attempting to forcefully enter a wanderer's mouth or nasal passages, or sneaking a chunk of their biomass into an open wound. After said biomass has successfully entered the wanderer's body it will slowly grow over the span of a week, wrapping itself around the human skeleton, this process generally results in headaches and extreme aches throughout the wanderer's body. The newly grown Spine will begin to secrete an unknown acid, dissolving the human skeleton and replacing said skeleton with its own body. Once they have replaced the wanderer's skeleton the Spine will take full control over the wanderer's body, using it to attempt to enter other wanderers and begin the process again. After approximately 4 weeks within the human body, the Spine will walk the wanderer to a warm, damp, and dark location where it will slowly dissolve the human body and grow several vine-like human bones taking up a large amount of space, these new vines will break off and become new instances of Entity 35.
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Entry Method Two[]
When a wanderer is found asleep a Spines will attempt to discreetly enter a piece of its biomass the human body, during this method the Spines growth will be much slower and nearly undetectable, taking around a month to fully grow. Once the Spine has fully grown it will dissolve the human skeleton and replace said skeleton with there body. During Spines growth and replacement of a wanderer's skeleton, Spines will secrete a pain killer so as to not alert the wanderer of their presence. Unlike with method one, they will not take control of the human body and will lay dormant within it, sapping the wanderer of nutrients and slowly consuming the wanderer from the inside out. After the wanderer is deceased the process of growing vine-like human bones and creating new instances of Entity 35 begins the same as with method one.
[]
If a Spine has become aware that another wanderer knows of its presence inside a host, despite what entry method is used the Spine will use its host to dispatch the wanderer via blunt trauma. It is to be noted that the host is fully alive and capable while a Spine is inside their body, entry method one is thought to be highly traumatic and it is recommended to dispatch the host in a humane way to avoid further suffering and possible spread of Spines.
Biology[]
Spines lack any specific form and can contort, change their shape, and remove excess biomass as needs be, any and all biomass removed from Spines act as larvae depending on their size. Spines are incapable of reproduction without a host, meaning levels with fewer wanderers will tend to contain less Spines, it is not known if Spines are capable of using other entities as a host, no evidence of this has been documented thus far. Spines are thought to be akin to bacterial colonies rather than one living being, which may be a possible explanation for Spines ability to create larvae by removing biomass, and creating new colonies. Spines tend to inhabit dark, damp, unhygienic, and warm locations, usually found on indoor levels, though they are known to appear on levels that contain forests, as they tend to camouflage themselves as vines on trees.
Discovery[]
Spines were first documented on Level 139 on April 6th, 2022, by an anonymous wanderer who claimed to see several Spines sprouting out of a human corpse, though it is thought they have been encountered by humans in the past who did not live to inform others. It is thought that all Spines originate from Level 139, though this is not proven.
Do's and Dont's[]
Do's[]
- Avoid discolored vines or unhygienic spaces.
- Cover any and all wounds one may have.
- If you know a fellow wanderer has been infected by a Spine, dispatch them and burn the corpse, as there is no known method of removing Spines from a body.
Dont's[]
- Do not attempt to attack Spines with any form of weaponry aside from fire, as removed biomass will simply turn into Spine larva.
- Do not allow a spine within a host to become aware that you know of its existence.
- Do not sleep on levels known to be inhabited by Spines.
Gallery[]
Author: Cendimix
Images: Images made by Trevor Henderson.