Cordyceps brain infection

What are the 3 hidden tags in tlou 1 ? I know one of them. But what are the 2 others ? They are right up after “PUT HIM DOWN!”

How your guys doing today ?

We all know that HBO along with Naughty Dog are creating the Last of Us Tv Show so what’re your, thoughts,expectations,hopes,and worries about the future show?

I think a backstory behind the Virus would be cool, like how it became to be so deadly and contagious and who let it get so out of control.

Or maybe the start of the fireflies who were the founders and how it got to be so powerful.

Or maybe some adventures with tommy and marlene?]

Any Thoughts.....

Reason/s why: Okay, we get that Joel killed her father. When i saw the Abby Vs Ellie Theater fight, i was pissed because Abby said "You killed all my friends after we let you live." Like seriously, you really thought that people wouldn't come after you after you killed somebody's big brother who he (Tommy) was close with and somebody's (Ellie) role model, close friend and father figure after everyone that she had known has left her or died. I'm still flabbergasted and dumbfounded how Abby really thought she was gonna go back to Seattle and get off Scott Free. Abby should've known full and well that the people of Joel and Tommy's Beloved Community wasn't gonna let that slide off of The Water Fall. This is one of the main reasons why i don't feel bad about the fact that Ellie, Tommy, Dina and Jesse slaughtered all of their friends and allies. I also kinda feel that Abby overplays the victim role sometimes throughout the game. I can also say that Ellie and Abby are fueled by the grief and hatred over the deaths of their fathers. (Jerry & Joel).

I have a lot more reasons for this but i'll post those another day. Let me hear your thoughts and opinions on how you feel!

Joel would've teleported to Seattle and destroyed them all along with Ellie by his side

In the cutscene with Abby's dad Jerry talking to Marlene in the hospital, just before Ellie's planned operation, there was a whiteboard behind him with the following on it.

Frontal lobe dysfunction

Rage / Manic

Psychosis

Absence seizures

I had to Google the last one to see what it was.

An absence seizure causes you to stare into space for a few seconds.

Remember the scene in the first game right at the start of the Salt Lake City section. Joel was talking to Ellie about the hospital being nearby and Ellie was totally oblivious to him. I think this came right after the traumatic fight to the death she had with David so maybe her being so distant was just her way of dealing with the stress.

In Part 2 we have the scene where she's with Tommy just before he gives her his rifle. He was talking to her but again it was like she was somewhere else.

Just her daydreaming or a sign of the growth on her brain / infection changing inside her?

God knows what Naughty Dog have in store for us after the crash and burn behaviour we just saw from Ellie.

This is part 2 of my previous post. this post will tak aboute the stage 3, stage 4, and stage 5 of my fan theorized Coral cordycepts strain and other mutations and strain ideas.

Stage 4:

Coral backs- the coral back is the clicker of the sea, and is named such for good reasons. as being a stalker absorbing microrganism rich water with nutrience, the droplings of fish who eat off their dead flesh, and the likelyhood of being able to succesfully drown and eat an entire human without infecting them means the cordyceps will have an onverhaul in growth, so much so that it will begin to grow along the spinal cord of the coralback forming bloated air bubbles in skin, and large coral like muschroom growth, giving them their name, coral back. the coral backs new growth alows a home for fish that feed off the infected deads skin, they will lay droplets of feces that the mushroom will absorb for food, and any fish eggs that die will be absorbed as well. and fish with bacteria lining their body will rub against the "coral" to remove the bacteria, the bacteria will be absorbd by the fungus leading to more nutrience and inhanced growth. Coral backs also have improved swimming abilities, this is because the cordycepts has replaced multiple nerves that control the limbs with their own root like growth layering over it. their stamina and speed in water is now able to compete with olympic athletes, this combined with their enhanced breathing allows them to be almost impossible to kill while underwater with them. The coral back strain mutated in such away that it's back has become a sort of pocket air reserve, like a fleshy air tank. although not as pretruding as a large air tank, the tube like growth and air pockets that grow along the coral backs back allows for air to be preserved for elongated periods of time, allowing them to stay submerged for 3 hours when active to 12 hours and 30 minutes, when hibernating, this allows them to live in deeper depths of water during hibernation. the Echolocation of a Coral back is way better then a land clicker or bloater thanks to being submerged underwater, which sounds travels through more, and having bloated skin that is sensative to vibration. they are so good at echolocation that they could feel small vibrations in water for over a mile away. coral backs have reinforced bodies thanks to nutrient rich fungul growth which allows them to rip into the hull of wooden boats and canoos, and easily drag their prey to extream dephs, if they don't kill them, then they will probably die of drowning. but since they live solitary lives, burrowed in the ground of deep bodes of water, absorbing nutrience, only going to the surfave to obtain air, the likely hood of being attack by one is actualy quite low, even when thrashing in water while drowning, most coral backs wont inspect it, instead they will assume they are thrashers and continue obtaining nutrience form the water, since nutrience gathering is more affective then actually hunting, wasting energy. not only will they not hunt offten, but they are mostly incapible of going on land, this is because of fungul growth along the legs and bloating makes it harder to properly stand straight and walk without popping the bloating or ruining the fragile newly grown fungi in the legs that helps with swimming.

Where they live: they live in the deeper depths of water ways and oceans. when at in salt water areas they live not to far from shore and humans, but far enough to be in almost in open oceans/seas. they burrow with other coralbacks usually near coral reefs, becoming apart of the reef's ecosystem itself. they would hibernated for long times barely even reacting to movement in the water. when in fresh water they live in the middle of a lake at the bottem. this allows them to gather nutrience from all angels, and attract fishes. when near rivers, they will burrow near the end tail of a river, allowing nutrience to flow from the river into them. they usually distrupt beaver dams in the process. when in flooded city areas, they will do the same thing, but on a wider scale because the geography of cities very when flooded heavily.

Weaknesses:

Offence- eletricuting them is viable, but will take slightly longer becuse of their tougher plating. blunt objects like bats are super uneffective against them, instead try to pierce their bloated skin with machetes and eletricute them. also do NOT attempt to punch them in CQC their plating is to tough, just shoot them, and slash them when they are stunned.

Evading/Escaping- because of their lathargic hibernating nature, one can stealthy swim above them without accidentily bumbing into them without being noticed at all. but since most coral backs hibernate in coral reef groups to mazimize nutrience gathering via fishes. awaking one can alert the rest, and trying to outswim one is impossible in both stamina and speed, they are not inferior to that of natural aquatic preadators. with their strength they can grapple onto a person trying to escape them and drag them away. the best way to stop this is to not awaken them at all. and if you do, find a large plot of dry land quickly, for they are unlike to presue you any further. when making jumps across gaps of water, they will try to jump out and catch you mid air.

Defence- the same as always, oil on top of water and light it on fire. but they can hibernate under the oil for up to 12 hours and wait for the fire to go out, so be wary. if you have no oil use a electric fence or trapping machanic by creating a sort of artificial lake, have them go into the middle to hibernate then trap it with electricity or oil, and kill them.

Stage 5

Reefbacks- the stage five reefbacks are the bloaters of the deep blue, but 5x more stronger and 10x more agile in water. the reefback unlike their fatty land counterpart are actually quit thin, although their skin is bloated and their entire backs can be compared to it's own coral reef or crab shell, it's main body is actually just bloated "bones" or plated clickers then bloaters, this is because of the constant weathering of water,fish eating away at fatty tisue, and most nutriance going into colosal fungel growth then the host body. nevertheless they are not to be messed with, their streangth is on par, or even stronger then land bloaters. the reefback much like it's predecesor the coralback, live in groups of "False reef's." burrowed infected that live together in ecosystems of reefs. unlike their other bretheron the reefbacks are able to dive up to 229 feet (70 meters) under the sea, 60 meters is the maximum deph for untrained induvisuals in scuba gear. and because of their evolved fungal air tubes they can last 24 hours underwater while active and 48 hours and 30 minutes while hibernating this is thanks to their armor like plating which can resits multple shock gun blast. a reefback's Reef back contains high amounts of mico toxin that explodes when the infected is in a state of agitation, this can be used as an acidic smokescreen when atacking prey. although the infected is lathargic and has a medium sized "reef" on it's back, it is as aggile as any sea faring beast. act much like alligators, lying in wate, and just like them they have bone crushing strength that can incapasite a person and drown them. when they pounce on their prey imagine them giving you a bear hug, this hug will crush your spine and ripcage, pearcing your lungs and causing you to gag, which inevitably will make you drown on the water instead of holding your breath resulting in a sure instant death. and if a group of them were to attack you, you will most likely be stretched and ripped apart.

Where they live: they usally live in their own group of false reefs, branching of a reefs into deeper portions of water to creat their own reefs for micro organism harvesting. in salt waters thy can live near the edges of sea trenches, so far from shore that land can barely be seen. when in fresh water or swamply marshes they will burrow deep into the murky swamp waters and lay their absorbing in microorganisms. be warned for when in shallow waters the coral mushrooms gather sea debri, vines, and sea weed that camoflauges them in the water, so you can accidently step on one and be catapulted into the air for disturbing it. some live in the deepest parts of flooded inercitie tunnels, were no light reaches.

Weaknesses:

Offence- unlike their bretheren electricity only stuns them well. but CAN'T kill them. their fungul plating is so reinforced and THICC thanks to nutrition in water, that using electricity to fry them is near imposible. the best way to despose of them if they come upon land is to use piercing objects like spears, or throwing knifes or heavy rounds of bullets, like a sniper riffle, or a shoty. then eletricuting their now exposed inner body to fry them. like trying to open an oyster to electricute the insides. when underwater, just electricute everything and hope that they somehow don't catch up with you, or that your skin isn't Melted of by their acidic smokescreen.

Evading/Escaping- unlike coral backs, reef backs are more sensative to vibrations, and one reefback may even look up from its mud ditch to see what it is. the best way to avoid them is to not swim above them and steathly wade, or sea walk by them. this is because most fish swim around them, from small to medium sizes eating their flaking skin and breeding on their "reefs", so any tiny vibrations will be assumed as fishes. but large vibrations and sounds like an attacking sea predatore, motar boat, or human will awaken them, and they will swiftfully "Shut it up." to protect it's food source (fish poop and bacteria). and if they spot a human, it is more likely that the human will die. it's unlikely to find them near any urban areas though.

Defense- the same thing oil and fire. BUT, electric fences are less viable, and you would have to keep them from intaking air for 2 days while trapped under oil. which is difficult, because they have a higher resistance to fire, so much so that they can stand in oily, firery water and be unefected.

the best defence is to make iron gates in your waterways. that's all. they won't even try to proceed further. well, unless they see a human infront of the gate, but even then, unless the gate is rusted. after a while, they will give up and go back to absorbing water.

The rat king phenomanon (Stage 6) for the Coral Cordycepts:

Because most reefbacks and coral backs, huddel in groups in microorganism rich waterways, filled with coral sea spors for months and years, with fungus that grows faster then land cordycepts thanks to nutrience, the ratking phenomonon is actually less rare for them.

I would like to impose

3 different types of Seakings types that can happen do to surcumstances. from most common to rarest.

Seakings type A:

Reeflords: The most "common" in Seakings, simply because they are sea Reefbacks that because of deep sea pressure and rapid fungul growth casues their back reeps to start to slowly fuse together, creating fusion 2 variets of Crab shaped (reefbacks stackend ontop of each other, better strength) and Jellyfish/octopus shaped (reefbacks burrowed in a circle, better speed) . this is because of all the nutrience obtain on their large reef backs. as the human body sleeps within the dirt, the surface back fungus begins to fuse with near by fungus and flesh. because of this more bloated pockets of air are formed high amounts of spores and micro toxins that work like gas bags, and when hit will shoot out a far reaching cloud of acid. unlike other infected these will go in large group of reeflords to attack large ships, like cruise ships staying at sea, in fear of returning ashore to infected.

Weakness:

Offence- the same thing, fire and electricity, but their armor is a no brainer for melee weapons. the best way is to shoot of limbs and eletricute exposed flesh. they aslo walk on land more like sea rocks and small islands

Evading/Escaping- go FAR, FAR, inland away from any river or body of water, this will detur their presuit on you on you and you are lesslikely to find one. but if you live in a wet enviroment, NEVER TRY OUT SWIMMING THEM, and DO NOT, get trapped on a object in water, they will capsize it. they also migrate in water like fish, so they will go to other nearby costal countrys. the best way to evade them while they are active is Creating vibration in the water, ANY vibration is good since they are more sensative then regular bloater or clickers to sound. escape by land if you can and electrify them is they get close.

Defence- just try to survive. thats it.

Seaking Type b:

River kings are coral backs and reefbacks that form in areas with costant flooding or fast running water, making it difficult to burrow and cling to the bottem of land. they will form "lines", the biggest in the front, and the others cling onto, beside it, or usually behind it. sometimes even ontop of it. it takes about 4 years before one is formed, from constant build up of debri of organic matter matter or even oil, will cause gunk, flesh, and fungus to forcefully stick them to each other. even when they havent formed a complete ratking yet, the possibility of being stuck together via gunk or oil still is high. becausde of their "line" they usually take upon a crocodilian or serpentine look. with a "head" (the most head and arms in the line) and a "tail" (the most legs and rear ends in the line). the amount of build up of fungus and bloating will create mini ecosystems within the Rivier kings bloated pores, causing it's breeding of microtoxins and acids to go into overhaul, periodicly needing to projectile vomit acidinc spores inorder to not internaly choke to death on the amount of acidic spores. making their existants a constant source of spores in waterways. they can slither on land, but they usually never stay for long, only staying for about 5 hours before returning to the water.

Weaknesses:

Offence- if you are near the "head", MOVE OUT THE WAY, they will coil back and sling towards you to VORE YOU, jk, but they will grab you and spray acid allover yourbody so they can gulp you down like a human slushi. the best thing is to get behind them and attack their tail, although their tail has more funal growth, it's the safest choice besides their sides. attacking their sides will most likely resualt in one ripping off, casuing acid to spew everywhere and a acid dretched infected to run after you. but setting those acidic openings in flesh on fire cause serious damage. you will mostlikly only fight them in shallow water, which they will layer with pools of acid, so be mindful. trying to fight them in water is a good way to be coild around and ripped to shreds, but it's still possible by a 10% chance of surviving :).

Evading/Escaping- this is the best swimming seaking, so swimming is NOT an option. boats are also bad, since they will litterly "swallow" a small boat and crush it. so dry land is the better rout for escape. and if not, and you are running on floating debri or almost submerged objects, try avoiding getting it's attension or it will swim vigoursly towards a source of noise, destroying any floating debry.

Defence- KILL IT, KILL IT WITH FIRE, or lob a granade at it's "head."

Seaking C (the rarest and most dangerous)

The Swamp thing- this seaking necissarily doesn't need to be in a swamp, but is the resualt of underwater pollution and alarge amount of bagmen, reefbacks, and coralbacks fuse. they usually form in the most unholy way, sea pollution. think of the amount of nucular power plants left unchecked and that exploded. the radiation, toxic sludge, and waste can leak into water, this waste and oil suddenly were to land on a group of unsuspecting hibernating reef/coralbacks, fusing their flesh together afer a few days. this along with the acumilation of multiple plant matter and dead things getting absorbed into the mass, creats a ratking abomination on steroroids that is still somehow agile as hell at swimming. they can be found around overly flooded city ways, in the even deeper dephs of water. or deep within flooded nucular facilities. that is why they are so rare. the radiation also causes extream mutation in fungul replefication, causing fragile fungus to grow on it, that can be used as piercing fungi projectils, coverd in acidic vomit and when they rip apart, they explode in a spore cloud. they will usually die off after like 2 years thanks to the radiation. but their deaths creat a New strain called the Cribbled that i will talk about in the part 3 post on possible worlf infected and strains.

Weaknesses:

Offence- they are usually coverd in THICC layers of fungus and drenched in water and oil, so buring them won't be the bet but can still hurt them. explosives are the only viable thing. but they can spray acid. and explode so be wary.

Evading/Escaping- try to sneak away, it is blind. also it is SUPER RARE so no need to think you will run into one, unless you are near a recently destroyed nucular power plant.

Defence- their is no way to defende against it, just kill it, that is they ONLY way to defende against it in a post apacolypse.

Ok im done with one strain finally hope you enjoy this. also some possible bonus ones below.

Bonus stages, that are probably a 1 in a million chance of hapening or finding.

The leviathan (stage 6): an unholy mass of 100's of infected stuck to gether. imagine if a cruise ship capside after being stuck at sea with 100's of infected on it. with minamal air pockets on it they would be forced to huddle in a damp wet space, where they will absorb water and nutrience and fuse together, to create a DISGUSTING colomiration of a SNake like octopus infected with the ability to destroy a small town. it will stay in deep water hibernated creating an entire false grand coral reef of hibernating infected, only to hunt humans during a tsunami or flood.

Weaknesses- only 1, MISSILES, LOTS OF MISSLES.

Bio alluminecent Cave swimmer (stage 3-6): infected with bio alluminecent fish, krill and bacteria huddiling around them, while they hibernate at the dark zone of the ocean, the only way they survive is by using a underwater caves air as a oxygen source.

Groot infected stage (3-6): HERE ME OUT imagine a coral cordycepts in a marsh cover in dirt, and nutrient rich water. as seeds of a bauyu tree land on it a small tree growns on it, maybe even encuphasing it. but the cordycepts starts to absorb it's nutrience as well. it may be plausible, disgusting and rare BUT PLAUSABLE!

What if the virus finally starts showing signs on her? We don't know how bad the virus has spread in her brain and we've seen the trailers showing her shaky hands...I mean, do you think the infection will have a main role in the second part?