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The belly of the Beast. Naturally it would be a good place for a parasite like you. A beast within the belly of your host. This is a different situation. In the belly of your host lives a beast, an unwelcome beast, and to get it out you dive into its belly to purge the invader. So here you are, a beast within the belly of a beast within the belly of the host. It would make your membranes ache if it wasn't currently being digested by acid.

Your mass of warrior cells is clawing away at the larva’s tissues, desperately attempting to pierce your way in. Its slicked stomach wall resisted your first attempt, but weakening. The digestive enzymes kill your mass by the hundreds, but you persist. This is your host and you will suffer not the invader to live.

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[]Control:Infiltrate:Spread:Learn DC65
>DC 65
>7
Passed.

You rear your entire mass back and bring to bear every digestive enzyme, membrane puncture protein, and ounce of rage at the weakened tissues. You tighten your mass to expose the least amount of cells to the environment and you surge. The skin gives as push forward. You quickly set your mass to work, eating dying tissue and superfluous cells and growing a parasitic network throughout the tissues of the larva. Its body is weak underneath its toughened hide.

Quickly seeking out its neural tissue clusters you begin to try and tap into its mind. You suddenly are aware of its will, seeing its face cursing and screaming as it attempts to fight back against this invasion. It is almost visible, flitting from cluster to cluster. The will embeds in a single cluster and for a moment you feel it laugh. The cluster suddenly rejects your cells and becomes toxic, killing your mass. How dare this creature not submit to your will! It must die, but how?

[] Entrap:Push:Strangle:Laugh

[] Rip:Consume:Torture:Scream

[] Tease:Test:Learn:Devour


(Highest Voted after 25 min Wins)

>>32022900
>[] Tease:Test:Learn:Devour

>>32022900
[] Rip:Consume:Torture:Scream

>>32022900
>[] Tease:Test:Learn:Devour
eat, but fast. there is another threat here too

>>32022900
>[] Rip:Consume:Torture:Scream
I've had just about enough of this thing.

>>32022900
>[] Tease:Test:Learn:Devour

>>32022900

Tease:Test:Learn:Devour

>>32022900
[] Rip:Consume:Torture:Scream

>>32022900

>Tease:Test:Learn:Devour

>>32022900

[X] Rip: Consume: Torture: Scream

We tried playing nice...its given up its chance to be our puppet

>>32022900
>Rip:Consume:Torture:Scream
This host isn't big enough for two.

>>32022900

>[] Tease:Test:Learn:Devour

>>32022900
Tease:Test:Learn:Devour

Subtlety is our greatest asset.

>>32023375

I'd say that our ability to learn is our greatest asset, but I agree with this course of action.

We do need to have a care for time though...our main mass got a boost of 2.2m cells for some reason at the start of this thread, but I think our mass is still getting devoured by stomach acid steadily.

>>32023429
I'm tempted to Entrap, so we can infest easier but it seems going for the kill shot may be the better idea.

>>32022900
>[] Tease:Test:Learn:Devour
We will add its distinctiveness to our own.

>>32023458

My next vote will depend upon the amount of mass we're losing per-turn.

>>32023535
True, but I think having a secondary host would be useful. The more developed our life cycle, the easier infestation is.

>>32023551

Fair enough. These other parasites also likely hold many clues we could use to strengthen ourselves.

>>32022900
Tease:Test:Learn:Devour

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>[] Tease:Test:Learn:Devour

This is a feisty beast. Even though its doomed it still tries to resist. How curious. Does it not know it is doomed? You pull your cells away from the neural nodes, but continue to push deeper into its tissues, surrounding its vital organs. The larva tries to regain control of its body, and you oblige, but only for a moment before ripping its control away. The consciousness screams in frustration before turning towards you and pulsing a series of thoughts and feelings at you.

:anger:pain:fear:who:why:mercy:servitude:who:anger

Its seems to be trying to talk to you. Offering terms of surrender? You chuckle and pulse back an agreement in exchange for some information about who it is. It responds again in a flurry of feelings.

:awake:hungry:warm:gut:host:feed:grow:do not fail:hear:enemy:eat:sick:speak:fear

You would feel mercy if you weren't wrapped around its neural clusters. You can hear its hidden thoughts twist and flit around you. It is lying. Well it isn’t lying about waking up in the host and then eating her! It’s a female and it plans to betray you. It had to dig its way into the host’s stomach from a tiny egg. Through fights and exposure it developed resistances and immunities, and it is stalling for time before it gains complete immunity to you. At that point it will consume you first. This enrages you, but you keep it hidden. You lean in, well mentally, to the creature and whisper a single thought into its mind.

:Die:

1/2

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You fibers surge into every tissue it can find and you consume the creature in an orgy of fungal growth. Its mind screeches but is quickly silenced as you tear apart the cluster it was hiding in. The larva is quickly reduced to nothing but an empty mummified pouch filled with your cells. Cells you quickly find are immune to the acid that affected it earlier. You let the larva's skin fall away as your cells frolic and grow into the lining of the stomach, unaffected by the digestive and nutritious slurry.

Before you can rejoice something in your mind goes slack and the world goes dark. For a time you are nothing, until a familiar pair of light peaks your interest. The call of the mass echoes from one beacon. The other is just dull thudding sensation and pain. You hear the words “Get the fuck up, bum” Barked at you. Which do you choose?

[]The call of the mass
[] Wake up

[Environmental Hardening Gained]
[Rival Parasite Defeated]
[Digestive System Infected]

Cell mass + 10 million Cells
Total Cell Mass : 13 Million

>>32023625
>[]The call of the mass

There's another parasite to kill.

>>32023625
>[x]The call of the mass
there is still one enemy within

>>32023625
The call of the mass

>>32023625
>[] Wake up

>>32023625
>[]The call of the mass
another parasite to kill

>>32023672
>there is still one enemy within
>one
actually, are the flukes a singular thing?

>>32023625
Call of the mass. We may indulge once our puppet is ours alone.

>>32023625

>[X] The call of the mass

ThIS BOdY iS OURSSS. We will N̷̸̟̭͚͓͈̹̪̲͂́̚O͚͍͛̉̀̓̚̚Ț͎͔͇͎̂ͯͮ ̴͈̦̯̦̯̐͊ͪ͢͡S͔̰̻̓ͥͩ̿͛͞U̡̮̪͙̥̯̗̫ͨ͂ͪͯ͠F̱͙̦̭̬̿͒ͅf͇̟̬̣̜̫̹̓ͮͫͣ͘ͅf̰ͪͨ̒͆e̲͚͔̰̭̠̍ͨ̈̆ͧ̿͢͝͞rͯ̽̈́ͤͤ̅͞͏̸͖̖̪̺̲ ̡͔̗̠̞̟̗͙͆ͬ͗̓̅͆͐̓A̷̮̠̯͆̍̌̈̀̓̉͗͟n̸̩̥̮̎ͩ ͇͓̥̳̪̋ͧͣ̌ͬ͛̌͌I̴͖̠̣̜͇̼̝̓ͨ͂͗͛͠ͅn͉͕̽ͫͅf̦̠̦̳̩͕͆̀̀̾͑̃̿͡i̊̂̀̾̓ͪ̑ͥ̍͏̝͙̙̲l̶̞͚̣̲̺̮̤̊͆̋͐ͬ͗̚͞t̿͑͒͒̿ͭ̌͡҉̦̼̭̩͍̜R̘̉̇͗͡Į̴̦̩͕̯̗̦͉̫́̾ͬ̈̏ͧ̃ͤ̊͞A̸̬̹͓͇̙͂̋̕ͅͅT̨̟̼͈ͫ̿̓́͢I̞̥͚͔͙̝̺̠͔͗̊̄O͙͍͉̖͎ͣ͌ͭͬ̉̿̇R̷̸̝̝̊̓̈́ͨ̏͒͛̇ ̹̰̭̳̗̂̏ͣ̓̑̓T̗̦̯̲̬̦̘̼ͣ͋ͫ̊ͤͫͩ͟O̶̢͕͎̺͎͓͛̎̅̆͡ ͒̏̒̔͂̕͜҉̹͎̰̤͍O̯̘̮͕̫͙ͭ͌͟ͅÛ̟̪̤̺̯̼̰̞͛́͢Ŗ̸̻͕͕̽̓̊͛̿̃͊ ̝̱̤̺͂̾ͥͣͤ̍̒͞͞ḩ̝͚̻̩̰͔̥̩ͪ͛̔͢o̲̙̓̽͑̉̓̏̃͘͢͠ļ̵̺͈̼̽ͪ́͑̕y̶̤͖͎̼͖̚ ̴͈̥͙ͮ̈͛͡ḻ̠͍̲ͩ̆͋̃ͨ͂̓͟Ḟ̶̸̖̼̔̿O̴͔̥͇̔̀ͮ̔͌͂̂́ͅȐ̫̗͔͙̮͔͖̓̓ͬ̀ͬͦ̉m̹͍͍̈̓͛ͮ͝m̸͈̤̦͚̫͍̯͆̆̽ͮͅm̺̳̣̪͈̙̖͗̒̽ͪ̑̉̉̓m̨̝̳͔͙̦̻̫̣͊̈͂ͤͤ̓̚͠m̵̙̼ͥͮ͛́ͯ͊̍m̰ͮͨͩ̉ͩ͝͡

>>32023711
Currently the flukes are just about 100 or so worms swimming around the host's blood, lazily snacking on the nutrients there. They aren't an active threat at the moment and have made no aggressive moves towards you.

>>32023711

Nah, there are many of them.

They might have a hivemind or something though, that's my bet.

>>32023755
Start quoting things about The Unity in a form like that and I'll back you no matter what you suggest.

>>32023625
[X]The call of the mass
Once it is ours and ours alone, we shall take the host control.

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>>32023625
>>32023596

>>32023757
Their existence is an aggressive move towards us.

>>32023757
>They aren't an active threat at the moment and have made no aggressive moves towards you.
other than existing within our host you mean.

>>32023830
>>32023837
I love you guys, the /tg/ hivemind is just as powerful as the fungus.

I am wondering if we could destroy the mind of those other parasites while preserving and using their body to augment the host.
It is too late for the stomach one now, but the flukes might still be useful in such a manner. Or they might just be for killing

>>32023947

We acquired the acid immunity of the Larva, what else would we have needed from it? Teeth are inefficient for our purposes anyway.

>>32023947
Well, the stomachworm gave us immunity to acids. It was also apparently capable of becoming immune to us, but that seems to already be one of our abilities judging from resistances to macrophages and fungi.

>>32023625
>[] Wake up
Whatever's happening outside seems more threatening than the puny usurpers lurking within.

>>32023625
>[]The call of the mass
The host can fend for itself, it's done fine until now.

>>32023625
>[]The call of the mass

>>32024008
Well, imagine if the larvae was going to grow up into the Alien from alien vs predator, now imagine we infected THAT as our replacement host, consumed its brain and puppetted its body instead of a human body.
Or what if it is like an illithid and was meant to transform this body into a superior one? infect it, consume its mind, puppet the new and improved body

as for the flukes, they might be capable of tissue repair for us (think sacred bloodworms from blade of the immortal)

>>32024089
>implying we're not going to go full Blacklight on our host

>>32024104
explain please

>>32024104
you mean from prototype? that would be nice. but if that is the case we have been consuming too slowly

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>>32024117

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[]The call of the mass

You again reject the call of human memories. Hosts are weak and to even deign to feel as one is pathetic and vile. The deep voice in your mind rumbles in acknowledgement and agreement. Weak. Consume. It rumbles before sinking away.

You surge towards the call of the mass, not wanting to leave it unattended for too long. You know how your mass gets when its mind is absent. There is a ripping feeling as you settle back into you natural habitat and are staggered by the giant mass of fungal cells now heavily infecting the host’s digestive track. This is good. This is what is right. The host is yours…almost. There is the matter of the invaders in the blood as well as the will of the host. So, where do we grow?

[]Brain:Host:Control:Dominate
[]Organs:Spread:Learn:Grow
[]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

>>32024254
>[]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill
lets deal with these losers before they get any further

>>32024254
[]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

>>32024254
>[]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

>>32024254
[x]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

THE BLOOD MUST BE PURE.

>>32024254
>[]Brain:Host:Control:Dominate

>>32024254
>[]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

>>32024254
>[}Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

>>32024254
Brain:Host:Control:Dominate

Guys, we can seize control of the meat bag first. Then, mop up what remains of the flukes. If we go the other way around, we may cause too much damage to the host and kill it as seen by the massive boom we had when we infested the gut.

Plus, if we take the time to take the brain the fluke STILL won't be near as dangerous as our extra 10 million cells, never minding the upgrades we just got.

Also, OP, pic doesn't show our stomach infestation.

>>32024411
Nah, the meatbag isn't a threat anymore. We're all but immune to macrophages, which means he has almost no defenses against us.

The other parasite, if it's anything like us and the worm, can still adapt and kill us if we leave it untended.

>>32024411
Its the red blob in the third form. You were able to infest it entirely in a matter of minutes from consuming the biomass of the larva and taking its environmental immunity trait

>>32024411
um no
if we go in your order that's what may cause too much damage

>>32024442
what is the condition of the stomach now that it is fully infested? does our infested mass still perform stomachy functions?

>>32024254
>[]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

PURGE THE UNCLEAN

>>32024254
>[]Organs:Spread:Learn:Grow

>>32024254
>[X]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

>>32024470
>>32024465
>>32024435
I'm being paranoid, you are correct. Changing vote to blood.

>>32024435
>The other parasite, if it's anything like us and the worm, can still adapt and kill us if we leave it untended.
actually, if it is anything like us/the stomach parasite than it will adapt from fighting us, not until then. this means that if we rapidly build up superior numbers to it we would have the advantage.

>>32024539
we already have superior numbers, we were here first
if we focus on taking over the brain and it just focuses on growing while we do that then our advantage will be lessened.

>>32024555
>we were here first
Actually my guess is that we were all here at the same time. We did have three options for form when we started this quest.

>>32024555
Different anons
The only guy to suggest we take over the brain has already altered his vote and wasn't me.
Also, while we have more mass than it, we can use it to further increase the discrepancy.

>>32024587
These science guys have no idea how to run a controlled experiment.

>>32024587
No. You were here first. The other parasites appeared after you swapped consciousness with the host. A significant amount of time passed before you returned to the swarm. That was not the case this time.

>>32024614
No, but they do good SCIENCE!

>>32024587
from the dialog of the scientists, it is implied that on this specific host they gave us extra time before introducing the other 2

>>32024614
not necessarily. for all we know there are a thousand people here, some with all 3 injected at once, some with just one parasite. some with a parasite given a head start and then the other two added in.

>>32024587
that's your guess
these guys didn't show up until last thread
we should have a 3 thread lead

>>32024606
We could if the vote was to grow
but this guy is arguing for brain takeover
that's very directed growth, not as much as we would get if we indiscriminately ate like the fungus will be doing

[]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

Wins. Update inbound

>>32024661
>but this guy is arguing for brain takeover
he argued that in the past, he already dropped the argument and changed the vote.

>>>Brain guy made a poor argument
>>I and others counter argue
>>One of the anons counter arguing used false "fact"
>I correct false fact
>I get accused of supporting brain guy.
Get over your binary thinking anon. Correcting a false fact is not committing high treason vs our side.

>>32024737
But you didn't correct a false fact. You were incorrect and I was correcting you.
>Get over your binary thinking anon. Correcting a false fact is not committing high treason vs our side.
Take your own advice pls.

>>32024737
Brain guy here.

My argument was that we're causing tissue damage to the host's body when we don't carefully take it over, i.e. like what has just happened with the gut.

I wanted to carefully secure the brain first so that it wasn't damaged, then purge the flukes. I feared that if we went for the blood, we'd kill the flukes, disconnect again and come back with the circulatory system fucked and the host dying.

Of course, that's just being paranoid for the sake of paranoid but eh.

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>>32024737
>>32024796
>>32024808

nobody but you guys care, pls quit

>>32024836
go back 2 /b/

>>32024796
>But you didn't correct a false fact. You were incorrect and I was correcting you.
false on both counts. you did not correct me but an imaginy anon that is made up of an amalgam of several different posts made by different anons.
And I did correct a false "fact".

the false fact
>>>The other parasite, if it's anything like us and the worm, can still adapt and kill us if we leave it untended.
the correction I made
>>actually, if it is anything like us/the stomach parasite than it will adapt from fighting us, not until then.
>>this means that if we rapidly build up superior numbers to it we would have the advantage.
the "correction" you made
>We could if the vote was to grow
>but this guy is arguing for brain takeover

>>32024836
I don't mind either. Options chosen. I was just weighing in because I thought it might end the argument.

>>32024808
That's just it though
I don't see how brain control would affect the damage done to the circulatory system

>>32024866
Except it looks like you missed my point
You were saying if we rapidly built up superior numbers we would have the advantage
I was saying we already have superior numbers and an advantage. Any growing we let it do will only result in the host taking more damage when we finally do eliminate it, and give it more chances and mass to build up an immunity to us.

>>32024866
>the "correction" you made
>>We could if the vote was to grow
>>but this guy is arguing for brain takeover
to clarify, its not that these are wrong statements, they are just irrelevant to the discussion because I was not promoting we infiltrate the brain. Nor was I actually promoting rapid growth, I was clarifying that the flukes would NOT gain immunity to us over time, but develop it when we start battling (and vice versa) and that our best advantage is numbers

>>32024864
>anon is tired of people shitting up thread
>gets told

wow... just, wow

>>32024892
>I thought it might end the argument.

The only way arguments end on the internet is death.

>>32024899
>Except it looks like you missed my point
you claimed your point was a "correction", it wasn't.
This argument you are now making is... holy fuck who cares. Lets move on

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>>32024939
>>32024900
>>32024899
>>32024796
>>32024737

>>32024939
If you've reached the point where you feel the need to quibble over the difference between using the words point and correction, then sure. I'd feel bad finishing an argument with you.

>>32024899
It means we would be able to prevent ourselves getting forced from the mass by integrating the host's mind and the mass totally.

Thus, we could better relegate its speed of feeding.

>>32024912
>inb4 we argue about arguing.

>>32024911
>anon is tired of people talking about the quest and debating decisions
>acts like an entitled bitch.
>gets told.

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>[]Blood:Rage:Purge:Kill

Nature [5/100]

This is your host. We will tolerate no intruder and will purge anything that is not ours. The flukes must be consumed. You take a quick check of the host’s health and find it improved after the removal of the larva. You pulse the order to your cells in the gut and in the leg to flare and grow wild and to push into the circulatory system wherever they can reach.

You mass surges in size and pours into blood en-mass. The blood is dangerous territory. The fluid whips past and takes a few of your fungal cells off into parts unknown, severed from your control. You order the remaining cells to cling to the walls. There they find a great number of macrophages, but these are easily held at bay by the several million cells pushing in. You then spot a few flukes, twisting and turning through the blood. Their carefree transgression of your host fills your mass with pure hate.

1/2

>>32024984
>If you've reached the point where you feel the need to quibble over the difference between using the words point and correction
Your argument was inane unrelated blathering that was at BEST tangential to the actual argument. then you kept on changing what it was or making more tangential unrelated arguments combined with strawman. And now that I drop it you have to be the biggest fucking dick around and throw insults? fuck you anon. you are an asshole and a sperg

>>32025032

Has this "Nature" stat been explained somewhere?

>>32024254
>[]Organs:Spread:Learn:Grow
Knowledge is power

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Your cells lash out from the walls of the vessel in thick and sticky pseudopods and slam into the unsuspecting flukes. In the brief moment of contact your mind touches that of the fluke. Well all the flukes, you can feel a single mind flitting from fluke to fluke. In the moments it dwelled within the fluke you grasped it called out to you in a high playful tone. It spoke in the words of the host.

“Tag! You’re it!”

You cells slide away from the fluke, coated in a some strange substance that you cannot remove. It has a very distinct chemical scent that fills your cells with a primal panic. Your cells thrash about, out of control to get the stuff off. You fight with the affected mass before something swims down the vessel and swallows the affected bit of mass whole and begins spewing the foul substance over every cell it can reach.

It looks like the white beasts you fought before this one is different. Smarter, aggressive and immune to you. Suddenly the flukes swim into the nearest fungal cells in other locations, leaving behind the marker before another angry white beast appears. Your mass in the vessels is quickly dwindling down. You struggle to hold the mass under your control. What do you do?

[Cell Mass] - 11.5M cells


[] Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid
[] Attack:Anger:Burn:Surge
[] Submit:Fail:Panic:Fear

Rolled 80

>>32025058
>inane unrelated blathering
>that for some reason you didn't call out until now
Why's it so hard to admit you were wrong? I don't even know your name. You aren't a namefag. This can't stick to you.

>>32025079
>[] Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid

>>32025079
>[] Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid
consume the strange substance

>>32025079
>[X] Attack:Anger:Burn:Surge

>>32025079
>[] Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid
I propose we master the hosts Imune system and use it to purge these impudent invaders.

>>32025079
>[] Attack:Anger:Burn:Surge
We need to deal with them. The other options don't really help any.

>>32025079
>[] Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid
We will have to eat these dirtbags later

>>32025079
>[] Attack:Anger:Burn:Surge

We only grow stronger through pain.

>>32025133
Funny you say that, the flukes seem to be doing exactly that to us.

>>32025079
>[] Attack:Anger:Burn:Surge

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>>32025058
>>32025111

you two should just fuck and get it over with

>>32025159
Beat them at theire own game, it would make for an interesting option I'd say.

>>32025183
no thanks, I may take things too far when I'm right, but at least I can admit when I'm wrong.

>>32025159
Well if they are using chemical markers to defeat us we need to figure out a way to counter that and what better than make the flukes marker ineffective.

>>32025189
How? All we can to do is eat and tear into the flesh of our enemy.

>>32025111
He is a namefag in his heart

>>32025229
Well for one if we seized enough control over the brain we could make the blood poisonous enough to get rid of these damn things.

>>32025298
The only thing the brain can do to the blood is make a fever.

>>32025329
Hmm, well then what do you propose ?
I mean We don't want to damage the host too much and we do want to get rid of the flukes.

>>32025079
>[] Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid
take our time figuring out a countermeasure for the mucos, preserve our numbers until we do. then we surge in and kill it

>>32025372
Our immunites have been acquired by omnoming harder than whatever was trying to eat us. Running away or giving up will not help.

>>32025457
Fair nuff, although with the flukes being able to navigate the host this fast we still can't win to them by pure omnoms.

>>32025079
Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid

>>32025457
is "avoid" and "hide" giving up?
since when?

We are just trying to minimize our damage while trying to figure out the immune system the way the flukes have

>>32025079
>>[] Attack:Anger:Burn:Surge

>[] Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid wins
Update inbound

>>32025079
>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schistosoma_mansoni
Schistosoma are the blood flukes, and I got the specific species Mansoni from googleing Toxos pic from last thread.

Highlights are:
>Schistosomes, unlike other trematodes, are long and slim worms. The male S. mansoni is approximately 1 cm long (0.6–1.1 cm) and is 0.1 cm wide. It is white, and it has a funnel-shaped oral sucker at its anterior end followed by a second pediculated sucker. The external part of the worm is composed of a double bilayer, which is continuously renewed as the outer layer, known as the membranocalyx, and is shed continuously.[4] The tegument bears a large number of small tubercules. The suckers have small thorns in their inner part as well as in the buttons around them.
>Primarly found in Africa and the Middle East.
>On penetration (of the skin), the head of the cercaria transforms into an endoparasitic larva, the schistosomule. Each schistosomule spends a few days in the skin and then enters the circulation starting at the dermal lymphatics and venules. Here, they feed on blood, regurgitating the haem as hemozoin.[12] The schistosomule migrates to the lungs (5–7 days post-penetration) and then moves via circulation through the left side of the heart to the hepatoportal circulation (>15 days)
>300 eggs a day into the capillary walls
> leads to fibrosis of the liver and intestines (Scaring)
>(continued)

>>32025626
Bravo on this,absolutely amazing and very entertaining so far.
Coming from someone with a parasite phobia.

>>32025668
Charming creatures

>>32025668
>Adult and larval worms migrate through the host's blood circulation avoiding the host's immune system. The worms have many tools that help in this evasion, including the tegument, antioxidant proteins, and defenses against host membrane attack complex (MAC)
>Tegument
The tegument coats the worm and acts as a physical barrier to host antibodies and complement.

Antioxidant proteins
Host immune defenses are capable of producing superoxide, which has a tremendous detrimental effect on the worm. However, they are able to produce a number of antioxidant proteins that block the effect of superoxide. Schistosomes have four superoxide dismutases, and levels of these proteins increase as the schistosome develops and matures.

Antioxidant pathways were first recognised as a chokepoints for Schistosomes [26] and later extended to other trematodes and cestodes. Targeting of this pathway with different inhibitors of the central antioxidant enzyme Thioredoxin Glutathione Reductase (TGR) results in reduced viability of worms [27]

Defense against host MAC
Schistosomes have evolved ways to block host complement proteins. Immunocytochemistry techniques have found decay accelerating factor (DAF) protein on the tegument. DAF is found on host cells and protects host cells by blocking formation of MAC. It has also been found that the schistosome genome consists of human CD59 homologs. CD59 inhibits MAC.

To round it all up for people who aren't bio-majors, this things are
>kinda large
>Really fucking strong skin that also regenerates often
>Several small openings, notably a tongue like thing with thorns
>Eventual migration to the lungs and the heart
>Damages the liver and somewhat damages the intestines, also some minor damage to the heart and lungs.
>As far as the immune system, there are lots of things that need to be said but to round it all up the only way the immune system is able to kill these things is by massproducing
(continued)

File: map.png (104 KB, 1604x1010)

104 KB PNG

>[] Retreat:Hide:Reel:Avoid wins

You weren't ready for this fight. Your anger dissipates into a hasty retreat. At first you pull all your cells back out of the vessels, but the white beasts follow. They bring a miasma of killing fluid with them taking out any and all fungal cells they reach.

Deciding an arm is worth less than the mass you marshal all the marked cells into a group and lead the killer cells back into the blood. Slowly the infected masses wink out one, by one. Your remaining cells hunker down into your infected tissue reinforced with an additional layer of encysted cells. The only ones immune to the white beasts. You will not stand for this embarrassment and consider your options.

[Cardio Infection Lost]

[Cell Mass] – 11M

[]Consider:Study:Evolve:Sample
[]Furious:Surge:Mass:Regroup
[]Avoid:Redirect:Brain:Host

>>32025855
>Massproducing SUPEROXIDE, which is also dangerous to the host and makes you pretty sick. The problem is the worms are able to nullify the stuff in small amounts, so we would have to do a take over and really push out the stuff.
As another note these things are not deadly to the host, and are not a health hazard until months into the infection, where they are nearly impossible to get rid of. No idea what special setting magic Toxo added.

>>32025905
>[]Consider:Study:Evolve:Sample
I vote evolution, nothing ever goes wrong with evolving right ?

>>32025905
>[X]Consider:Study:Evolve:Sample

>>32025905
>[x]Consider:Study:Evolve:Sample
needs. new. tech

>>32025905
>[]Consider:Study:Evolve:Sample

>>32025905
>[]Consider:Study:Evolve:Sample

>>32025855
I see a fellow bio enthusiast is with us tonight. Good to have you.

>>32025905
>[]Consider:Study:Evolve:Sample
loss more cells if we have to.

>>32026010
Yeah, 2 more years to graduate.
I'm eating this stuff up. Always enjoyed those infection type games.

File: substance.jpg (76 KB, 726x800)

76 KB JPG

>[x]Consider:Study:Evolve:Sample

You lick your wounds, struggling to find a way to attack the vile fluke. The deep voice returns, speaking in low and rumbling tones. Learn.Evolve.Master. You consider some possible solutions as it dips away. A few of your cells remain marked but unnoticed. You have them corralled away with sentinel cells. You figure you could attempt to consume and learn about the substance, but there are not many cells and these cells are hidden away near your neural mass. You could set off the immune system again and lead it right to your most important infection. Another option will be to catch one of the flukes. If you quickly ensnare it and surround it you can get it out of the blood and quickly work to digest it, giving a much quicker evolutionary boost. The last option is spread through the host, hoping to find another solution tucked away in its tissues.

[]Self:Consume:Learn:Grow DC45
[]Trap:Snare:Dissect:Evolve DC25
[]Avoid:Grow:Mass:Spread

(first two options call for a roll. After voting closes first three rolls under will be considered)

>>32026255
reminder to TG, this is a roll under system.

>>32026255
>[]Avoid:Grow:Mass:Spread

>>32026255
[]Trap:Snare:Dissect:Evolve DC25

Not gonna roll but this.

>[]Self:Consume:Learn:Grow DC45

Rolled 71

>>32026255
>[]Trap:Snare:Dissect:Evolve DC25
Eh, I'm feeling lucky.

>>32026312
>>32026318

guys, read:

>>32026255
>(first two options call for a roll. After voting closes first three rolls under will be considered)

Rolls will be taken AFTER voting is closed, IF we vote for something that requires a roll

>>32026255
We could do a partial takeover of the immune system that we never got around to and flush them out that way.
We could also go to several of the organs that the flukes travel through and head them off. The blood is literally the worst place to try and fight/trap the flukes.
I'm kind of liking that trap option.

>>32026255
>[]Trap:Snare:Dissect:Evolve
Hey guys, lets take the hardest option available again! What could go wrong?

>>32026255
>[]Avoid:Grow:Mass:Spread
Pussy option? Maybe. But I don't like our odds on the trap option and this sound more appealing than the first one.

>>32026255
>[]Self:Consume:Learn:Grow

>>32026255
>[]Trap:Snare:Dissect:Evolve DC25

>>32026255
>You figure you could attempt to consume and learn about the substance, but there are not many cells and these cells are hidden away near your neural mass. You could set off the immune system again and lead it right to your most important infection.
Can we move those cells away to another tissue before messing with them?

>>32026517
Not currently. There is no fungal connection between the gut and the nervous system. There is nowhere to move the cells.

>[]Trap:Snare:Dissect:Evolve DC25 Wins
I'll take the first three rolls.
100 Crit fail
1 Crit win

Rolled 54

>>32026621

Rolled 46

>>32026621
pls

Rolled 11

>>32026621
Here we go

Rolled 55

>>32026680
Woah, we actually won. Like, we didn't fuck up this time again for choosing the hardest option like we always do.

Rolled 94

>>32026680
Huh.

I make us pass and I didn't even want us to roll at all. >>32026410 <- This was also me.

>>32026680
Excellent.

>>32026680
Noice

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[]Trap:Snare:Dissect:Evolve DC25
>11
Passed

You are a parasite, but you are also something more. And right now that something is motivated. You consider the size of the fluke and how many cells you would need to ensnare the creature. You marshal half a million cells to the nearest vessel and ring the perimeter. Thin strands of mycelium grow to form a coarse net. It doesn't take long for a fluke to come twisting and threading down the vessel. It crashes into your mass.

Large shreds of its surface coating flake free and stick to your cells, but before any response occurs your cells quickly surround and encyst the affected mass and the fluke. You hear the flukes voice call out. “Darn you caught me! Now its my turn to be it.” It laughs before departing the trapped fluke. You drag the fluke to the vessel wall and burrow in, quickly setting about digesting the writhing fluke. You quickly assimilate its tissue and find a few traits that can help you purge this invader, though there is only enough mass for a single trait.

[] Immune system invisibility – Produce a coating on your membranes preventing the immune system from tagging your cells

[]Immune system targeting – Produce a bio-chemical marker to trigger the immune system to attack the marked tissue

[]Multi-cellular Massing – Mass cells into organized groups, mimicking multi-cellular organisms and their behavior: Fluke Form allows a mass of cells to operate as a single large worm with tough outer skin and greater mobility

>>32026934
[]Immune system targeting – Produce a bio-chemical marker to trigger the immune system to attack the marked tissue

We will become the immune system. bind with it. become one

>>32026934

Multi-Cellular Massing. We can acquire the other two through other means, but it's unlikely we'll learn to grow multi-cellular pawns any time soon.

>>32026934
[]Immune system targeting

Rolled 73

>>32026934
Looks like the first choice will help us in our own takeover
The second will help take out the flukes and other invaders
The third is wildcard?

Rolled 11

>>32026934
>[] Immune system invisibility – Produce a coating on your membranes preventing the immune system from tagging your cells
I feel like this will not only help immensely here, but it will help immensely in the time to come.

>>32026934

[]Multi-Cellular Massing

>>32027009
They're all whatever we want them to be, I can think of any number of things we might do with being able to mimic multi-cellular organisms though.

>>32026934
>[] Immune system invisibility
The goal here is to take out the flukes right?
Let's deal with their main way of attacking us first.

>>32026934
>[]Multi-cellular Massing

>>32026934
>[]Multi-cellular Massing

>>32026934
>[]Multi-cellular Massing – Mass cells into organized groups, mimicking multi-cellular organisms and their behavior: Fluke Form allows a mass of cells to operate as a single large worm with tough outer skin and greater mobility

We are the cure. We adapt. We feed. We grow.

>>32026934
>>[]Multi-cellular Massing

Rolled 5

>>32026934
>[] Immune system invisibility – Produce a coating on your membranes preventing the immune system from tagging your cells
This will help now and with infecting future hosts.

>>32026934
>[]Multi-cellular Massing
Thinking past this situation, this is the best trait in the long run

>>32027073

Or we could infiltrate the lymph nodes or marrow so that the immune system no longer has so much bite or doesn't respond to their chemical markers. We already control the area around 1 femur.

>>32026934
[X]Multi-cellular Massing

>>32027137
Yeah, but so far I think I'm one of the only two anons who wanted to play the long game rather than try to capture a Fluke.

Seems to me, most anons don't want to wait that long, so if we're just going to rush into it, let's get the ability that's immediately helpful to that goal.

>>32027204

There are currently several anons going with the long game choice (multi-cellular massing). Don't give up hope so easily.

First the shape of a fluke, next we go for the old knifey hands on the host.

>>32027204
I want to get into the long game and actually plan things out, but I feel like most people voting want to keep pushing until we do a complete takeover and then play it slow. I see where they are coming from I guess.

>>32027279
I'd like to believe that. I really would. Thing is, I'm cynical enough to believe that this is just /tg/ jumping on the SHINY.

I don't like the fact that this fluke is toying with us, we've had more time to adapt inside our host and yet it has the nerve to play with us. We should punish it...


Immensely

>>32027384
with our spore tentacles?

>>32027423
With everything we have

[X]Multi-cellular Massing

>Muh massing
Why are so many people voting for the one choice that does the least to potentially help us kill the flukes?

>>32027552
Hopefully? Because they want to play the long game.

Realistically? Most of them probably want the coolest looking upgrade.
Though I'm sure some people are honestly playing the long game.

File: infect.jpg (67 KB, 596x329)

67 KB JPG

>[]Multi-Cellular Massing

The form of the fluke is interesting to you. It is not a single cell but an organized grouping of specialized cells. You’ve never thought about really specializing cells, aside from your sentinel cells. You send your mass into the trapped fluke, slowly infecting and mimicking its cells and function. Very quickly you assimilate the fluke and copy its form. An outer sheath of tough cells, slicked and slightly resistant to immune tagging. What it does excel at is swimming through the current within the blood vessels. The forms take a significant amount of cells to forge, 250k, though you figure you can recover half of them into generic fungal cells. You consider your next course of action, more complex plans come to mind.

[Fluke Form Attackers 250k] : 1
[Cell Mass] : 10.75M

[]Single form: Explore Blood: Attack Loner: Test Run
[]Make More: Muster Army: Launch Attack: Consume Victors
[]Attack Host:Grow Mass:Infest Organs:Control Host

>>32027552

Because other ways can be found to kill the flukes, particularly those other two options are something we could acquire with relative ease given time. However, gaining the ability to mimic multi-cellular organisms isn't likely something we're going to have the opportunity to spontaneously develop.

>>32027552
It can help us catch up to them and fight. Probably help with other host as well.

>>32027610

Can we not write-in? I'd like to conquer the marrow and lymph system.

>>32027610
>[]Single form: Explore Blood: Attack Loner: Test Run
Let's test our new limits.

>>32027648

If we can't do that then I'll support this: >>32027661
Provided we don't need that fluke to make more.

>>32027610
>[]Single form: Explore Blood: Attack Loner: Test Run
See if there is anything to change before committing to more.

>>32027610
4chan ate the trip, sorry!

>>32027648
Vote Option 3

>>32027648
Agree with this anon. The flukes are slow growers, 300 eggs a day isn't much compared to the billions of cells and hundreds of thousands needed for a critical infestation.

>>32027610
>[]Attack Host:Grow Mass:Infest Organs:Control Host

>>32027610
>[]Single form: Explore Blood: Attack Loner: Test Run

>>32027694
[]Attack Host:Grow Mass:Infest Organs:Control Host
With focus on lymph nodes.

>>32027610
>[]Attack Host:Grow Mass:Infest Organs:Control Host

>>32027610
>[]Single form: Explore Blood: Attack Loner: Test Run

>>32027707

They're also confined to the circulatory system. Sure they could kill the host if they felt like it but they're not much of a threat to us.

>>32027610

Attack, grow, infest, control

4v4 Attack v single
next calls it

>>32027955
Attack

>>32027955
muh lymph nodes

Rolled 2

>>32027955
Coin flip 1 attack 2 single

>>32027955

"Muh organs"
-The Host, after this turn

>>32027976
No.

>>32027976
Ah shi-

Oh wait. 2 is just as good as 1. I agree with this anon

>>32028005

It's moot, the first vote was for attack.

>[]Attack Host:Grow Mass:Infest Organs:Control Host wins

----Game Paused------

Have to call it here folks. Getting late.
Next Game should be tomorrow at 9pm.
Twitter is https://twitter.com/Toxo_Para , for game updates or if you want to pester me during the pauses, line is always open.
I'll be around if there's any more discussion or you guys have questions

As always thanks for playing!

>>32028058
Thanks for running.

>>32028058
Thanks Toxo, next time then.
Question, if we think of a specific plan would you let us vote on it as an option? Or reduce the DC on an option if we get a good plan?

>>32028058
Thanks for running.

>>32028177
Sure, if there is enough support. I usually leave the choices generic enough to cover most of what people are discussing and then incorporate the thread voice into the update. The mass is evolving, becoming more complex. More complex choices will show up from now on unless you lose enough mass. That is not good.

>>32028058
I'm liking this story, what I don't like are these trickster ass flukes, I feel they've got something up their sleeve

>>32028256
This is suppose to be in the future. nano flukes

>>32027552
Yeah, this.

We already know that the flukes can avoid the immune system. Either we need to stop them doing that, so targeting, or we need to find a way to avoid their targeting, so invisibility.

>>32027860
>they're not much of a threat to us

>they could kill the host if they felt like it

You do realise that the fluke's ability to kill the host makes hem a threat to us, right?

>>32027860
aside from >>32028694
there is the issue of them having control over the immune system AND outmassing us (based on >>32027610 we have the mass of 43 flukes. we know there are well over 100 of them in the circulatory system)

>>32028846
The fluke form allows you greater mobility in the blood stream. The best you can do in fungal form is cling to the vessel walls and lash out. Fluke form allows for free flight. As a fungal parasite all you need to do is infect their cells and spread through direct contact. Fluke forms could easily connect with a rival fluke and they have limited resistance to fluke shedding.

Not to throw a suggestion out there, there are many other benefits to a multi-cellular form if you think about it.

>>32028846
To further clarify, while you have the mass to make 43 fluke forms, doing so would reduce your infectious parasitic mass to near extinction and your gained territory would be forfeit. Your growth rate is related to your parasitic mass size and host consumption as well.

>>32028846
>>32028694

A fungus cares not whether the host is alive or dead. Well, not much.

Flukes, on the other hand, are eminently fucked if they kill the host.

So, again, they could kill the host if they wanted but they're confined to the circulatory system and so aren't much of a threat to us.