Warped Ones
The Warped Ones, twisted remnants of what were once Sleepkin living their lives, found commonly in forests, unstable magical areas, and on long stretches of barely traveled roads. These former Sleepkin are now reduced to the intelligence of a rabid animal, unable of complex thought; or distinguishing friend from foe. Now all a Warped One can think of is eating to try and satisfy the ever-growing need for magic in their deteriorating forms...
Though resembling their former selves, Warped Ones are easily identifiable by their many defining sick and twisted features. Things such as; bones in the tail beginning to become malformed, causing kinks and bends. Growing teeth or tusks far too large for their mouths, even to the point of sometimes having these teeth dig into their own skin. Black goo begins to leak from the eyes, wounds, mouth, and nose. Patches of rotting skin begin to grow on the affected Sleepkin as well, smelling of death and matching the goo in its black coloration. The most defining trait, however, has to be the eyes beginning to change, instead, becoming spiraled in appearance, originating around the Sleepkins pupil area. This is coupled with more eyes beginning to grow onto a Sleepkins body, with the growth starting externally.
This eye growth continues, eventually making eyes grow internally, causing the Warped One to be in constant agony, or to choke on the new eyes that clog their vital airways, or organs...
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The dangers
Of course, these monsters pose a threat for Sleepkin, capable of being a threat to town pets, lone travelers, or even occasionally communities. Warped Ones are the most common threat that any sort of Monster Hunter will be sent to take care of, and quite possibly the most pitied. Feral and Thoughtless as they are, many still harbor the hope that a cure for Warped Ones that aren't too far gone can be found.
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Warped Ones are completely capable of using the magic they knew when they were sentient if their ears remain intact, though this magic is dangerous and explosive to not only whomever it's used against but also the Warped One itself. It's not uncommon for Warped Ones to even accidentally cause their own deaths by setting off unstable explosions from such things as fire magic.
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Thankfully, Warped Ones only pose a threat for communities of Sleepkins when in large groups. These groups, often referred to as Warp Nests, are almost exclusively found in magical dead zones; though they can be found outside of unstable areas it's only ever deep in forests.
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More commonly Warped Ones are found solo or in pairs, posing more of a threat to wandering Naplings or the pet population. Warped Ones will eat anything filled with Magic that they can get their often clawed hands-on, this includes native plantlife, wild or domestic Bleppins, the occasional traveler that gets overpowered by a pair of them. Well, or unsuspecting Naplings who didn't heed their caretaker's warnings.
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This is usually the reason that no solo Adult or Napling is allowed into dangerous areas where it's known that Warped Ones lurk...
Causes?
The underlying root cause of all transformations into a Warped One is the same; a severe magical imbalance. This is characterized by rapidly fluctuating magic levels in a Sleepkin, characterized by the dulling of the eyes and unpredictable explosive magic. Unless you're fixing to turn into a Warped One, it's best to head to a nearby doctor if you're suffering from such symptoms!
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However, despite the underlying cause always being a magical imbalance, there are three major overarching causes, each one resulting in said imbalances in a Sleepkin.
These three causes are as follows:
Extreme Sleep Deprivation
The Flux Flu
Entering Unstable Areas
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Extreme Sleep Deprivationdriven transformations, the least common way to become a Warped One, are linked to staying awake for an extended period of time coupled with the Sleepkin continuing to use their Magic. Though Sleep Deprivation usually does not cause Warping as often Sleepkin who are sleep deprived do eventually fall asleep or are finally forced to sleep via sedation, Sleepkin resistant to sedation who just can't fall asleep have a bad time. By the time they begin to Warp they are often too delirious from lack of sleep to seek help, and often if able to reach this point, there is no help nearby.
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The Flux Flu, the second most common way to become a Warped One. Though it's an extremely uncommon illness in itself, the Flux Flu has a fifteen percent chance to immediately begin the irreversible process of Warping a Sleepkin as it ravages their magic and begins to make it fluctuate. Often Sleepkin infected this way are humanely put down on their request, before they are able to reach a complete state of rabid behavior. Many who have been warped this way have described it as "unbearable", knowing their minds are beginning to slip without any way to combat it. Then again, if the Flu doesn't warp you it may simply kill you instead, with a sixty percent mortality rate it's not at all uncommon for even the majority of those being warped to die from the illness.
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The third, most common cause, is of course entering Unstable Magical Areas. These areas are flux points, identifiable by their grey grasses, black foul-smelling water, and grey trees adorned with black dead leaves. Warped Ones, especially large groups of them, are often seen wandering these areas, fluctuating magic in the area speeding up the warping process makes it hard to withstand the effects of these areas. Just stepping foot into an unstable area can begin to cause a Sleepkins magic to Fluctuate, so it's best to leave searching of these areas to a pro, unless you want to end up like the unfortunate inhabitants of these areas...
Cure?
Though there have been many searches for- or attempts to create- a cure, these have produced no results. Currently, there is no cure for becoming a Warped One. Once the Warping Begins, it is considered irreversible. It may just be more humane to put down all those affected by it.
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Who knows if we'll ever find a cure for this terrible affliction...