Infested

The infested are the result of those Root or Alpha humans who, lacking wealth or power, or at least the kinds of power that they desired, chose to merge with a wraith. Wraiths cannot merge with betas, the triates, or androids, only (fairly) normal humans.

Perhaps it's born from the simple facts of desire itself, or, perhaps, it comes from the alien nature of the wraith in the first place, but the infested are not named lightly. Frequently malevolent, they either seek nothing but their own personal gain, or wanton, if highly planned, destruction.

Unlike the triates, their existence is actually tolerated in the jurisdiction of the Consortium, though heavily discriminated against. Those who are too antisocial are dealt with, leaving the more tolerable infested to remain.

If an infested dies, its wraith can escape fairly quickly - it requires a potent hunt to isolate and exterminate one. In addition, if it possesses a new host within minutes of the death of the previous, it retains much more of its will and memories, effectively replacing those of its new host, though a few quirks may remain.

Infested can only possess willing root strain, alpha strain or alpha excelsior bodies. Whether enhanced or not, the process has similar results, strengthening body and mind. On possessing a new host, a character can try to find a 'suitable' body, or obtain a completely new one. Once possessed, however, only death, or perhaps a triate power, can release a host.

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While, by far, the majority of wraiths that make the infested come from shades, humans are aware of, and also attempt bargains with, ghosts and spectres. Those aware of this call those who accepted a shade a corrupted, while a ghost's possessed. Those who survive unification with a spectre become wracked.

In addition to being able accept infusions, they can mimic and utilize their specific strain of with a great deal of fluidity, showing a wider, more reliable configuration of abilities than infused beta strains, androids or others. Possessed mimic ethereal infusions, wracked mimic spectrals, and corrupted mobius infusions, with better results.