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Ghouls — Description

Of the Church's teachings, one of the most important is the need for balance. The Four Humors are precious fluids that make us who we are, and thus their presence within the body should be closely monitored. While each humor in their own right is a blessing, there can be too much of a good thing. As people go about their daily lives, their humors are affected by their activities, diet and beliefs. Every little action can cause minute fluctuations to certain humors, compounding throughout the days and weeks. In time, followers may find certain humors lacking while others have flooded their bodies. The Church says it is these imbalances that cause disease, discomfort and mental issues, thus it is crucial to maintain one's humors. Eukrasia is the perfect balance of the Four Humors, and is the divine state that any Church follower hopes to achieve. However, this is a very difficult thing to do, pulled off by only the most faithful and fervent. Many find a decent level to maintain themselves, where the bad effects are minute enough to not be noticeable. Unfortunately, others may fail at even this, and fall to temptations that lead only to ruin.
The Four Humors are vital to all life, but moderation is needed for any and all things. While each has its own benefits when it comes to imbibing them, there can be consequences if one partakes too much. Humor balance is crucial, but wildly uneven levels within the body can lead to more than just depression or stomachaches. It is a thing the Church always warns its followers about, as it is a damning sin to those who go too far. Be it through consumption or immersion, heavy use of any humor can cause severe changes to the body. While one can survive such alterations and learn to live with it, it requires a special lifestyle to pull it off. Sadly, there are those who cannot maintain this, as they have grown addicted to a particular humor. Whatever relief or escape they find in this fluid has driven them to imbibe in it in vast quantities and, sooner or later, they overdose.
Overdosing on a humor is considered a foul sin, as it shows one who could not rein in their temptations and desires. Here is a soul consumed by want and gluttony, ignoring all else to simply lose oneself in the fluids. The Church of Divine Wealth sees it as vile, and all who fall to it are condemned. Disgust towards these folk is easy for others, as this sin makes its presence very known. Overdosing causes great changes to the user, warping their bodies and degrading them into wretched monstrosities. This is because their flesh has been corrupted and their internal humor levels have broken so badly that there is no hope for repair. What results from these acts is a horrible creature that many find worthy of shunning and cleansing. Such symbols of greed and mindless desire are not wanted in these holy places.
When one overdoses on Yellow Bile, they are transformed into horrible wretches known as "ghouls." The changing process typically has the stomach swell to obscene sizes, as the Yellow Bile builds up. Some parts shrivel as fluids are drained while other areas plump up from excess liquid. In many cases, ghouls wind up being blind due to fluids concentrating around the eyes, causing them to swell shut. Cysts and pustules of Yellow Bile form, and their bodies alter to better carry these swollen frames. The teeth fall out as the tongue engorges, thin barbs emerging from the flesh. Claws and other pointy bits may form elsewhere on the body, as if the flesh itself hungers for more fluid. The end result is a creature that is both emaciated and bloated, a sickly monstrosity that now cares for only one thing.
Though all overdoses hunger for the one fluid that birthed them, the ghouls are most certainly the most simple and bestial. In most cases, the mind is reduced to a feral hungering state, wanting nothing more then to slurp up more Yellow Bile. Even with their bodies already bloated with the stuff, they always need more. Their claws and barbed tendrils are designed for catching and slashing open prey, while their greedy tongues lick up every drop. The spines lining these engorged appendages injecting searing Yellow Bile into prey, paralyzing them with pain. Due to being fully infused with the humor, every excretion from their body is steeped in Yellow Bile and is highly combustible. Their spit can burst into flames within seconds, and their long term presence can actually corrode areas. The longer they live and the more they eat, the bigger and more dangerous their bodies become. Some bloat so much that they burst into disgusting abominations, still living and still hungering despite their ruined forms.
Ghouls tend to form packs and set up nests where they hide from foes. They use numbers for both safety and for dropping prey. Only the largest of these overdoses may go about solo, their bulk and hunger too much to allow others near. Their thirst for Yellow Bile can cause squabbles in the group as they fight over their shares, but these rarely end in actual violence. Extreme hunger may result in cannibalization, as the pack sacrifices the weakest to satiate themselves. The more monstrous specimens are more inclined to devour their own, as their need to feed is so great that any food will do. Thus why they are typically seen alone.
As an overdose, ghouls are despised and hunted, a symbol of sin that must be purged. Hunters typically use piercing weapons and long range attacks to deal with ghouls, as rupturing their bloated bodies is key. However, popping them releases a whole lot of burning Yellow Bile, and the ghouls themselves are highly unstable. One wrong attack and they may straight up explode from the damage. The use of Phlegm is also advised, so that the flames may be doused and the burning "bites" can be soothed. The calming fluid can also ease their aggressive nature, making them slower and more docile for the culling. When all else fails, some hunters simply lob in burning Yellow Bile bottles in the nests, seeking to ignite the inhabitants within. In one fell swoop, the ghoul infestation is destroyed as the whole nest explodes, but the collateral damage from this is typically insane. Obviously, such tactics are not used in populated areas.
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Bringing back some concepts from the old busted version of FOI! Some folks may remember these!