The Famine

The Famine are a portrayal of the Fear of Addiction. They are former humans who resorted to cannibalism in the wilderness to avoid dying from starvation. Gluttonous monsters incapable of satisfying their hunger, Famine spend most of their time hunting any living creature that trespasses into their territory. Their favorite form of sustenance is human flesh, which they usually acquire by murdering hikers and tourists who explore the snow-capped mountains they inhabit. On rare occasions, Famine will spare humans so they can transform them into another member of the species by biting them or force feeding them the corpses of previous hunts through premastication.

Even though they form packs with one another, Famine will often turn on one another during food shortages or to reduce competition. Rival packs commonly fight each other for territory and will only accept other Famine they personally converted or were their friends back when they were human. Even this is not a guarantee of safety, as every Famine is an innately self-serving bestial creature concerned only with their own welfare.

Description
Famine are highly territorial beings that track their prey for several hours, seemingly taking sadistic enjoyment from stalking humans for long periods of time. Hunts can last last anywhere from a few days to an entire month before a Famine finally strikes. They typically do this by camouflaging themselves in the snow or climbing in trees before falling down and lunging on humans. Once a Famine has caught its prey, it will kill the human by tearing them apart with its sharp claws or gouging out their eyes. They are capable of mimicking human speech to a limited extent, allowing them to lure their prey into complex traps. This suggests they retain at least some of their human intelligence and are all capable of basic cognitive understanding in regards to survival and hunting.

They will often psychologically torment their prey to deceive them into making more mistakes. The most common method in which they do this is by howling at their prey from a distance, especially when they are walking alone in the woods or sleeping by themselves in camping tents. Only their current target can hear these noises, which often leads to their friends dismissing the sounds as imagined when the topic is brought up. A Famine's cries will get progressively louder and will almost seem to be closer as time goes on, resulting in the person slowly breaking down from the stress. Once the Famine is done toying with its prey, it will systematically capture all of its target's friends one by one until only they are left. The last survivor will either commit suicide to put an end to their suffering or make one last ditch effort to escape, only to be violently killed as they attempt to flee.

Occasionally, Famine will trap their victims by sending them to a pocket dimension called The Frost Wastes, a large, frozen tundra or a lifeless, constantly snowing forest. Little is known about this harsh realm, since victims rarely escape, and almost always end up dying before they can reveal much. The Wastes are speculated to be where the Famine spirits come from, a representation of their starvation, or, due to the same locations and infrastructure appearing there (albeit totally frozen and dilapidated), a reflection of our own world. Famine are supposedly capable of controlling the weather in this dimension, increasing or decreasing the intensity of the wind and snow depending on what suits their needs. The only creatures in this place besides the Famine are the trees, which can come to life and ensnare people with their branches. Despite generally working together in order to share a meal, the trees are just as voracious as the Famine and will betray them so they can capture prey for themselves.

Appearance
Famine are colossal, emaciated creatures with canine or deer-like heads and large, torn up mouths that have been permanently stained blood red. No matter how much they eat, they will always remain unnaturally thin, often to the point where their bones can be seen pushing against their stomachs. They commonly have white or gray fur that are said to smell like a noxious combination of raw sewage and decaying flesh. Most Famine also have antlers or horns, which they use to impale or otherwise incapacitate their prey. Many also have scratches and scars all over their bodies, especially on their faces, representative either of fights with other Famine or, in the case of the newly turned, last-ditch efforts by the original host of the body at clawing out the thing inside. Other noteworthy features include their red eyes, pointed ears, long, slimy tongues, yellow teeth, and razor sharp claws on their hind and fore feet. Famine also grow significantly larger every time they eat a person, with some becoming at least fifteen feet tall. This appears to be the species' maximum height, as there have been no recorded sightings of larger Famine.

Other, more unusual varieties of Famine also exist, but are much rarer than their more stereotypical brethren.