Who knows how long it's been brewing, how long it's been spreading, buried deep beneath the waves, only to surface now, who knows what else is down there just waiting?

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me a gift full of plagues. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me two Twisted toys. On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me three corrupting emotions. On the fourth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Four Deadly shocks. On the 5th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me five monstrous beasts. On the 6th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me six carnivorous Snowmen. On the 7th Day of Christmas, my true love gave to me seven zomasaurs. On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 8 copies of them. On the 9th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 9 Evil songs. On the 10th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 10 snowy fungi. On the 11th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 11 Undead reindeer. On the 12th day of Christmas, my true love gave to me 12 starving sea beasts.

Welcome to the finale of the 12 plagues of Christmas. If you are curious, all of these were completely randomized. I have a spinner with over 100 options, and I've even added a few extra ideas along the way. Every day, I would spin one and create a plague of some kind involving those options. Some are easier, others were harder, but I've had fun, and I hope all of you enjoyed and have a happy holidays. I do still have the spinner with a plethora of options, so if anyone has any interesting ideas for a type of infection or plague, feel free to let me know, and I can add it. After the new year, I will start back up on the daylight owl series as well as my back rooms, so if you have any ideas for that as well, feel free to let me know. I do have a list of ideas. I also have a few ideas for the first-of-a-kind Monster Series, but if you have any specific types of monsters or variations of monsters, feel free to let me know. Worst case scenario, I don't know exactly what it is, and I end up learning something new, it's a bonus.

(The infection)

1. Infection originates from deep within the ocean, exactly how it came to be or how long it has been there is unknown. There are several methods that will result in becoming infected, biting, scratching, or overall being harmed by an infected individual, as well as coming into contact with the fluids of an infected individual. Infection can also be caused by exposure to deep water for prolonged periods of time, even if the individual is wearing protective gear. Exactly how this works is uncertain. It's contracted through bite or injury. Immediately cleaning and then cauterizing the wound is the only known way to prevent infection. This does include the removal of a limb. The infection spreads rapidly through water. This includes the water in your blood, cauterizing the wound, which not only prevents infection and seals it up but also can burn away already infected water if it is done soon enough. Initial symptoms include overwhelming thirst, dizziness, exhaustion, weakness, fever, hot flashes, and total loss of energy.

2. Stage 2 begins 3 Days To 4 weeks after initial infection, depending on the method of infection. Infected individuals are constantly feeling thirsty, having an overwhelming need to constantly be guzzling water, and begin feeling an urge to go swimming, take baths, or overall just be in the water. The skin of infected individuals begins changing, taking on shades of blues and greens, as well as becoming thicker, with patches of scales beginning to appear across the body, starting around the infection site in case of injury. Symptoms include dizziness, anxiety when not drinking or around water, fever, hot flashes, cold flashes, difficulty sleeping, and exhaustion.

3. Begins roughly 5 weeks after stage 2. Affected individuals begin growing webs between toes and fingers. They also develop gills at this stage. Infected individuals will die if they go too long without being submerged. They will go out of their way to constantly seek out water, looking for larger bodies of water, their end goal being the ocean or a body of water that is deeper than 100 ft, where they can sink to the bottom and begin transforming into Stage 4. After entering this stage, the longer an infected individual goes without being able to find a source of water that is sufficiently deep for them to begin the next stage of their transformation, the more they become increasingly panicked and aggressive. If enough time passes at this stage, the individual will become nothing but a Mindless Beast lashing out and attacking anyone and anything that it comes across until its death.

4. Stage four is reached after an infected individual at stage 3 has found a body of water deeper than a hundred feet and sunk to the bottom of it. Exactly what process they undergo is uncertain. It takes anywhere from a few weeks to 2 years for the full metamorphosis and transformation to complete, and the infected individual to reemerge. When they do, they have been completely transformed into something else entirely, though they may have vague characteristics that resemble their appearance prior. Overall, infected individuals at this stage will become completely covered in scales, as well as have layers of sea life attached to them, primarily barnacles and vegetation. They have webbed toes and fingers, some even having grown fins, flippers, or mermaid-like fishtails. The creature that reemerges is extremely aggressive, constantly having an overwhelming thirst, but has developed the ability to drain water out of anything that they consume, showing a preference for blood and living beings. Their only goal is to consume, destroy, and spread.

It is uncertain what requirements are necessary to differentiate between someone who could become infected or who might naturally be immune, as some beings who have become infected have a drastically delayed reaction, taking several months or even several years before the actual transformation process begins. How and why is unknown. Thus far, it is believed that any being that naturally has water in its body is acceptable. This includes humans, Orcs, elves, dwarves, blood bound entities, wild animals, fish, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, demons, fairies, and many more. Beings that are believed to be immune to the infection, such as gargoyles, magma, or fire-based entities, such as volcanic dragons, lava demons, flame-bound angels, slimes, mummies, skeletons, and godly entities that do not have a physical body made of flesh and blood.

Intro one blank, Intro 2 creatures on the coast, Intro 3 rumors of monsters, Intro 4 you're involved.